The School of Philosophy and Letters celebrates the Day of its patron saint, Saint Isidore of Seville.

The School of Philosophy and Letters celebrated the day of its patron saint Isidore of Seville. The workshop, in which students, professors and other professionals participated, began in the Amigos Building, where a mass was held. At the end, the attendees moved to the Magna classroom of the Central Building to listen to David Hernández de la source, writer and professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, who gave the keynote lecture.

Before giving way to the guest, the dean, Julia Pavón, made a brief biographical review of San Isidoro of Seville, defining him as one of the first great intellectuals of the average Ages and highlighting his influence on the transmission of classical knowledge . Professor Pilar García Ruiz then introduced the speaker, whom she defined as a "multifaceted academic", highlighting his career as a writer, researcher and disseminator.

In his lecture, entitled "Prestigious mentors in difficult times: myth, history and Philosophy", Hernández de la source invited the audience to reflect on the importance of myth, history and Philosophy in the construction of critical thinking and the understanding of the present."The modern is the most archaic. The best thing a young person can do today is to read Homer and translate the Odyssey. It is very useful, this gives us the keys to our life," he said. In this sense, he stressed that "reading the classics gives us back a direct connection with the thought of the greats, offering us a unique perspective to understand our reality". Likewise, he has spoken about the figure of mentor, a prominent character in Homer's work. "You have to go on a journey, but the answer is at home, and the classics show us that. We look for voices of prestigious mentors in the past who can help us on that journey back and forth: philosophers, writers, historians...", he said, underlining the essential role of these guides to the past.

During his speech, the expert also addressed the importance of myth as a transmitter of the report of the peoples, pointing out that "a country without legends is dead" and that "myth has a teaching role for us; these stories have something very important to tell us and it is the teaching of these ideas". In addition, he stressed that "mentors, teachers, are our guides. They have a lot to teach us because they have been there before, like the classics. The golden thread of myth teaches us that there is a guide that leads us to a better place.

He also delved into the relevance of history, which he described as a "teacher of life": "The ancients have dealt with issues that are still relevant today. In Herodotus, history is also ethics, where we try to understand the others with the us". In this sense, he affirmed that "Herodotus is the reporter of Humanity. History also transmits lessons to us".

With respect to Philosophy, another of the disciplines he addressed, Hernández de la source explained how the philosophers of antiquity are essential as mentors, especially in situations of uncertainty. "In times of anxiety, we need those stories and myths that take us beyond rational logic, such as Plato's stories, which help us understand many things," he said. "In Philosophy there is also a golden thread, and it has a lot to say about the search for a mentor that leads us to an accurate path," he added. The speaker also reflected on the freedom of knowledge and drew two lessons from the past: the combination of inner life and commitment. "We must take refuge in the inner life and remember that there is a connection between nature and the inner life," he advised. "Life is a play, the director is the logos, God, providence; don't neglect any act of the play, and take care of the last role, that of old age. We have a mission statement and it is very important. We have to fulfill it.

Before concluding his exhibition, he stressed that "we are all heroes, we have to discover our mission statement at home, in core topic moments. And keep in mind the three pillars that the masters teach us, which lead us to a better place. At some point it will be our turn to pass on what we have learned". In conclusion, he stressed that " Humanities and humanism are more necessary than ever: anything other than artificial intelligence will be humanism".

Afterwards, the End of degree program Awardswere presented to the students with the best records. Clara Sallán, awarded in the Degree in History, spoke on behalf of the winners. Also distinguished were Daniel Palacios DuquePhilosophy), Irene Ortiz PalomoPhilology), Laura Gutiérrez de Miguel (Literature and Creative Writing) and Mariano Pérez SilvestroPhilosophy, Politics and Economics - PPE).

The workshop ended with a lunch, a talent show and various sports activities.