In a new edition of the 'Vespres de pensament' cycle, the La Salle Barcelona - Universitat Ramon Llull campus honored Francesc Torralba, professor at the La Salle Faculty of Philosophy, for having been awarded the 2023 Ratzinger Prize, one of the recognitions most prestigious that the Holy See awards to the work of international thinkers.
The event was held in the campus Auditorium and, with the title 'Thinking with gratitude and hope. Value and challenges of philosophy in the s. XXI', had the participation of professors and researchers from the campus, as well as colleagues and friends of Francesc Torralba, who wanted to accompany him on a very special day. The round table was formed by the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Carles Llinàs, and the Professor of the same faculty, Santi Vila. The introduction of the event was given by Joan Cabó, Academic Director of Postgraduate Studies in Philosophy, and the closing was led by the General Director of La Salle Barcelona – Universitat Ramon Llull, Josep M. Santos, and the archbishop-bishop d'Urgell and co-prince of Andorra, Joan-Enric Vives.
The speakers talked about the meaning and challenges of the practice of philosophy today, the need to explain from where you can intervene in a cultural dialogue and the possibility of thinking about the present with hope. Francesc Torralba explained that "the aspiration of a philosophy without a source of inspiration, whether secular or religious, does not exist", and that this identification "has sometimes opened doors for me and others it has closed, but the it is more honest to say where we start from". For his part, Carles Llinàs framed the Ratzinger Prize in the proposal that Torralba has always formulated from Christian humanism and "talking about God uncomplicatedly". Santi Vila highlighted some elements that philosophical thought must bring to society, and remarked that today thinking is an antidote against polarization due to its ability to identify "what unites the human condition".
‘Vespres de pensament’, a cycle of reflection necessary in today's world
The tradition of humanistic thinking is at the base of Lasallian education, reinforced since the integration of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Universitat Ramon Llull into the knowledge ecosystem of the La Salle Barcelona - Universitat Ramon Llull campus. The Postgraduate area of the Faculty of Philosophy La Salle organizes the 'Vespres de Pensament', a cycle to reflect on everything that surrounds us and think about how we can work to achieve a fairer and more sustainable world .
Throughout the course, 'Vespres de pensament' bring together professors, researchers and thinkers from the field of social sciences and specifically philosophy to bring added value to a campus that is very much aware of its humanist roots that allow it to cultivate the students' critical thinking.
