Role
Dr O'Connor teaches Philosophy at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
At undergraduate level he teaches on:
- Heidegger
- French Philosophy
- Philosophy of Religion
- Practical Ethics
- Philosophy of Everyday Life
He is the Programme Leader for the MA in Philosophy and is responsible for the delivery of the module and course. At MA level he teaches:
- Aristotle
- Nietzsche
- Derrida
- Rancière
Research areas
Dr O'Connor is a member of the ReFrance: Centre for the Study of Contemporary France research centre.
His research, scholarly and professional interests include:
- Phenomenology
- European Philosophy – 19th and 20th Century European Philosophy. Hegel, Heidegger, Nietzsche, Husserl, Agamben
- Early to Mid 20th Century French Philosophy – Bergson, Derrida, Levinas, and Atheism in Existential thought.
- History of Philosophy – History of European Philosophy broadly conceived
- Philosophy of Education – Teaching of Philosophy
Opportunities to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil/PhD exist and Dr O’Connor would welcome supervision in any area mentioned above. In particular, he would welcome supervision from students with interests in any aspect of early to mid 20th Century Contemporary French Philosophy. For further information please contact the NTU Graduate School.
External activity
- Treasurer of the British Society for Phenomenology
- Member of the Foucault Society
- Associate Member of the Society for the Study of Difference
- Member of ReFrance: Centre for the Study of Contemporary France
- Reviewer for the Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology
Sponsors and collaborators
Recent research funding has included:
- Higher Education Academy Research Grant: Collaborative Grant with Manchester Metropolitan University, P O'Connor, L Clughen, R Griffin, (2011-2012), £5,000
- Higher Education Academy Research Grant: The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies: Developing Active and Autonomous Learning among Philosophy Students, P O'Connor, R Farrar, K Crome, (2008-2009), £5,000
- Manchester European Research Institute- Visiting Fellowship, P O'Connor, (2008), £2,000
- Royal Irish Academy Postdoctoral Mobility Grant, P O'Connor, (2007), €1,800
Publications
Atheism Reclaimed. O’Connor P, 2014, Iff Books
The Courage for Infinity: Mortal and Immortal Ethics in Alain Badiou. O'Connor P and Aspbury F, The Journal of the British Society of Phenomenology, 2013, 44 (2)
The Embodied Writer: Merleau-Ponty, Writing Groups and the Possibilities of Space. O'Connor P and Petch M in (eds) Clughen L and Hardy C, Writing in the Disciplines: Building Supportive Cultures for Student Writing in UK Higher Education, 2011, 75-98, Bradford, Emerald
Derrida: Profanations. O'Connor P, 2010, London, Continuum
Agamben's Human Messianism. O'Connor P, Journal of Cultural Research, 2009, 13, (4), 335-352
On the Importance of not-being Earnest: A Dialogue with Terry Eagleton. O'Connor P, Irish Studies Review, 2008, 16, (1), 55-69
See all of Patrick O'Connor's publications...Press expertise
Patrick can speak on ethics, religion, politics, literature, film, Cormac McCarthy, Jacques Derrida, and Martin Heidegger.
He can also comment when ethics, philosophy and religion intersect in news or entertainment events.