A collection of five essays from the 2020 Hubert Butler Essay Prize
that examine contemporary society, featuring a foreword from Irish
President Michael D. Higgins.
Bringing together the winning and shortlisted essays from the 2020
Hubert Butler Essay Prize, Self and Society presents five fresh
perspectives on the tension between individual freedom and communal
solidarity, asking what we owe our communities and why it matters. With
a foreword by Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins, the book examines
themes that are more pressing than ever in the age of Coronavirus and
Brexit, invoking the spirit of the Irish essayist Hubert Butler to
investigate whether collective and personal aims can be synergistic or
are destined to remain ever in conflict.
Winner Michael Amherst takes on identity politics, questioning whether
the stratification of society in the name of social justice is helpful
or harmful in the pursuit of equality. Runners-up Tara McEvoy and David
Crane tackle, respectively, the necessity of collective action as a
response to the current pandemic and other social crises, and the role
of conflicts of individual freedom in facilitating or stifling the
economic liberation of refugees. Special mentions have been awarded to
Nick Inman and Beninio McDonough-Tranza for their respective essays on
personal responsibility and the legacy of the Polish union
Solidarnosc.
