Sir, – Joe Humphreys (Ireland vs England in philosophy: Who would win a World Cup of ideas? June 8th) makes a strong case for a very competitive Irish team, but the absence of Jonathan Swift from the starting 11 is unforgivable. Swift’s contribution to the philosophical tradition of utopianism, immortalised in his masterpiece Gulliver’s Travels, cannot go unnoticed, especially this year, the 300th anniversary of its publication.
Swift’s inclusion in the Irish team could be a gamechanger. As Kathleen Williams pointed out in her 1958 book Jonathan Swift and the Age of Compromise, Swift’s work is characterised by “the elusive brilliance of the attack … [but] the attack is also a defence”. Thus, I have a modest proposal to improve the Irish team: take William Molyneux out and give the No. 10 shirt to Swift. A small change guaranteed to make a big difference.
Humphreys is right, Ireland’s philosophical tradition deserves more recognition. It also needs more space on the school curriculum. Without philosophy we would only be a horde of yahoos. – Yours, etc,
PROFESSOR VITTORIO BUFACCHI,
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Department of Philosophy,
University College Cork.
