Education was so relevant in the thought of Saint Josemaria that he even affirmed that the only work of the Opus Dei was to give formation, and that the Prelature is a catechesis. Culture, on the other hand, was the normal concern -"to be cultivated"- of persons living his message: to sanctify work in everyday life.

One of the concepts which deserves particular attention by philosophers of the 21th century is that of life and, more specifically, that of human life. Because life on Earth is limited, mankind has historically relied on religion for its promise of salvation and an afterlife.Yet, recently, people have been relying on alternative institutions, such as the state or market, for answers to their questions about the limited nature of human life. With the rise of dependence on such instituions comes the (...) rise of new questions: are the state and market responsible for defining the meaning of life and for providing adequate answers to the suffering and death that afflict humankind? Can the state make use of technology and scientific knowledge in order to regulate population according to its objectives? Is there any ethical limit to the experimentation with the different phases of human life? Is it possible to preserve a sacral sphere for human life? This book provides extensive reflection and possible solutions to these perplexities. (shrink)

A good will is not so much an "ethical concept" as one that refers to the nucleus of human existence and the meaning of life. If the intellect is a function of identity, the will is a function of otherness. Together, the intellect and the will render an account of that arcane principle of all reality which is unity-diversity or limit. Such arcana is manifested in the following: the intellect is the limit of the will and the will is the (...) limit of the intellect. The perfection of the will -the will that becomes good- requires self-knowledge. In order to give an account of the other I have to take myself seriously and realize that I only know myself through the other. A good will, therefore, has many other related dimensions aside from that of love and respect. (shrink)

Few Philosophers have been able to give to their work a deep an wise visíon of the world applicable to everyday existence. Among them we find Joseph Pieper, extraordinary writer and philosopher whose works (edited by Berthold Wald) confirm his socratic character of wisdom lover (filo-sophos).

One of the crossroads or paradoxes of which human beings are constituted is that of time and eternity. Of course, our life consists of movement; but we would not be able to understand this were we not in some way or another over and above this plane, ensconced in some form of eternity, that is, in a mode of existence that transcends time. This extremely peculiar, and if you wish, dramatic, situation, readily prods to an interpretative effort. Does eternity mean (...) that we are immortal? Or, on the contrary, is our life an absurdity, an ever-unfulfilled promise? Should we then inhibit our dreams, or should we rather intensify our desires with the hope of the infinite? (shrink)

The present studies on relation focuses mainly in the logical structure of the concept, under and analytical approach. But paradoxically, even if the mind can’t work without the relation, it is not able to justify the meaning of relation only through self-reflection. It is absolutely necessary to follow the metaphysical approach, in which the problem of negation plays a central role.

El autor desarrolla algunos conceptos políticos fundamentales a la luz del pensamiento de santo Tomás de Aquino. Señala la importancia de la Filosofía del tener para entender al ser humano. Tenemos cosas materiales, pero, sobre todo, tenemos voluntad, sentidos, virtudes, familia, compañía, Estado, etc. El hombre es el único ser que requiere la "propiedad" para su perfección.The author explains some philosophical concepts in the light of the thought of St. Thomas of Aquino. He also appoints the importance of the philosophy (...) of "to have" in order to understand the human being. We get material things, but we especially get will, senses, virtues, family, company, State, etc. Man is the only being that requires the owning for his perfection. (shrink)

The point of the article is that representation is primarily an activity in the realm of knowledge while participation belongs to the will. Representation and participation are two dimensions of human life, at the same time personal and political. One cannot expect real participation in the absence of true representation. The present democracies have a real problem regarding the participation of the people in politics.

This article underlines the significance of the new interpretation of Plato's Parmenides. The platonic "protology" found in the Parmenides connects directly with neoplatonic tradition. Christian Neoplatonism, through its trinitarian speculation, is the philosophical movement which best captures the deepest implications of the unity-diversity theory of the Parmenides. The author suggests that the christian neoplatonic solution to the unity-diversity issue is superior to those offered by Hegel, Nietzsche and Heidegger.