Intellectuals and the Nation State

A Conference at the William Jefferson Clinton Auditorium
UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies
University College Dublin

30 Nov-1 Dec 2005

Intellectuals and The Nation-State Conference Report

Liam Kennedy

From 29th November to 1st December 2005, the UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies hosted its first international conference, devoted to discussion of 'Intellectuals and the Nation-State'. What role and effect do intellectuals have in the making and contesting of national identities and state policies? Ninety participants from more than twelve countries gathered to consider historical and current implications of this questions

Pictured on the first morning of the conference.

The event got off to a terrific start with a public lecture by Professor Slavoj Zizek, the Slovenian philosopher who has developed a huge international readership. With a talk titled 'Ignorance of Chicken, or, The Limits of the Freedom of Thought', Professor Zizek did not disappoint a full lecture theatre of eager listeners, his talk inducing amusement and bemusement in about equal measure. There was a very lively Q&A and discussions continued into the reception held in Professor Zizek's honour.

Following this the conference moved into an intensive two days of plenary and panel sessions. The plenary sessions were all invigorating and developed some of the key themes. Professor Terry Eagleton (University of Manchester) spoke on Irish intellectuals and the idea of a public sphere. Professor Donald Pease (Dartmouth College) assessed the impact of a post-9/11 American Exceptionalism on frameworks of intellectual inquiry. Professor Eric Lott (University of Virginia) spoke on the cultural politics of 'baby boomer' intellectuals in the US.

Our closing plenary session, a roundtable discussion chaired by Professor Declan Kiberd (University College Dublin), with able support from Professor Donald Pease and Dr Conor McCarthy (Mater Dei Institute for Education), was an especially lively and thought-provoking session, as alsmost all conference participants pitched in their views and arguments.

Prof. Terry Eagleton in conversation with Prof. Liam Kennedy

The panel sessions interacted productively with the plenary sessions and with each other as speakers warmed to the themes and spoke on topics such as: the intellectual formations of neoconservatism; race and intellectual constituencies, the role of critical thinking and the value of ideas in the increasingly global 'knowledge society'; the role of intellectuals in government and in the formation of state policy; the relation of intellectuals to the national imaginary (several papers examined Irish intelletuals and intellectual formations). We are grateful to all who contributed so fully in their sessions and beyond.

Prof. Donald Pease (Dartmouth College), Prof. Declan Kiberd (UCD) and Dr. Conor McCarthy (Mater Dei Institute for Education) at the roundtable discussion.

Prof. Luke Gibbons (Notre Dame), Prof. Donald Pease (Dartmouth College), Dr. Hamilton Carroll (CIAS) & Prof. Eric Lott (Univeresity of Virginia

Overall, this was a stimulating and productive event that is already receiving very positive feedback from participants. It has contributed to the development of our research networks and we look forward to building on this.We hope that the great intellectual energy of this conference will be a feature of future Clinton Institute events.

Prof. Liam Kenndy & Prof. Eric Lott (University of Virginia)

Prof. Slovaj Zizek & Prof Liam Kennedy

And the after photos!

Conference Programme - Tuesday 29th November

VENUE Q015, Quinn School of Business, UCD

6.00pm - 7.00pm Registration

7.oopm Keynote Lecture

Slavoj Zizek (Institute of Sociology, Ljubljana/Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, London)

The Ignorance of Chicken, or, the Limits of the Freedom of Thought