Trinity College Dublin is to change the name of a library currently called after a major Irish philosopher who was also a slave-owner.
The university has announced that while the Berkeley Library will be "denamed", it will adopt a "retain-and-explain approach" to a stained-glass window which commemorates George Berkeley.
It said portraits depicting Berkeley will be assessed by a new overall college policy on artwork, while academic gold medals memorialising Berkeley will be reviewed by the relevant academic department.
"These decisions represent a nuanced approach and are the result of careful consideration and detailed analysis", the college said.
The library in question opened in 1967 and is Trinity's largest. In 1978 it was named after George Berkeley, the world-renowned philosopher, and former librarian at Trinity.
Berkeley published some of his most important philosophical works while at Trinity in the 1700s.
But he was also a slave owner, buying slaves – named Philip, Anthony, Edward, and Agnes Berkeley – to work on his Rhode Island estate, and according to Trinity he also sought to advance ideology in support of slavery.
The university said: "Today's decision was taken by the University’s Board following several months of research, analysis and public consultation overseen by the Trinity Legacies Review Working Group, which is considering legacy issues on a case-by-case basis.
"Trinity decided that the continued use of the Berkeley name on its library is inconsistent with the University’s core values of human dignity, freedom, inclusivity, and equality."
It said that the denaming did not deny Berkeley’s importance as a writer, philosopher, and towering intellectual figure and that his philosophical work would continue to be taught at Trinity.
Trinity College has said that a separate process will determine what the new name for the library should be.
"The landscape of a university, especially one as old as Trinity, is not static. Each generation of students and staff deserves a chance to influence decisions", Trinity Provost Dr Linda Doyle said.
Dr Doyle said: "In this case, it was our students who called on us to address the issue. We welcome their engagement, and we thank the Trinity Legacies Review Working Group for its assistance in providing evidence-based information to underpin this decision.
"George Berkeley’s enormous contribution to philosophical thought is not in question. However, it is also clear that he was both an owner of enslaved people and a theorist of slavery and racial discrimination, which is in clear conflict with Trinity’s core values."
Prof Eoin O'Sullivan, Senior Dean and Chair of the Trinity Legacies Review Working Group, said the pioneering work of other universities, such as Glasgow and Harvard, "all of which have faced similar issues to those we face at Trinity as we reckon with our past", had been especially influential on Trinity’s thinking.
"We are committed to addressing issues around Trinity’s complex legacy, from an evidence-based perspective and on a case-by-case basis," he added.
