William Molyneux

Darrell Jones (Trinity College Dublin)

Ed. by Ian Campbell Ross, Trinity College Dublin, Anne Markey, Dublin City University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.4: Irish Writing and Culture, 400-present.
Vol. editors: Anne Markey (Dublin City University), Ian Campbell Ross (Trinity College Dublin), Eoghan Smith (Carlow College), Sinéad Sturgeon (Queen's University Belfast)

Dates

Born 17 Apr 1656
Died 11 Oct 1698

Places

Born in Ireland, Republic of (Eire)
Active in Ireland, Republic of (Eire)

Activities

Primary

Political Philosopher

Resources

Molyneux's Works

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William Molyneux (1656-1698) was the leading practitioner of experimental science in early modern Ireland. He was also the inventor of “Molyneux’s Problem”, a seminal conundrum in the history of philosophy and psychology, and a politician who promoted the cause of Irish legislative autonomy. In all three areas, his impact on the emergence of Enlightenment ideas in eighteenth-century Ireland was profound.

Molyneux was born near Ormond Gate in Dublin on 17 April 1656. His family held a prominent position in the Irish Anglican elite. His father Samuel was a lawyer, soldier, and amateur mathematician who acquired estates in Limerick and Armagh in the land settlements of the Restoration. His mother Margaret was an expert musician and a prudent manager of her husband’s financial affairs.

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2524 words

Citation: Jones, Darrell. "William Molyneux". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 August 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14771, accessed 23 November 2024.]