The aula magna of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University could not accommodate the guests of Antonio Carron, the religious belonging to the different communities in Granada, members of his family, companions in the University, friends and the students of the St. Thomas of Villanova High School where he teaches.
The dissertation explores the influence of the Augustinian thought in the work of Maria Zambrano, the most important Spanish philosopher of the 20th century. In the introduction of his work – which will be soon published – the author says, “St. Augustine is one of those philosophers whose ideas are always relevant, always alive through the years. His ideas become even more compelling during significant cultural crises. Now that we are going through the most radical uncertainties in the history of the humanity, the thoughts of the Bishop of Hipona can serve as the point of reference for a philosophy that needs to be adapted to the new times. Serving as a witness to this and as an example, this study aims to point out the influence of Augustine in Maria Zambrano, one of the most representatives and original thinkers of the new West.”
Maria Zambrano
The dissertation explores the influence of the Augustinian thought in the work of Maria Zambrano, the most important Spanish philosopher of the 20th century. Maria Zambrano, recipient of the Prince of Asturias in Humanities award in 1981 and of Cervantes in 1988, is a significant figure in the Spanish Culture. Having been a student of Ortega y Gasset, of Zubiri and of Garcia Morente, she synthesizes the western philosophical tradition: the existential, the phenomenological and vitalist, the philosophy of Spinoza and that of the Greeks, inspired in the thoughts of Plotino. Her affinity with the orphic thinkers and neoplatonics, the metaphorical use of the great traditional symbols brought her to the formulation of concepts like that of the “poetic reason”, which constitutes one of the fundamental underpinnings of her thoughts. What is being pointed out is the creation of the person through a methodology which is articulated in that poetic reason. Being seen without seeing, confronted with a reality that remains hidden; the human being, for Maria Zambrano, is able to see his surroundings, but not himself.