TY - CONF

T1 - A Speculation about the Relationship between Welsh Philosophical ideas, and the Welsh Environment

AU - Ellis, David

PY - 2018/7

Y1 - 2018/7

N2 - If I was to speak to a fellow graduate within this university’s philosophy department about the existence of a clear and distinct ‘welsh’ philosophy, I would, perhaps quite rightly, be met with frowns. “‘Welsh’ philosophy?”, they would ask, “there is a ‘Welsh’ philosophy, in the same sense as German Idealism, or French Existentialism?”, “sadly not”, I would reply, “but let’s try to imagine what it would be like if it did exist!” What do I mean by this? I mean that the nature and style which a particular philosophical position takes often reflects the culture, society and physical environment which the thinker(s) existed in at that time. Consider, for example, the brute fact, empirically dominated analytic tradition of English Logical Positivism, and the 1920s post-industrial revolution, Victorian-lingering culture which it developed in. Or consider French Existentialism, which developed during France’s occupation during WW2 and became increasingly popular afterwards - is it a shock that a philosophy which focuses on the human condition, the absurdity of life and its apparent lack of meaning developed in, and became increasingly popular due to the harsh brutal nature of Nazi Germany? Although there is no distinct and organized school of thought which is specifically ‘Welsh’, (perhaps because of the social, political, cultural and natural environment of Wales), there are many Welsh philosophers, and I wish to speculate about the relationship between the nature of their thoughts and the nature of the Welsh environment which they were thought in. This will also serve as a speculation that the environment influences not just the content of our ideas, but perhaps the very way of approaching and thinking about those ideas.

AB - If I was to speak to a fellow graduate within this university’s philosophy department about the existence of a clear and distinct ‘welsh’ philosophy, I would, perhaps quite rightly, be met with frowns. “‘Welsh’ philosophy?”, they would ask, “there is a ‘Welsh’ philosophy, in the same sense as German Idealism, or French Existentialism?”, “sadly not”, I would reply, “but let’s try to imagine what it would be like if it did exist!” What do I mean by this? I mean that the nature and style which a particular philosophical position takes often reflects the culture, society and physical environment which the thinker(s) existed in at that time. Consider, for example, the brute fact, empirically dominated analytic tradition of English Logical Positivism, and the 1920s post-industrial revolution, Victorian-lingering culture which it developed in. Or consider French Existentialism, which developed during France’s occupation during WW2 and became increasingly popular afterwards - is it a shock that a philosophy which focuses on the human condition, the absurdity of life and its apparent lack of meaning developed in, and became increasingly popular due to the harsh brutal nature of Nazi Germany? Although there is no distinct and organized school of thought which is specifically ‘Welsh’, (perhaps because of the social, political, cultural and natural environment of Wales), there are many Welsh philosophers, and I wish to speculate about the relationship between the nature of their thoughts and the nature of the Welsh environment which they were thought in. This will also serve as a speculation that the environment influences not just the content of our ideas, but perhaps the very way of approaching and thinking about those ideas.

KW - Welsh Language

KW - philosophy

KW - Culture

M3 - Abstract

T2 - Cynhadledd NAASWCH Prifysgol Bangor 2018

Y2 - 25 July 2018 through 27 July 2018

ER -