Inner Chapter

Kevin J. Power

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The Voice Behind the Veil

The Voice Behind the Veil is an experiential philosophy session which explores the human tendency to speak to unseen intelligences. 

Primal confusion makes us reach for answers from any source that might help us. It could be a creator God, pagan deities, Oracles, ancestors, natural objects such as trees, rivers, and mountains. It might seem easy to see these practices as regressive, but in the present day the same impulses are extended to interaction with search engines and Generative AI. 

An example of this can be found in this piece from George Zlatin at Digital Third Coast: https://www.digitalthirdcoast.com/blog/top-questions-to-ask-google

“We analyzed more than 8500 Google search terms to identify the top 10 existential questions people are asking the search engine.”

Questions posed included: “Who am I?”, “Is there life after death?”, “Why is there evil in the world?”, and “Is everything going to be ok?” There is no clear and unambiguous way to approach these questions and it may be because of – not in spite of – this that the tendency never goes away. The human need for certainty encompasses even that which we suspect we can never know.  

To that end The Voice Behind The Veil is an interactive session which asks if these ancient intuitions are repeated in modern forms. Is asking ChatGPT what you should do with your life any less strange than asking God for guidance? 

The next instance of The Voice Behind The Veil takes place on Sunday March 30th as part of the Clonakilty Arts and Minds Festival. Details and ticket info at the link: 

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/clonakiltyartsandminds/1624050?fbclid=PAY2xjawJCOb5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABpirLC-Qm5Z0Mxoyz5n1Jw8aXvXISCB5AUd6oSdvcznMql9xCVj0ZymvCyQ_aem_tpp0QUA2jy23DbmlSeIdpQ

Native Wisdom Philosophy Sessions

I’m currently running a series of philosophy sessions in the lovely setting of Anne’s Coffee Bar in Camp, Co. Kerry.

The series is a development of a course I taught through Kerry Education and Training Board last year, and is based on the idea that unique philosophical insights are embedded in rural Irish communities.

The sessions are a really nice way to discuss instinctive philosophical questions in a relaxed, non-academic environment, and I’m very grateful to Anne and the staff in the cafe for helping to facilitate. You can follow them on Instagram (www.instagram.com/annescoffeebar/) and I will be posting about future sessions on the Inner Chapter Instagram account also.

Cost per session is €20, which includes tea/coffee and a delicious freshly baked scone to aid contemplation! Advance booking is not required.

Photo by Shaun O’ Connor

A Mind For Our Times: The Living Legacy of John Moriarty

As part of University College Cork’s Adult Continuing Education programme I am delivering an eight week course on the work of Irish writer and philosopher John Moriarty. Each week covers a different theme of his work, explaining how it is woven into his writings and its present-day relevance. For instance, in 2005 Moriarty wrote that ‘we are asphyxiating in our own psychic exhaust’. In the years since his death smart technology has has become so pervasive that dopamine addiction from constant engagement of the reward system of the brain is becoming a live concern for this and future generations. During this course we look at the application of Moriarty’s work to such present day problems, and bring our own observations and thoughts into the discussion. The course runs online for 8 weeks from September 27th, and registration details are available at the below link:

https://ace.open.ucc.ie/courses/ace2420-a-mind-for-our-times-the-living-legacy-of-john-moriarty

The Great Story: An Introductory Philosophy Course

This autumn will see the delivery of ‘The Great Story’ an 8-week introductory philosophy in Dingle Hub, Co. Kerry. I originally taught this course in spring 2022 as a way to provide an outlet for non-academics interested in philosophy, regardless of background. The initial course was a great success and the classes were friendly, lively, and engaged. The course introduces major themes in philosophy such as ethics, mind, the limits of knowledge, and applies these themes through discussions of relevant contemporary issues and application of critical thinking skills.

The phrase ‘The Great Story’ is taken from Kerry philosopher and writer John Moriarty. It evokes the idea that we all come through circumstances and world-views which shape our beliefs and behaviours; one of the roles of philosophy is to make us aware of this, and attempt to understand why we think and act the way we do.

Ecological Compassion: John Moriarty and Interconnection With Nature

In January of 2021 I was invited by Cork Environmental Forum and SHEP Earth Aware to give a talk on the theme of compassion in ecology. Lucy Weir also presented on the night on the subject of the ‘us and them’ mindset in relation to environmentalism.

In the lead up to this talk I had some very helpful exchanges with Lucy and also James O’ Donovan of Cork Environmental Forum. As mentioned in the discussion section of the video, humility is an attitude that is good to adopt in environmental debates, given our propensity for blindspots and making mistakes where we think we’re making improvements. A case in point is the example of Moriarty rewilding the rhododendron as analogous to the need for people to occasionally rewild their own minds. The rhododendron is an invasive plant species which causes damage to native ecosystems in Ireland. Moriarty had major concerns over human impact on the environment. In many cases – as outlined in this talk – he was well aware of his own role in this, but in others, for example in the case of the rhododendron, he may have been missing some information which would have clarified that the rewilding of this particular plant species could cause more harm than good. Hence the need for humility in our thoughts and actions, however well-intentioned they may be.

I’m always interested in hearing comments, critiques or questions, and can be contacted at innerchaptermusic [at] gmail [dot] com

*The picture in the title card of this presentation was taken by myself near Glenteenasig in West Kerry. The tree on the home page of this website was also photographed by me during some particularly magical daylight, just next to the upper lake in Glenteenasig.