Political Economy and Colonial Ireland : The Propagation and Ideological Functions of Economic Discourse in the Nineteenth Century

ISBN-13: 9780415066280 / Angielski / Twarda / 1992 / 222 str.

Thomas Boylan;Tadhg Foley;Thomas Boylan

Opis

Through the first half of the 19th century, there was a widespread notion that political economy was little known and not highly thought of in Ireland, and that the Irish and Roman Catholic character was either non-economic or anti-economic. Such economic ignorance came to be seen as a major cause of Irish backwardness and of social divisions. The educational system was identified as the chief non-coercive means of establishing hegemony over the Irish, with political economy playing a leading role in promoting the economically progressive virtues (seen as English and rational) of self-interest and individualism, the socially desirable objective of neutralizing class antagonisms, and, above all, the political objective of tranquillizing Ireland and assimilating it to English norms, the better to promote the integrity of Empire. In a country so spectacularly divided as Ireland, ideological consensus was sought in that allegedly value-free and incontrovertible form of knowledge, political economy. But this book argues that political economy was partisan and defended the social, political and ideological status quo.

`I believe that next to good Religious education, a sound knowledge of Political Economy would tend as much to tranquilize this country, if not more, than any other branch of knowledge that can be taught in schools.' - Cork Schools Inspector, 1853
In a nineteenth century Ireland that was divided socially, economically, politically and denominationally, consensus was sought in the new discipline of political economy, which claimed to be scientifically impartial and to transcend all divisions. The authors explore the ideological mission of political economy, and the reasons for the failure of that mission in the wake of the crisis induced by the great famine of 1846/47.

Recenzje

`This work offers a remarkable insight into the significance of economic ideas' - Economic Journal

Spis treści

1 POLITICAL ECONOMY: ‘A SCIENCE UNKNOWN IN IRELAND’ 2 THE WHATELY CHAIR OF POLITICAL ECONOMY AT TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, 1832–1900 3 POLITICAL ECONOMY AT THE QUEEN’S COLLEGES IN IRELAND (BELFAST, CORK, GALWAY), 1845–1900 4 EASY LESSONS ON MONEY MATTERS: POLITICAL ECONOMY IN THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS 5 ‘TO THE POOR THE GOSPEL ITS PREACHED’: THE DUBLIN STATISTICAL SOCIETY AND THE BARRINGTON LECTURES 6 ‘NEXT TO GODLINESS’: POLITICAL ECONOMY, IRELAND, AND IDEOLOGY