On Intellectuals and Intellectual Life in Ireland

Contributors to this volume explore the role of intellectuals as creators and bearers of national, cultural and regional traditions in Ireland and elsewhere. Inter-disciplinary perspectives from sociology, economics, social anthropology, geography and English literature are employed to consider intellectuals' contribution to public discourse in nineteenth and twentieth century Ireland while focusing on the relationships between intellectuals and politics and between academics and 'engaged' intellectuals. Two chapters examine the social position of intellectuals in societies other than Ireland - Britain, the U.S., Sweden, and Poland - providing vantage points from which the Irish experience can be assessed. The social sciences have neglected the study of intellectuals and intellectual life in Ireland. This volume seeks to open up new avenues of equity and promote debate on the public role of intellectuals in a diverse and divided society.