James Murphy
James Murphy Published with Anthem Press
James (Séamus) Murphy, S.J., PhD, associate professor in the Department of Philosophy, published his book, Confronting the Irish Past: The 1912-1923 Decade in Light of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, with Anthem Press.
In addition to his role as a professor, Murphy is a Catholic priest and a member of the Jesuit order. His scholarship spans philosophy, ethics, and public policy. His research includes the metaphysics of action, the relationship between science and religion, virtue ethics, causation, and epistemology.
In Confronting the Irish Past, Murphy explores the long-running civil conflict in Ireland–particularly the north–between Irish Catholic nationalists and British Protestant unionists. He challenges the notion that history is purely subjective, advocating instead for an objective approach grounded in epistemic values. Having grown up in Ireland during the ‘Troubles’ (1968-1998), Murphy brings a deeply personal perspective to his scholarship, motivated by a lifelong commitment to fostering peace.
“The violent events of that period are forcing a rethink of our respective histories by some people on each side,” reflected Murphy. “But history is an intensely contested area in many countries, and Ireland is no exception: change will take time.”
The concept of confrontation in his book is inspired by Hannah Arendt (1906–1975), a German-Jewish refugee, who argued that some historical periods must not only be understood but actively confronted to prevent past evils from recurring.
“Each chapter of the book deals with a different angle from which to interpret and confront the past,” explained Murphy. Drawing from philosophy of science, ethics, political theory, and memory studies, the book advocates for a more open and flexible approach to inherited identities and intercommunal relations.
“The sciences, including history and social sciences, need not be hostage to moral and political values, they are governed by epistemic or cognitive values, which make for objectivity,” said Murphy. “While history concerns the past, how a community remembers it concerns its present. We are not prisoners of the past: we are not ruled by the god “History”.”
As a Jesuit, Murphy feels a deep responsibility to address religious hatred and violence involving the Catholic community.
“We are committed to promoting peace with justice, acceptance of identities limited by recognition of the other, and a constantly negotiated common good,” he emphasized.
A faculty member since 2009, Murphy finds strong alignment between Loyola University Chicago’s mission and his own work in addressing intercommunal and ethnic conflicts with deep historical roots.
“We Jesuits work at it in many different ways,” Murphy expressed. “Loyola’s culture is strongly supportive of that, and I am grateful for that encouragement.”
Learn more about Murphy and Confronting the Irish Past.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges. More than 150 years since its founding, the College is home to 20 academic departments, 31 interdisciplinary programs, and 7 interdisciplinary centers, more than 450 full-time faculty, and nearly 8,000 students. The 2,000+ classes that we offer each semester span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our campus in Rome, Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”
James (Séamus) Murphy, S.J., PhD, associate professor in the Department of Philosophy, published his book, Confronting the Irish Past: The 1912-1923 Decade in Light of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, with Anthem Press.
In addition to his role as a professor, Murphy is a Catholic priest and a member of the Jesuit order. His scholarship spans philosophy, ethics, and public policy. His research includes the metaphysics of action, the relationship between science and religion, virtue ethics, causation, and epistemology.
In Confronting the Irish Past, Murphy explores the long-running civil conflict in Ireland–particularly the north–between Irish Catholic nationalists and British Protestant unionists. He challenges the notion that history is purely subjective, advocating instead for an objective approach grounded in epistemic values. Having grown up in Ireland during the ‘Troubles’ (1968-1998), Murphy brings a deeply personal perspective to his scholarship, motivated by a lifelong commitment to fostering peace.
“The violent events of that period are forcing a rethink of our respective histories by some people on each side,” reflected Murphy. “But history is an intensely contested area in many countries, and Ireland is no exception: change will take time.”
The concept of confrontation in his book is inspired by Hannah Arendt (1906–1975), a German-Jewish refugee, who argued that some historical periods must not only be understood but actively confronted to prevent past evils from recurring.
“Each chapter of the book deals with a different angle from which to interpret and confront the past,” explained Murphy. Drawing from philosophy of science, ethics, political theory, and memory studies, the book advocates for a more open and flexible approach to inherited identities and intercommunal relations.
“The sciences, including history and social sciences, need not be hostage to moral and political values, they are governed by epistemic or cognitive values, which make for objectivity,” said Murphy. “While history concerns the past, how a community remembers it concerns its present. We are not prisoners of the past: we are not ruled by the god “History”.”
As a Jesuit, Murphy feels a deep responsibility to address religious hatred and violence involving the Catholic community.
“We are committed to promoting peace with justice, acceptance of identities limited by recognition of the other, and a constantly negotiated common good,” he emphasized.
A faculty member since 2009, Murphy finds strong alignment between Loyola University Chicago’s mission and his own work in addressing intercommunal and ethnic conflicts with deep historical roots.
“We Jesuits work at it in many different ways,” Murphy expressed. “Loyola’s culture is strongly supportive of that, and I am grateful for that encouragement.”
Learn more about Murphy and Confronting the Irish Past.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges. More than 150 years since its founding, the College is home to 20 academic departments, 31 interdisciplinary programs, and 7 interdisciplinary centers, more than 450 full-time faculty, and nearly 8,000 students. The 2,000+ classes that we offer each semester span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our campus in Rome, Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”