Towards a Cornish Philosophy: Values, Thought, and Language for the West Britons in the Twenty-First Century

by Alan M. Kent, Mathew Staunton (Editor)

Since the inception of Cornish Studies, the matter of Cornish Philosophy has suffered considerable neglect. Philosophy is a field in which humanity investigates problems connected with reality and existence; in so doing, investigating values, thought and language. Like other minority communities and peoples across the globe, the Cornish should be asking what makes them who they are. In this vital corrective, "Towards a Cornish Philosophy", Alan M. Kent offers an initial study of the basic beliefs, attitudes and concepts belonging to the Cornish over time. Not only is the relationship of Cornish Philosophy to Celtic Studies examined, but so is its relationship to Romanticism, and the Enlightenment, culminating in observations on the philosophy of the Cornish language, Cornu-English, and the West Britons' obsession with memory, place and stone. Dr Alan M. Kent is a Lecturer in Literature with the Open University in the South West of Britain and Visiting Lecturer in Celtic Studies at the University of La Coruña in Galicia. He is the author of numerous works and articles on the literary and cultural history of Cornwall. He is also a prize-winning poet, novelist and dramatist. His most recent works include "Celtic Nation, Tradition, Invention" (2012), "Voog's Ocean" (2012), and "Bewnans Peran" (2013). He also edited "Charles Theatre Works" (2013).

84 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2013

About the author

Alan Mark Kent was born in St Austell, Cornwall, and studied at the Universities of Cardiff and Exeter.
He is a lecturer in Literature for the Open University in South West Britain, and a Visiting Lecturer in Celtic Literature at the University of La Coruña, Galicia. As well as being a prize-winning poet, novelist and dramatist, he has written extensively on Cornwall and Celtic Studies. He is the author of The Literature of Cornwall: Continuity, Identify, Difference 1000-2000 (2000) and Ordinalia: The Cornish Mystery Play Cycle – A Verse Translation (2005). He co-edited Looking at the Mermaid: A Reader in Cornish Literature 900-1900 (2000) and The Busy Earth: A Reader in Global Cornish Literature 1700-2000 (2008), and The Francis Boutle Books of Cornish Short Stories (2010).
His poetry includes Stannary Parliament (2006), Druid Offsetting (2008) and The Hope of Place: Selected Poems / Ow Qwetyas Tyller: Dêwys Bardhonegow 1990-2010 will be published later this year.
His novels include Proper Job, Charlie Curnow! (2005), Electric Pastyland (2007) and The Cult of Relics / Devovyon dhe Greryow (2010). His latest novel, Voodoo Pilchard will be published in 2010. Recent drama includes Nativitas Christi (2006), Oogly es Sin (2007), The Tin Violin (2008), and Surfing Tommies (2009).
His latest academic work is The Theatre of Cornwall: Space, Place, Performance (2010).