Davy Walsh

N. Dip. (Business Studies via Recreation and Leisure), Galway Mayo Institute of Technology
B.A. (Outdoor Education), Galway Mayo Institute of Technology
M.A. (Ethical and Cultural Studies), NUI,Galway

Contact:
Philosophy Dept., NUI Galway
E-mail:davywalshgmail.com

Biography:

Davy’s primary degree was in Outdoor Education in G.M.I.T., Castlebar Campus. This course focused on everything from Philosophy of Education to Environmental Conservation Law, whilst also providing professional skills for working in Adventure sports. This course along with various adventure expeditions broadened Davy’s inquisitive mind eventually leading into philosophical studies via a MA in Ethical and Cultural Studies. Since finishing his MA Degree Davy has been working as a part-time lecturer in GMIT Castlebar Campus. He was accepted as a PhD student in NUIG in September 2005.

Research Interests:

B.A. Thesis : Can moral education change moral competence?: A study of suitable pedagogical methods in the area of Moral Education.

M.A. Thesis: Alterity and the possibility of Ethics: In Jean-Paul Sartre and Emmanuel Levinas. A comparative study of the Other ( Autrui) in relation to Freedom, Love and Responsibility. For the most part my interests are in continental philosophy, with special interest in phenomenology albeit existential, hermeneutical and theological.

Current Research:

Working Title: Play and Adventure.

Davy’s current research is a phenomenological examination of Play and Adventure. The research firstly examines the role of play in our everyday lives. Building from philosophical and anthological sources, this research uncovers the fundamental characteristics of play, as well as showing how they affect cultures and societies. This preliminary study focus’s mainly on the work of Huizinga and Caillois, whilst also trying to go beyond there work by uncovering new elements of play, especially in relation to modern technology.

Following on from this, the research starts to examine the role play has on our consciousness. Previous aesthetical theories, like Kant’s and Schiller’s, have shown that when we experience feeling and sentiment, which is often provoked during aesthetic experiences, freedom and play are so paramount that they come to define this type of experience. This type of experience is generally regarded by German thinkers as Erfahrung and it is certainly thematic in the writings and poetry of the Romantic thinkers. Contraposed to this we have a development in the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century where experience became synonymous with practical as well as theoretical knowledge. This type of experience is very much part of our lived experience which allows us to conceptualise and engage aspects of our everyday lives. Davy’s study hopes to show the value of the former, whilst at the same time reaching beyond the aesthetic experience and showing the value of Adventure.

After establishing the key characteristics of play, the research turns its attention to adventure; showing how it compares and differs from play. It differs from play, both in its structure as well as the way  we experience it. The type of adventure that Davy is refering too is the type of adventure that we meet in natural landscapes. This type of adventure is built upon the foundations of play put goes much further, involving incomprehensibility and the absolute unknown. Adventure seems to manifest itself as a counter-intentional quasi-temporal moment, and as such it seems to convey themes found in many contemporary philosophers including Han-Georg Gadamer, Eugen Fink and Emmanuel Levinas.

Key terms in this research are: Erfahrung, Erlebnis, Aesthetics, Alterity, temporality, intentionality.  

Some selected reading:

R. Caillois,   Man, Play and Games Macmillan Pub. 1961

Kant,   Critique of the Power of Judgement

E. Fink,   Oase des Glücks Gedanken zu einer Ontologie des Spiels. 1957

Emmanuel Levinas, Existence to Existent, Duquesne Uni. Press, 1798.

Emmanuel Levinas, Totality and Infinity, Duquesne Uni. Press, 1969.

H.G. Gadamer, Truth and Method, Continuum Pub, 2004.

H.G. Gadamer, The relevance of the beautiful and other essays, Cambridge, 1986.

J. Huizenga, Homo Ludens Routledge & K. Paul, 1949.

Lionel Terray, Conquistadors of the Useless, Baton Wicks, 1963.

W. H. Murray, Mountaineering in Scotland, Baton Wicks, 1951.

Teaching Experience (3 ^rd Level Education):

4 ^th yr Honours Degree in Business Studies: Ethics. For G.M.I.T. Castlebar Campus.

2005-Present day.

2 ^nd yr Ordinary Degree in Outdoor Education: Interpersonal Management. For G.M.I.T. Castlebar Campus. 2007 – Present day

1 ^st and 2 ^nd yr Ordinary Degree in Business Studies: Exploring Values. For G.M.I.T. Castlebar Campus. 2007 – Present day.

1 ^st yr Theology Studies: Introduction to Philosophy For the Priory Institute, St Mary’s, Tallaght Village, Dublin 2007 March/ April

4 ^th Yr Honours Degree in Religious Studies: Contemporary readings in Religious thought. For the Western Theological Institute, G.M.I.T. Castlebar Campus 2006 2 ^nd Term.

1 ^st yr – 3 ^rd yr BA in Philosophy. Tutored in a variety of philosophical modules as well as running tutorials for Extended Essay Writing. For NUI Galway, Philosophy Dept. 2005-07

Primary & Secondary School students. Outdoor Education Instructor/ Facilitator. For Petersburg Outdoor Education Centre. Galway. 2003- Present day.

Thesis Supervision:

• Transcendence and Ethics – In the writings of Søren Kierkegaard and Emmanuel Levinas

• The lay community and the Church in Modern Ireland.

• An examination of the Personal Growth in an Adventure experience: Between facilitation and non-facilitation.

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