Thought and Anthropology
The area of Thought and Anthropology brings together
researchers from diverse areas of knowledge: history, sociology, philosophy,
art and literature. The interdisciplinary nature of the group adds a two-fold
approach to their research work:
- On one hand, through an interdisciplinary
team, the research is based on fundamental themes relating to socio-political
thought and philosophical anthropology (principally the dignity of human beings
and their focus on the construction of a social life). These themes are approached
from a methodological perspective which highlights synthetic knowledge above
analytic knowledge.
- On the other hand, as each participant is
an expert in a particular area of humanist knowledge, each group member
develops one or more research lines in their particular field which is closely
associated with their relevant scientific communities.
The two aspects of the research are interlinked in a
positive way. Interdisciplinary and non-specialised research offers a wide
panoramic which enables the creation of a map of fundamental humanistic
knowledge and the establishment of links between the different thematic areas,
independent of their official ascription to specialised fields.
Simultaneously, specialised research brings about more
innovative content and proposes specific examples for more generic
perspectives.
Team
- Dr.
Josep Olives (director)
- Dr.
Josep Corcó
- Dr.
Alfons Puigarnau
- Dr.
Xavier Escribano
- Dr.
Patricia Almárcegui
- Dr.
David Lorenzo
- Dr.
Iván Lacasa
- Mr.
Carles Ayxelà
- Mr. Gaspar
Pujol
- Miss.
Cilea Dourado
- Mr.
Fernando Sánchez
- Mr.
Joaquim Muñoz
Research projects
Below follows a brief description of the projects within
the area of Thought and Anthropology developed by research teams, with the
eventual coloration of researchers from other universities. At least one
representative publication is included in each case.
- Project 1: City, person and
civilisation: keys to understanding the contemporary world
This project is a reflection about human beings, both from an individual and
collective perspective. It includes a reflection about the idea of community
and the main values and concepts that produce and promote this. There is also a
reflection about history and the deep sense of culture, religion and
civilisation.
Representative publication:
- OLIVES,
J. (coord.), Idees de ciutat i ciutadania, Seminari Permanent d’Història del
Pensament polític i social, INEHCA, Barcelona 1999.
- Project 2: Cornerstone concepts of
fundamental socio-political philosophy
Classic socio-political thought has full relevance in the present-day world.
This research line puts into practice symbolic hermeutics in order to translate
the essential contents of classical socio-political and anthropological theory
to modern language. This implies a change in the paradigm as it involves an
expansion of socio-political doctrines which today are commonly accepted in
conventional praxis and theory.
The conceptual nucleus of the new paradigm proposed is polis, understood as an
analogical scheme from which it is possible to establish the lines of
correspondence between human beings, their community dimension, and nature or
the cosmos. This new paradigm can be called “fundamental socio-political
theory”.
Representative publication:
- OLIVES,
J. (coord.), La autoridad revisitada, Prohom Edicions, Cabrils (Barcelona)
2005.
-
Corcó, J., Autoridad, razón y
verdad, (pp. 21-51)
- Escribano, X., La autoridad y la
sociedad libre, (pp. 85-100)
- Lacasa, I., La autoridad de la
verdad, (pp. 149-174)
- Olives, J., La idea tradicional de
verdad, (pp. 101-148)
- Project 3: Images of man in the
history of thought
Human beings need an image of themselves in order to reach fulfilment as a
person, both in an individual and collective sense. Self knowledge is
undoubtedly one of the main sources in determining the social behaviour and
political organisation of human beings throughout all ages and within all
cultures.
This research line aims to show the most interesting images throughout history
that human beings have created of themselves from a philosophical, artistic and
literary perspective.
Representative publications
- CORCÓ,
J., FIDORA, A., OLIVES. J., PARDO, J. (coord.), Què és l’home? Reflexions
antropològiques a la Corona
d’Aragó durant l’Edat Mitjana, Prohom Edicions, Cabrils (Barcelona) 2004.
- Corcó, J., "L’antropologia de l’escolar catòlic arnaldià", (pp. 53-71)
- Olives, J., "El simbolismo
antropológico de la ciudad en Francisco Eiximenis", (pp. 253- 271)
- Project 4: Road Anthropology
This deals with revising the conceptual framework with reference to road
serviceability by placing the human dimension at the centre of the problem
which, until now, has been considered a technical question. It is therefore
based on proposing and establishing the scientific bases for a new perspective
on the road question, focusing on people and approaching it from a
multidisciplinary angle.
It can therefore be said that this research line is directed towards
establishing a new scientific discipline: road anthropology.
Representative publication:
- OLIVES,
J. (coord.), Antropologia viària: l’atenció a la conducció, Fundació Abertis,
Barcelona, 2003.
- Escribano, X., "Conducción veloz,
pasividad corporal y atención ética", (pp. 45-54)
- Lorenzo, D., "Ética y conducción
en la Antropología
Viaria", (pp. 27-37)
- Olives, J., "L’atenció a la
conducció, un repte per l’Antropologia Viària", (pp. 9-12)
- Project 5: Thinking with images:
symbol and myth in the history of thought
The objective of this research proposal is to newly describe the intellectual
value of images, symbolism and art in general as vehicles of theoretical and
practical knowledge. This implies removing knowledge from an exclusively discursive
approach. In reality, symbolic images constitute a vast ancestral archive of
human civilisations.
The main objective of this study is to develop the interpretative keys that
will enable access to this world of images.
Representative publication:
- OLIVES,
J., Prólogo al Diccionario de los símbolos, de Jean Chevalier i Alain Gheerbrant,
Herder, Barcelona, 1988.
Publications
Below are some of the main research lines
showing the specialised areas for the members that make up the Thought and
Anthropology group. Each area of specialisation is accompanied by a significant
publication.
Dr. Josep Olives
- Fundamental
socio-political theory: La ciudad cautiva, Ed. Siruela,
Madrid, 2006.
- Symbology: “El simbolismo antropológico de la ciudad en Francisco de
Eiximenis”, en AA. VV., Què és l’home?, Prohom Edicions, Barcelona,
2004.
- City planning: Il Movimento
Sociale Urbano, 1978
Dr. Josep Corcó
- Phylosophy of science: “The
Emergent Character of Life”, a JARVIE, I.; MILFORD, K.; MILLER, D. (eds.), Karl
Popper. A Centenary Assessment (Volume III: Science), Ashgate
2006.
- Science and religion: “El pensamiento científico y su impacto en la cultura
contemporánea. La tercera cultura”. A MARÍN, H. (coord.), Hacia una nueva
cultura cristiana, Universidad Católica de Murcia/Pontificio Consejo de la Cultura. Vaticano,
Murcia, 2002.
Dr. Alfons Puigarnau
- Romanesque.
Abstraction. Archetypes. Neoplatonism. “Imago Dei y lux mundi. La
recepción de la teología de la luz en la iconografía del Pantocrátor en
Cataluña”, Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
(NDLTD), Barcelona, 2005. Depósito legal: B.31811-2005. ISBN: 84-689-3005-9.
- Architecture. Iconoclasm.
Aesthetics. Labyrinths.
Anamorphism. Tradition. “Iconoclastia filosófica y arquitectura genética/Iconoclastic Aspects of Genetic
Architectures”, in: AA.VV. Genetic Architectures / Arquitecturas genéticas,
Barcelona/New Mexico (USA), ESARQ-UIC/SITESBooks-, 2003.
Dr. Xavier Escribano
- Philosophical
anthropology. Theories and conceptions of corporality: Sujeto
encarnado y expresión creadora en el pensamiento de M. Merleau-Ponty,
Prohom Edicions, Cabrils (Barcelona) 2004.
- Contemporary
thought and Phenomenology: Escribano, X., “Los signos del
arte nos Fuerzan a pensar. Merleau-Ponty,
Deleuze y Proust », Taula. Quaderns de Pensament, 38, (2004), pp.
263-269
Dr. Patricia Almarcegui
- Travel literature: Ali Bey y los viajeros europeos a Oriente,
Bellaterra, Barcelona, 2007.
- Orientalism: (coord.), “La cuestión oriental”, Microfisuras, n º 8,
1999, pp. 46-60.
Dr. David Lorenzo
- The relationship between general and applied ethics. Deontological codes: “Primeros
principios, códigos deontológicos y acción humana”, en Hacia una sociedad responsable:
reflexiones desde las éticas aplicadas, ROMÁN, B; PALAZZI, C. (eds.), Ed.
Prohom, Barcelona, 2006, 149-155.
Mr. Carles Ayxelà
- Philosophical hermeneutics: "El peligro de simplificar la realidad.
Gadamer y Platón: el diálogo, una herencia exigente". Materiales del
congreso Internacional sobre Hermenéutica Filosófica "El legado de
Gadamer". Departamento de Filosofía, Universidad de Granada 2003. pp.
93-102
Mr. Gaspar Pujol
- Studies into traditional symbolism; currently preparing a thesis on “The
symbolic sense of the boards used in ancient games”.
Miss. Ciléa Dourado
- Metaphysics
and Tradition: "Fe, Razón e Iluminación Mística en Ramon
Llull", publicado en MIRABILIA 1. Revista de História Antiga e Medieval.
Sao Paulo: Instituto Brasileiro de
Filosofia e Ciencia Raimundo Lulio/J. W. Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt/
Universitat Autônoma de Barcelona- 2003. 265 p.
Mr. Fernando Sánchez Costa
- History of
culture. Currently preparing a doctoral thesis on "Historic culture in Spain
at the beginning of the 20th century".
Mr. Joaquim Muñoz
- Anthropology and
traditional thought applied to company management