Menu
Menu
The central focus of my research has been on the question of love in philosophy, particularly in the continental tradition. This has led me to explore the relationship between philosophy, psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, literature and popular culture and the human-animal relationship in the manifestation of the ideas of love. My research also includes examinations of instances of political theory manifesting in historical events, particularly in relation to Labour history.
The current focus of my research is on the relationship between Philosophy and Psychotherapy, Philosophy of the Animal, how philosophical ideas manifest themselves in popular culture, and reading labour history in terms of political theory.
I am a Committee member of Philosophy Ireland and also a member of the Irish Philosophical Society.
I am the editor of 2017 Yearbook of the Irish Philosophical Society Special Edition ‘Humans and Other Animals’. Published Spring 2020.
I am a P4C practitioner and advocate and organiser of P4C training sessions.
Edited Collections
Yearbook of the Irish Philosophical Society, 2017: Special Edition ‘Humans and Other Animals’ (2020).
Peer- reviewed book chapters
‘The Application and Uses of Ethics in Early Childhood Education and Care’, in Early Childhood Education and Care: An Introduction for Students in Ireland, ed. by Maire Mhic Mhathuna and Dr Mark Taylor (Dublin: Gill and Macmillan, 2012) pp. 303-312
Peer- reviewed articles
‘The Validity of Narcissistic Re-appropriation: A Critique of Levinas’ Eros’, The Yearbook of the Irish Philosophical Society, (2001), pp. 67-75
‘What Can Husserl Say about Love?’, The Yearbook of the Irish Philosophical Society, (2002), pp. 64-71
‘Brentano and Husserl on the Phenomenon of Love’, Maynooth Philosophical Papers, 2 (2004), pp. 98-107.
‘Love and Poesis: The Ambivalent Creation of a Haunted Truth’, The International Journal of Political Anthropology,(2015).
Conference/Seminar Papers
2000Â Â Â Â Â Irish Philosophical Society Autumn conference, NUIM.
Myth as Paradigm in Plato’s Philosophy of Love
2000Â Â Â Â Â Irish Philosophical Society Spring conference, NUIM.
The Validity of Narcissistic Reappropriation: A Critique of Levinas’ Eros
2001Â Â Â Â Â Irish Philosophical Society Postgraduate Colloquium.
Time, Memory and Love in Proust
2002Â Â Â Â Â Irish Philosophical Society Autumn conference, UCD.
What Can Husserl Say about Love?
2006Â Â Â Â Â Staff/Postgraduate Colloquium, Carlow College.
A Phenomenological Critique of Carl Rogers’ concept of Empathy.
2006Â Â Â Â Â Visiting Speaker Series, Department of Philosophy, NUIM.
Does Carl Rogers Need a Theory of Empathy?
2009Â Â Â Â Â Visiting Speaker Series, Department of Philosophy, NUIG.
In What Sense can you have a Phenomenology of Love? An investigation of Marion’s Erotic   Phenomenon
2010 Â Â Irish Philosophical Society, Futures of Phenomenology Conference, NUIG.
In What Sense can you have a Phenomenology of Love? An investigation of Marion’s Erotic Phenomenon
2010Â Â Â Â May Day SIPTU Labour History Conference
‘Not Organisable! The Autonomous Worker and the Farm Labourer’s Strike 1922/23
2011Â Â Â Â Â Invited Speaker Series, Department of Philosophy, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.
An Outline of an Hauntology of Love
2013Â Â Â Â Â Social Care Ireland Conference: Change, Challenge, Opportunity
‘Against’ Ethics in Social Care Theory and Practice
2013Â Â Â Â Â Sixth International Political Anthropology Workshop in Ireland
Love and Poesis: The Ambivalent creation of a Haunted Truth
2014Â Â Â Â Â WIT Sociology Dept. Visiting lecture series
Plato’s Aristophanes, Plato’s Ghost: A Short History of Love
2014Â Â Â Â Â Irish Phenomenological Circle Symposium: Nietzsche and Nihilism
Nietzsche on ‘Truth Telling and lying in a Non-Moral Sense’
Conference organisation
2017: Irish Philosophical Society Annual Conference, ‘Humans and Other Animals’
Other published works
‘Thoughts on the Origin of the Humanities’, The Carlovian (2008).
‘Post Modern Mods’, Sussed: A Guide to Modernism (2013).
Newspaper and other articles
2015: ‘Unthinkable’ Column on The Philosophy of Love in the Irish Times
Do I Lie when I say I love you? Online article in collaboration with Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) https://imma.ie/magazine/do-i-lie-when-i-say-i-love-you/
Media Interactions
2006: Utopias: A Public Discussion. A round table public discussion with Dermot Ferriter (broadcaster and historian) and Sean Hardie (writer and director) in Association with Carlow University MFA and Eigse 06’ Carlow Arts Festival.
2011: Radio Interview on the Philosophy of the Car.https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/gerrycounihanradio/episodes/2011-07-02T03_40_51-07_00
2011: Radio interview on the philosophy of leisure and leisure space.https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/gerrycounihanradio/episodes/2011-07-01T14_21_03-07_00
2014: Radio Interview on Ethics in Business on KCLR’s ‘ The Bottom Line’
2014 Radio Documentary ‘Let’s Talk About Death’ https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/gerrycounihanradio/episodes/2014-07-10T06_45_34-07_00
2015: Radio Documentary ‘Philosophy in the Classroom’. https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/gerrycounihanradio/episodes/2015-05-01T05_03_27-07_00
2019: Radio interview on Benefits of P4C on KCLR https://carlowcollege.ie/news/dr-noel-kavanagh-talks-about-the-benefits-of-p4c-on-kclr/
2019: ‘As We Like it’ radio documentary on love KCLR https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/documentaries-on/as-we-like-it-episode-3-lover-rdvhkoXnpVQ/
Research-related outreach/public events
2019: Lecture on the Philosophy of Love in VISUAL Carlow.
