Institute for Interdisciplinary and Engaged Philosophy (IIEP)
About
The Institute focuses on interdisciplinary and socially engaged work connected with philosophy (broadly understood).
This approach covers the following research areas:
1. Intersections between philosophy and other disciplines, including:
- Philosophy that uses the findings and methods of other disciplines to inform its arguments and starting points
- Research on other disciplines that engages substantively with philosophical discussion, concepts and practices as part of their theoretical framework and discussion of their findings
- Philosophy specifically designed to be relevant to other disciplines and their debates or that is part of interdisciplinary research projects.
2. Philosophical work and practices informed by and engaged with the public sphere and the social problems and complexities of our time to put thinking into action.
Members
Directors
No results.
Internal Members
External Members
Dr Genco Guralp
Dr Lorenzo Girardi
Research groups
History of Philosophy
This research group focuses on the interpretation, translation, and discussion of the history of philosophy, including its engagement with contemporary philosophy and enduring relevance today. In addition to philosophy and its various methodological traditions, the group uses the findings and methods of Classics, Medieval Studies, Literary Studies, and History to inform its research.
We currently run a research reading group on Plato's Republic. If you would like to take part, please contact Dr Daniel Vázquez at Daniel.Vazquez@mic.ul.ie
Members of the group:
Dr Daniel Vázquez – Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy
Dr Mariangela Esposito - Ancient Greek philosophy
Dr Catherine Kavanagh – Late Antiquity and Medieval Philosophy
Dr Dr Órla Slattery – Early Modern Philosophy.
Dr Steven Bond – 20th Century Philosophy and Literature
Philosophy with Children Research Group
The Philosophy with Children Research Group, based at the IIEP, is an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to exploring the theory, practice, and impact of philosophy with children across educational contexts. The group brings together philosophers, teacher educators, and practitioners who share an interest in how philosophical inquiry can support children and young people to think critically, ethically, and creatively about themselves and the world.
The group engages with a wide range of philosophical and pedagogical approaches, including Community of Philosophical Inquiry (CoPI), Philosophy for Children (P4C), dialogic pedagogy, and critical and democratic educational traditions. Rather than promoting a single model, the group examines how different approaches to philosophy with children can be meaningfully adapted to diverse educational settings and learner needs. Central to this work is a commitment to children’s voice and learner agency, positioning children as active, meaning-making participants in their learning rather than passive recipients of knowledge.
Our work addresses key themes such as ethics, citizenship, identity, global justice, and conceptions of the good life, with a focus on children’s lived experiences and democratic participation. Across these themes, the group is particularly interested in how philosophical dialogue can foster democratic participation, mutual respect, and reflective judgment, while also supporting children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development.
A key strand of the group’s current work is an ongoing classroom-based collaboration with Scoil Ide Primary School in Limerick. Working in partnership with teachers, this project explores how philosophy with children can be used as a pedagogical approach to support and deliver the learning objectives of the Irish Primary Curriculum Framework (2023). This project examines how philosophical inquiry can be embedded across curriculum areas and aligned with learning outcomes, pedagogical principles, assessment approaches, and key competencies, while fostering agentic learners who can think, question, and participate meaningfully in their communities.
Through its research and partnerships, the group aims to strengthen links between research, practice, and policy, and to contribute to high-quality, research-informed national and international conversations about the role of philosophy in children’s education.
For more information on the group’s activities, please contact group lead Dr Basil Vassilicos at Basil.Vassilicos@mic.ul.ie
Members of the group:
Simon Brennan
Dr Treasa Campbell
Dr Basil Vassilicos
Events
Each year, the Institute hosts research and academic events. Here we list the past and upcoming activities.
Research Workshop: Nature, Humans and Knowledge in Plato's Timaeus
The Institute for Interdisciplinary and Engaged Philosophy (IIEP), in conjunction with MIC's Department of Philosophy, will host an international workshop on Nature, Humans and Knowledge in Plato's Timaeus on the 18th and 19th of September 2025. The workshop will be held in the Limerick campus in room JHN221 (Newman Building, second floor).
The full programme can be accessed here.
- About
- Members
- Research groups
- Events
