‘A Spirit of Inquiry’: A Discussion

Sunday 27th June, 7pm

As part of the Mary Ann McCracken 250 series of events Reclaim the Enlightenment and the Frances Hutcheson Institute are hosting this discussion on ‘A Spirit of Inquiry’ which will be chaired by Norma Sinte, chair of the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation

In 1792 the Belfast Library and Society for Promoting Knowledge (later the Linen Hall Library) declared an objective to encourage ‘a spirit of enquiry’. Henry Joy McCracken was a committee member and after his execution his sister, Mary Ann, took over his membership. They were thus associated with a notable enlightenment enterprise. Apart from collecting books the Society supported free and universal education, created the beginnings of a museum and provided Belfast’s first meteorological station. All this in a town which was happy to be described as ‘the modern Athens’. Perhaps above all those involved were suffused with a sense of the inevitability of human progress based on a common humanity and rational discovery. Dr James Dingley and John Gray explore what the enlightenment meant to that generation, and, from their differing perspectives, what it means today.

Event information

• The Zoom meeting ID for this event is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5043388188 Meeting ID: 504 338 8188

• There is no need to register just sign in on the night
• Hosted by Reclaim the Enlightenment- for more information email reclaimtheenlightenment@gmail.com