Subjecting minority rights to a popular vote is a tricky proposition, as some constitutions recognize. But the vote on gay marriage in Ireland may have been based on the empathy and imagination that enables human beings to share others’ perspectives.
7 thoughts on “May there be less sadness in Ireland now”
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Feminist Philosophers 
An insightful and lovely post, Anne!
I have never been prouder to be Irish! And thanks, Feminist Philosophers, for being the first philospophy blog to link to the story!
BTW constitutional reform requires a referendum in Ireland.
Thank you both for your kind comments. The vote still seems to me to be an astonishing and loving act.
I do think of Ireland as a sad country, and I am not sure why. Part of it may be all my Irish relatives who seemed so dedicated to making one another miserable. Or perhaps William Trevor’s brilliant work has shaped my view. Or indeed James Joyce’s Portrait. (I see a long list quckly growing.)
Ireland can be a pessimistic place. And I share your concerns about subjecting minority rights to a popular. I have often thought to myself, “Why should I get to vote on whether two people in love get to marry?” But yesterday was a magical time: the atmosphere of hope and joy reverberated throughout the country. The referendum made us all feel like we played a small part in changing our country for the better.
IPS: From thousands of miles away Ireland did indeed look like a magical place. I’m so glad you could feel it to be so.
Thank you for this post – I’m just giving a talk on Arendt’s concept of judging today and will use this as a current example – nice!
Maria, you are not by any chance giving the paper in the US. IT sounds interesting. In any case, I’m very glad to be part of the it by supplying an example.