This article focuses on three essays published on the work of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Immanuel Kant by the theologian and scholar, Lewis Edwards, in the Traethodydd between 1846 and 1853. Edwards is considered here as representative of the religious leaders of Wales in the second half of the nineteenth century. His work is examined for evidence of attitudes towards the philosophical developments of the period which could offer an explanation for his failure to defend Welsh language and culture in the face of the spread of English. The article argues that Edwards’ commitment to the speculative reasoning on which contemporary Calvinist theology was based prevented him from responding directly to the intellectual challenge represented by modern thought. In the three articles considered here, which present Kant’s thought as expressed in the first Critique, together with Coleridge’s philosophical theology as it is presented in his Aids to Reflection, we find clear evidence of Edwards’ unwillingness to accept any challenge to Calvinist philosophy. The picture he presents of the work of these two authors is defective and misleading. A major part of both Kant’s Kritik and Coleridge’s Aids is a destructive criticism of the baseless pretensions of speculative reason. Edwards chooses to ignore this entirely, so as to maintain his belief in the power of the human intellect to intuit truth without reference to empirical evidence. It is argued here that this wilful blindness to modern thought was an important factor in motivating the intellectual treason of which Edwards and his contemporaries stand accused. It is also suggested that this treason undermined not only Welsh language and literature, but also the Calvinist religion Edwards was determined to defend. In refusing to face the challenge of modern thought, Edwards left his students with no means of adapting traditional teaching to meet the requirements of a changing sensibility. The eventual result of that was a degree of alienation from the Nonconformist past, the effect of which continues even today
Lewis Edwards and the 'trahison des clercs'
Turning an-‘Other’ Page: Re-interpreting the relationship between south Wales’s Welsh- and English-speaking co...
This article analyses the relationship between Welsh and English speakers in pub scenes in two contemporary novels set in south Wales, namely Y Tiwniwr Piano by Catrin Dafydd (2009) and The Book of Idiots by Christopher Meredith (2012), in light of philosophical theories about the ‘other’ and otherness. The development of the concept of the ‘other’ is traced by considering the work of philosophers and cultural theorists such as Georg Hegel, Simone de Beauvoir, Frantz Fanon and Homi Bhabha. Turning to the work of Charlotte Williams and Simon Brooks, the article argues that both Welsh and English speakers in Wales can experience otherness, and the novels are then analysed to explore how this is reflected in contemporary fictional texts. The article draws conclusions about the significance of otherness to contemporary Welsh imagination and identity and suggests how other philosophical ideas could help us find common ground between Wales’s two main language communities.
The Scrum: Justice and Responsibility
In this article we argue that the current laws of the scrum in Rugby Union inevitably lead to unfairness. The scrum is so biomechanically complex that it is impossible for a referee to reliably determine who deserves punishment when the scrum collapses. Consequently, undeserved penalties are inevitable. Furthermore, the players who are penalised may not be causally or morally responsible for the offence. Under certain pressures, they have no choice but to collapse. Resolving the issue is not an easy matter. There is an inevitable trade-off to be negotiated between fairness on the one hand and tradition, excitement and entertainment on the other.
The Natural Law Ethics of John Duns Scotus: does it have ‘Welsh’ connections?
It is argued that John Duns Scotus’s treatment of concrete moral topics such as slavery, inheritance and marriage exhibits characteristics of medieval Welsh laws. This is explicable by the latter’s closeness to the ancient Brythonic laws of Scotland. Their commonalities explain John Duns Scotus’s attitude to these topics and the use he makes of natural law theory alongside the Book of Genesis to defend his viewpoints. The inference is made that his aim was to develop a critical account of the natural law which could defend the ideal of the ancient Brythonic laws of Scotland against Anglo-Norman hostility.
Evaluating 'Cymdeithasiaeth': the political ideas of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg
This article examines cymdeithasiaeth, a set of political ideas developed by Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) arising from the Society’s campaigning experience. The article’s main aim is to evaluate ‘cymdeithasiaeth’, and to consider the ideation and the relationship between the theory and political practice. Community is an integral part of the philosophy of ‘cymdeithasiaeth’, and the article attempts to answer the question; ‘what is the role of community and the political relevance of ‘cymdeithasiaeth’ today?’ The discussion begins by examining the ideation of ‘cymdeithasiaeth’ as it developed alongside Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg’s experience of direct action. The role of community in the political tradition of Wales in the modern period is discussed, and a critical look is taken at the role of community and community development in today’s politics. Finally, a discussion on the evaluation of ‘cymdeithasiaeth’ takes place.
Efrydiau Athronyddol (Philosophical Studies): a heritage that should be treasured
This article describes the origins and some of the history of the Welsh-language philosophy journal Efrydiau Athronyddol, which was published from 1938 to 2006. The majority of the papers published in the journal were presented at the annual conference of the Welsh-speaking Philosophy section of the Guild of Graduates (Adran Athroniaeth Urdd y Graddedigion), an annual conference which continues today but which was established in the early 1930s. The article describes the nature and content of the first issue, and provides a summary of some of the main themes of articles published. It shows how the character of the journal underwent a significant change in 1949 as a result of a deliberate policy on the part of those most closely involved with the running of the journal and indeed in the Philosophy section of the Guild. The journal subsequently changed from being a purely philosophical one to a more interdisciplinary publication which dealt with a much wider range of topics, many of which had a distinct focus on Welsh intellectual life. The second half of the article focuses on one of the most influential papers ever published in the Efrydiau, namely ‘The idea of a nation’ by Professor J. R. Jones. Published the year before Saunders Lewis’s radio broadcast ‘Tynged yr Iaith’, its main claims are described and subjected to critical analysis. This paper exemplifies what was best about the journal: it is philosophical, but also interdisciplinary – drawing on poetry and history – and makes powerful political claims which led to Jones being described by Professor D. Z. Phillips as the philosophical inspiration for the Welsh Language Society, in addition to an acknowledged influence on the thinking of Saunders Lewis.
RE / Philosophy presentations (yrs. 11-13)
A collection of PowerPoint presentations relating to the Religious Studies AS/A Level syllabus. By Dr Gareth Evans-Jones, Bangor University.
Maths and Philosophy Workshops
This resource is the result of a small grant awarded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol to Cardiff University. The project aimed to increase interest in the Mathematics and Philosophy degree course. As part of the project, a series of workshops were held in schools. This resource contains a series of practical questions arising from the first two workshops, Elementary Concepts in Philosophy and Mathematics and Understanding Numbers and Their Part. The questions are aimed at those studying A level maths.
Y Meddwl Modern: Weber – Ellis Roberts
Max Weber is recognised as one of the foremost founders of modern sociology. This volume places him in the tradition of sociology and outlines some of his major contributions: his idea of 'verstehen' or 'sociological imagination', his involvement in the great debate about the relationship between capitalism and the Protestant religion, and his 'ideal types' or definitions of the basics of particular regimes.
Y Meddwl Modern: Marx – Howard Williams
An illustration of the life of Karl Marx: his ideas, the roots of his philosophy and his influence on the world.
Y Meddwl Modern: Durkheim – Huw Morris Jones
Emile Durkheim was the first to hold a university chair in sociology, and his ideas remain of fundamental importance to all who want to understand the origins of the subject. He adopted the image of society as an organism, each part of which has a particular role to play in ensuring the well-being of the whole body. His ideas include an analysis of the social origins of religion, in particular the suggestion that any religious worship is 'worship of society'; its emphasis on what he called 'anomie' as the root of dispute and unrest in the life of an individual and society; and his original and important study of suicide as a social phenomenon. His influence is seen in fields as diverse as criminology on the one hand and literary criticism on the other.
Maniffesto'r Blaid Gomiwnyddol – Karl Marx & Frederick Engels
Welsh translation of the Communist Party Manifesto (Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei). The original translation was published in 1948 to celebrate the centenary of the Manifesto. W. J. Rees based his translation on the fourth German edition (1890). A revised translation was published in 2008, which is the version available here, along with the original introduction to the 1948 publication, the 2008 introduction by Robert Griffiths and a new preface to the digital publication by Howard Williams.