There was no Mafalda to take my prize – lanacion.com (Argentina)

OVIEDO .- “Last year I was a finalist, and I took Mafalda, Quino’s character, with all the merits and rights, and I am very proud to have been with him among the candidates, but this year it seems that there has been no Mafalda. Still has fallen surprise me. “

Thus Spake Emilio Lledó to learn that this time had indeed received the Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities. The curiosity is that, just like last year lost a cartoonist, this time it was he who won him a magazine, no less than the French Charlie Hebdo. I was also imposed, in a different order, the photographer James Nachtwey; the British journalist Christiane Amanpour, international correspondent for CNN headquarters, and the encyclopedia Wikipedia.

In its justification, the jury noted that “Lledó sees philosophy as meditation on language and underscores the trend human nature to communication. In this way endorses the reason illustrated through a dialogue that promotes coexistence in freedom and democracy “.

Born in Seville in 1927, he earned a degree Lledo in philosophy from the University of Madrid in 1952, but more decisive turned out for training time spent at the University of Heidelberg, where he studied with Hans-Georg Gadamer, Karl Löwith and Otto Regenbogen, and then firsthand met German philosophy Postwar. Lledo specialty was Greek and Latin philosophy. But it was not his only horizon. In an interview a while he said:.. “I am a specialist in ancient philosophy, but also am very interested in modern philosophy have lived many years in Germany and that has made me interested in the philosophy of German idealism thing is that I lucky enough to read Latin and Greek, and I put that sort of the great philosophers of Greek culture, which actually still alive for us as Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus and Plotinus. “

In that sense, the jury highlighted the important role Lledó played in the recovery of Greek philosophy and Hellenism in Spain, as well as contributed to the development of hermeneutics in the panorama of contemporary Spanish philosophy.

Lledo, who has taught History of Philosophy at the universities of La Laguna, Barcelona and the Open University, is the author of some fundamental books of Spanish contemporary thought, including Philosophy and Language (1971), Language and history (1978), The epicureísmo (1984), The groove of time (1992), Praise unhappiness (2005) and The books and freedom (2013).

According to newspaper El Pais, Lledo currently working on a book about the affections on which he said: “I wish I could bring something new even tiny. The affects not have a grammar and philology, but that gives them strength and freedom. You should think of a grammar of affection for love does not turn into hatred or enmity friendship. The principle of loving relationships that we start with the emotional relationship with ourselves. And this forces you to get better, fight to look in the mirror and not be ashamed. “

With such experience, the philosopher takes the prize with serenity.” I’m proud, grateful and overwhelmed, but not haughty ” . Lledo, 87 said and added. “At my age, a prize so I’m a little fly”

Agencies EFE and Telam .