Book contents
- Irish Literature in Transition, 1700–1780
- Irish Literature in Transition
- Irish Literature in Transition, 1700–1780
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Series Preface
- General Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Starting Points
- Part II Philosophical and Political Frameworks
- Chapter 4 The Prejudices of Enlightenment
- Chapter 5 The Molyneux Problem and Irish Enlightenment
- Chapter 6 Samuel Whyte and the Politics of Eighteenth-Century Irish Private Theatricals
- Part III Local, National, and Transnational Contexts
- Part IV Gender and Sexuality
- Part V Transcultural Contexts
- Part VI Retrospective Readings
- Index
Chapter 4 - The Prejudices of Enlightenment
from Part II - Philosophical and Political Frameworks
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2020
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Edited by
Book contents
- Irish Literature in Transition, 1700–1780
- Irish Literature in Transition
- Irish Literature in Transition, 1700–1780
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Series Preface
- General Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Starting Points
- Part II Philosophical and Political Frameworks
- Chapter 4 The Prejudices of Enlightenment
- Chapter 5 The Molyneux Problem and Irish Enlightenment
- Chapter 6 Samuel Whyte and the Politics of Eighteenth-Century Irish Private Theatricals
- Part III Local, National, and Transnational Contexts
- Part IV Gender and Sexuality
- Part V Transcultural Contexts
- Part VI Retrospective Readings
- Index
Summary
This chapter argues that ‘prejudice’ was both the enemy and alter-ego of enlightenment in Ireland. While many enlightened figures choose to condemn prejudice as an irrational and malign force, others would query both the possibility and desirability of a world without prejudice. Indeed, the war against prejudice, it was argued, bred a bigotry of its own. The chapter shows how the question of prejudice had a key bearing on debates about reason, religious toleration, and economic improvement in eighteenth-century Ireland.
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- Irish Literature in Transition, 1700–1780 , pp. 91 - 109Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020