Jaguar Ornaments or Blue Sugus: A Philosopher's Admiration

Ideas have their form. Borges would say that studying them is like trying to decipher the fur of a wild jaguar, searching for the meaning of existence.
deciphering the fur of a wild jaguar, searching there for the meaning of existence.
To enjoy deciphering the fur of our world: that is to be a philosopher.

Developing the topic of the philosophers in life and in their service that the professor spoke to us about last week Ana Marta González in her article of opinionIn this article, we publish this curious reflective sketch on the importance of blue Sugus (which many of us love). Pablo Lanaspa student from 2nd grade high school diploma who participated in the IX Olympiad of PhilosophyIn this article, she talks about the "mythical" sweets interwoven in the myth of the industrial conspiracy. An ambiguous text in its satire, light in rhythm, pleasant and clear in its ideas. 

José Ignacio Murilloprofessor of Philosophy and director of group of research Mind-brain of the University of Navarra, having seen Pablo's eagerness to savour the truth, has offered to support the writing with a commentary. 

Why are pineapple sugus blue?

Because pineapples have not tasted like pineapple for a long time now. With the introduction of Sugus, especially pineapple Sugus, they tried to distance us from the essence of nature. GM production today is unquestionable and almost inescapable. But if they were to introduce genetically modified foods, we would notice, wouldn't we? That's where blue pineapple Sugus come in: they gradually distorted our perception of the taste of pineapple. Before GM production, not all pineapples were sweet, juicy and appetising, and I'd bet my left hand that they didn't taste the way they do today. 

"How did you find out?" you may ask. Well, it happened this morning in my kitchen. I was cutting pineapple when the smell of pineapple projected in my mind an image of the mysterious blue Sugus. The transfer was complete, there was no longer any difference between the taste of Sugus and the taste of pineapples in the market. Sugus is, therefore, a tool of the government to alienate pineapples. 

We have moved so far away from the real taste of pineapples that no one protests about it any more. Synthetic pineapples and pineapples from laboratory have been slipped in and we didn't notice because we were too busy wondering why pineapple Sugus is blue. The pineapples have disappeared and nobody knows how it happened.

Pablo Lanaspa 2nd high school diploma, high school Sagrado Corazón.

Of course, dear Paul, reality is not what it used to be. Or perhaps it never was. We are surrounded by trompe l'oeil that shapes our perception of the world. Some of them are self-serving, disguised forms of manipulation, intended to make us perceive and value things in a way that suits others. But there are also those that are simply due to the fact that our perception is selective and overlooks many details of reality. It takes an interest in truth and a well-educated taste to grasp things beyond our otherwise unavoidable prejudices. And yet the human being is a reality animal. There is a powerful inclination in us, perhaps not as striking as the one awakened in us by the sensible, but which is even more inexcusable, as if it were embedded in what we are, in the demand to be someone real and not just a river of sensations. It is the desire to know the truth, reality as it is and not only as it is presented to us. It is this desire that, according to Aristotledistinguishes humans from the rest of the animals: we desire by nature... to know. To know is to make room for the real in ourselves, letting it be as it is and not only to the extent that it suits our desires; to discover that what is other than ourselves also has its own ends, which must be respected and often promote. But "to know" comes from "sapere" and is related to taste. Because things only really taste when we let them be what they are: pineapple, pineapple, sugus, sugus.

José Ignacio Murillo
 

Very kindly, Professor Murillo has shared with us this short lecture he gave in the distant 2000: "Man's relationship with truth and goodness". 

He also recommended a couple of readings:

PlatoThe Apology of Socrates. BUY.

Miguel Pérez de Laborda El más sabio de los atenienses, Rialp, Madrid 2001. BUY.