(MUSIC)
Ars Amandi: Philosophy of Love and Friendship.
From 4-8 July we’re launching an extraordinary summer course
in the seat of the UNED at Fundación Santa Teresa.
The structure of this summer course is the one I like for these occasions.
which is to mix the so-called seniors of the highest standing and reputation
together with the juniors, PhD students about to finish their doctorate
or who have recently defended it
and are the most proficient in their field of specialisation.
In this case, this speciality is “Ars Amandi”
quoting Ovid, Ars Amatoria, the Art of Love
Philosophy of Love and Friendship.
An example of this structure is found in Ángel Gabilondo
in charge of the opening ceremony, the keynote speech
and an outstanding young philosopher, Marco Antonio Hernández Nieto
as the organiser and academic secretary of the course.
Love presents itself in different ways, as friendship does.
We have erotic love between lovers, between spouses.
There’s filial love for parents, children and friends
for affiliations from a diachronic perspective
for historical customs we’re bound to
or, synchronically
for communities, either political or associative
or elements of merging interests and opinions we belong to.
Apart from the love of other people and intersubjective communities
there is a love for ideas, principles, kindness
beauty, efficiency, intelligence, what is well done
there is love for the weakest, for the underprivileged
love for justice and its respect
political love... hence love is declensional
it is said in manifold ways, there is even love for mystery
for the hallowed, and there is love for God.
We need the art of love, Ars Amandi
the art of friendship and the view of contemporary philosophy
because we've changed greatly and with us the world.
It has changed ecologically, technologically, politically
in such a way that even our bodies have changed.
We are almost technological cyborgs.
Many of us are bisexual, that is, gay or heterosexual
depending on the stage in our lives and the people around us.
In this unprecedented transformation, we need, more than ever
to learn how to love, how to do it well
how to cope with it, what the art of love is
and what critical thinking has to say about love itself.
Producer: Iván Cuevas.