Excerpt

Thomas Duddy, a Lecturer in Philosophy at the National University of Ireland-Galway, has produced one of the latest contributions to the growing number of commentaries on the impact of Irish thought within the western intellectual tradition. Previous authors working in this relatively new field have tended to focus on individual figures or particular time periods. Duddy, however, has written a comprehensive synopsis of the history of Irish thought beginning with Pseudo-Augustine in the 7th century and ending with the contemporary political philosopher Philip Pettit. Along the way, readers are introduced to prominent - and not so prominent - philosophers, scientists, political theorists, moralists, and satirists. The text is divided into nine chapters, each dealing with an individual thinker or group of thinkers bound by common concerns. Duddy’s writing is clear, and his analysis perceptive. He has made what is sure to be a lasting contribution to the genre.