The event is a collaboration between The Irish Philosophical Society and the college’s Department of Philosophy and Department of Education.

Recent discussion on the development of Irish society has returned again and again to the importance of education as a key element in this process.

Alongside the self-congratulatory attribution of the Celtic Tiger to the quality of our educational system are those voices which raise doubts as to certain ethical aspects such as the question of whether economic development has been prioritised at the expense of all else. This conference will raise the question of the nature and ethics of education, the responsibilities of educators in relation to the society to which they contribute, the role of each level of education in this process and the fundamental reasons for engaging in it. Is it simply a matter of creating a ‘knowledge economy’?

The keynote speaker at the conference is the noted Oxford philosopher of education, Professor Richard Pringn and other speakers include lecturers from Mary Immaculate College, UCC, NUI Maynooth, St Patrick’s College, DCU Mater Dei and Trinity College.

The venue is Room 206 at Mary Immaculate College and for further information, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .