Rutes cinematogràfiques vers la imatge platònica de la caverna

L'objectiu d'aquest article és demostrar la possibilitat d'arribar també a la imatge platònica de la caverna des del cinema. En aquest sentit es pot parlar de referències explícites, com en el cas de El conformista de B. Bertolucci, o Shadowlands -si es tenen presents les Cròniques de Nàrnia de C. S. Lewis- o The Picture of Dorian Gray -si es té present la novel·la d'Oscar Wilde-, però, en d'altres ocasions, tot i que la influència platònica no pugui ser demostrada, per exemple a The Truman Show, A Room with a View o Brideshead Revisited, podem emprar perfectament aquestes pel·lícules per menar el públic contemporani vers aquella imatge platònica, ja que el mateix Plató demostra que es tracta d¿una imatge aplicable i, en primer lloc, a la seva filosofia idealista.

La caverna de José Saramago: imatge platònica versus metafísica

La caverna de José Saramago té com a referència indubtable la imatge de la caverna del llibre VII de la República de Plató, i, tanmateix, Saramago no és un escriptor idealista o metafísic. Aquest article mostra com, tot aprofitant l¿aplicabilitat amb què Plató dota la seva imatge, Saramago defensa la necessitat de saber rebre els missatges de la terra, de la matèria, de no esdevenir presoners en las cavernes daurades de la societat occidental, i d¿esdevenir lliures en la natura, phýsis, i no pas lluny o més enllà, metá, d¿ella.

La caverna de José Saramago: imagen platónica versus metafísica

La caverna de José Saramago tiene como referencia indudable la imagen de la caverna del libro VII de la República de Platón, y, sin embargo, Saramago no és un escritor idealista o metafísico. Este artículo muestra cómo, aprovechando la aplicabilidad con que Platón dotó a su imagen, Saramago defiende la necesidad de saber recibir los mensajes de la tierra, de la materia, de no convertirnos en prisioneros en las cavernas doradas de la sociedad occidental, y de ser libres en la naturaleza, phýsis, y no lejos o más allá, metá, de ella.

Mourning becomes Electra d'Eugene O'Neill: Èsquil i Plató per a crear un drama fosc?

The fundamental debt of E. O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra to Aeschylus, and to a lesser degree to Sophocles and Euripides, has been always recognised but, according to the author's hypothesis, O'Neill might have taken advantage of the Platonic image of the cave in order to magnify his both Greek and American drama. It is certainly a risky hypothesis that stricto sensu cannot be proved, but it is also reader's right to evaluate the plausibility and the possible dramatic benefit derived from such a reading. Besides indicating to what degree some of the essential themes of Platonic philosophy concerning darkness, light or the flight from the prison of the material world are not extraneous to O'Neill's work, the author proves he was aware of the Platonic image of the cave thanks to its capital importance in the work of some of his intellectual mentors such as F. Nietzsche or Oscar Wilde. Nevertheless, the most significant aim of the author's article is to emphasize both the dramatic benefits and the logical reflections derived, as said before, from reading little by little O'Neill's drama bearing in mind the above mentioned Platonic parameter.

Mourning becomes Electra de Eugene O'Neill: ¿Esquilo y la caverna de Platón para crear un drama oscuro?

The fundamental debt of E. O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra to Aeschylus, and to a lesser degree to Sophocles and Euripides, has been always recognised but, according to the author's hypothesis, O'Neill might have taken advantage of the Platonic image of the cave in order to magnify his both Greek and American drama. It is certainly a risky hypothesis that stricto sensu cannot be proved, but it is also reader's right to evaluate the plausibility and the possible dramatic benefit derived from such a reading. Besides indicating to what degree some of the essential themes of Platonic philosophy concerning darkness, light or the flight from the prison of the material world are not extraneous to O'Neill's work, the author proves he was aware of the Platonic image of the cave thanks to its capital importance in the work of some of his intellectual mentors such as F. Nietzsche or Oscar Wilde. Nevertheless, the most significant aim of the author's article is to emphasize both the dramatic benefits and the logical reflections derived, as said before, from reading little by little O'Neill's drama bearing in mind the above mentioned Platonic parameter.

La caverna de Josep Palau i Fabre (1952-1969): teatre versus al·legoria filosòfica per a representar i impedir el final tràgic i fosc del lluminós art de pensar.

What is the use of performing the myth of the cave from book VII of the Republic by Plato? Josep Palau i Fabre, considers that, in Plato's dialogues, the speakers are mere instruments at the service of his dialectical goal. The aim of this article is to show how, by turning the myth into a tragedy and also by relying on Heraclitus's conflict or war of opposites, the playwright succeeds in favoring a sort of thought which is not one-sided or univocal. On the contrary, in Palau i Fabre's La Caverna, the tragic hero, that is, the released prisoner transformed by the light of Reality and finally killed by his "cavemates" -after having been imprisoned again and having tried to rescue them from their ignorance or shadows-, still leaves to them his powerful experience of the agonistikos thought, which might bear fruit in their life to come.

La caverna de Josep Palau i Fabre (1952-1969): teatro versus alegoría filosófica para representar e impedir el final trágico y sombrío del luminoso arte de pensar.

What is the use of performing the myth of the cave from book VII of the Republic by Plato? Josep Palau i Fabre, considers that, in Plato's dialogues, the speakers are mere instruments at the service of his dialectical goal. The aim of this article is to show how, by turning the myth into a tragedy and also by relying on Heraclitus's conflict or war of opposites, the playwright succeeds in favoring a sort of thought which is not one-sided or univocal. On the contrary, in Palau i Fabre's La Caverna, the tragic hero, that is, the released prisoner transformed by the light of Reality and finally killed by his "cavemates" -after having been imprisoned again and having tried to rescue them from their ignorance or shadows-, still leaves to them his powerful experience of the agonistikos thought, which might bear fruit in their life to come.

La "imagen" de la caverna y la tentación constante de corregir a Platón: Benjamin Jowett como ejemplo

Las traducciones de los primeros capítulos del libro VII de la República de Platón en los que aparece su famosa imagen de la caverna, eikón, presentan una sorprendente e intrigante variedad interpretativa: "alegoría", "mito", "fábula", "parábola", "símil", "comparación"... Este artículo, tomando como ejemplo la notable fidelidad al texto del traductor victoriano de Platón, B. Jowett, y mediante un análisis riguroso de los términos que acompañan la imagen, mantiene la necesidad de no interpretar ni corregir en este caso al gran filósofo idealista o "ideocéntrico", señalando al mismo tiempo, si es otro el proceder, las contradicciones resultantes y el uso de algún término ajeno al léxico platónico como "alegoría".

Tot sortint de la caverna per cercar la vida (Lectura classicitzant de La caverna de Rodolf Sirera)

L'objectiu d'aquest article és mostrar com un dramaturg contemporani pensa de bell nou en la imatge platònica de la caverna per parlar del necessari viatge existencial i de formació de l'home, lluny de la protecció que les cavernes de qualsevol tipus, com ara la llar, el jardí­ familiar o la mateixa famí­lia, poden representar. Tot i que des d'una perspectiva en absolut idealista o metafí­sica, Plató esdevé una vegada més gràcies a R. Sirera i a l'aplicabilitat de les mateixes imatges platòniques una referència clàssica tan útil com ineludible, si es té en compte l'origen platònic de totes les cavernes literàries.

Platonic shadows and lights in Luis Cernuda's poetry: their didactic use

The aim of this article is to show a wide range of lights and shadows in Luis Cernuda's poetry as images which have a specific reference -in spite of not being mentioned-, that is, the Platonic image of the cave. It is thanks to the images that the poet shows us his ideal world, in which shadows symbolize the beautiful, perfect and everlasting world in which Luis Cenuda needs to believe. Once more, it deals with that well-known tension between reality and desire which defines the essence of his poetry.

La caverna de José Saramago: imagen platónica versus metafísica

La caverna de José Saramago tiene como referencia indudable la imagen de la caverna del libro VII de la República de Platón, y, sin embargo, Saramago no és un escritor idealista o metafísico. Este artículo muestra cómo, aprovechando la aplicabilidad con que Platón dotó a su imagen, Saramago defiende la necesidad de saber recibir los mensajes de la tierra, de la materia, de no convertirnos en prisioneros en las cavernas doradas de la sociedad occidental, y de ser libres en la naturaleza, phýsis, y no lejos o más allá, metá, de ella.

Gene expression profiles in rat mesenteric lymph nodes upon supplementation with Conjugated Linoleic Acid during gestation and suckling

Background Diet plays a role on the development of the immune system, and polyunsaturated fatty acids can modulate the expression of a variety of genes. Human milk contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that seems to contribute to immune development. Indeed, recent studies carried out in our group in suckling animals have shown that the immune function is enhanced after feeding them with an 80:20 isomer mix composed of c9,t11 and t10,c12 CLA. However, little work has been done on the effects of CLA on gene expression, and even less regarding immune system development in early life. Results The expression profile of mesenteric lymph nodes from animals supplemented with CLA during gestation and suckling through dam's milk (Group A) or by oral gavage (Group B), supplemented just during suckling (Group C) and control animals (Group D) was determined with the aid of the specific GeneChip® Rat Genome 230 2.0 (Affymettrix). Bioinformatics analyses were performed using the GeneSpring GX software package v10.0.2 and lead to the identification of 89 genes differentially expressed in all three dietary approaches. Generation of a biological association network evidenced several genes, such as connective tissue growth factor (Ctgf), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (Timp1), galanin (Gal), synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1), growth factor receptor bound protein 2 (Grb2), actin gamma 2 (Actg2) and smooth muscle alpha actin (Acta2), as highly interconnected nodes of the resulting network. Gene underexpression was confirmed by Real-Time RT-PCR. Conclusions Ctgf, Timp1, Gal and Syt1, among others, are genes modulated by CLA supplementation that may have a role on mucosal immune responses in early life.

A Neanderthal Lower Incisor from Cova del Gegant (Sitges, Barcelona, Spain)

Cova del Gegant is located near the city of Sitges (Barcelona, Spain). The cave is a small karst system which contains Upper Pleistocene archaeological and paleontological material (DauRa et al., 2005). The site was first excavated in 1954 and then in 1972 and 1974- (Viñas, 1972; Viñas & Villalta, 1975) and in 1985 and 1989 (maRtínez et al., 1985; moRa, 1988; maRtínez et al., 1990). Finally, in 2007, Grup de Recerca del Quaternari has restarted the archaeological research at Cova del Gegant (DauRa, 2008; DauRa et al., 2010). A human mandible was recovered during the first field season in 1954 and was recently published by DauRa et al. (2005). In the present study, we describe a new human tooth (left I2) that appeared, like the mandible, in a revision of the faunal material recovered from the site in 1974-1975. The specimen preserves the entire crown and the cervical two thirds of the root (Figure 1). The lack of the root apex makes it difficult to determine if the tooth was fully developed at the time of death. However, CT analysis reveals a pulp cavity that could be still open, suggesting root formation was incomplete. The specimen shows only slight dental wear corresponding to stage 2 of Molnar (1971 en Hillson, 1996). Morphologically, the crown shows slight shovelling and a lingual tubercle and appears similar to Neandertal incisors. Standard crown measurements (buccolingual diameter=7.7 mm; mesiodistal diameter= 7.3 mm) (Figure 2) suggest a fairly large tooth, particularly in the BL dimension, again resembling Neandertals in this regard. Discriminant analysis classified the Gegant incisor as Neandertal with a 99.8% posterior probability (Table 2). Association of this tooth with the previously described mandible is considered unlikely given the different ages at death estimated for each. Thus, there appear to be two individuals preserved in the sediments of the Gegant cave, one adult and one subadult (around 8-10 years old).

Earliest known use of marine resources by neanderthals

Numerous studies along the northern Mediterranean borderland have documented the use of shellfish by Neanderthals but none of these finds are prior to Marine Isotopic Stage 3 (MIS 3). In this paper we present evidence that gathering and consumption of mollusks can now be traced back to the lowest level of the archaeological sequence at Bajondillo Cave (Málaga, Spain), dated during the MIS 6. The paper describes the taxonomical and taphonomical features of the mollusk assemblages from this level Bj19 and briefly touches upon those retrieved in levels Bj18 (MIS 5) and Bj17 (MIS 4), evidencing a continuity of the shellfishing activity that reaches to MIS 3. This evidence is substantiated on 29 datings through radiocarbon, thermoluminescence and U series methods. Obtained dates and paleoenvironmental records from the cave include isotopic, pollen, lithostratigraphic and sedimentological analyses and they are fully coherent with paleoclimate conditions expected for the different stages. We conclude that described use of shellfish resources by Neanderthals (H. neanderthalensis) in Southern Spain started ~150 ka and were almost contemporaneous to Pinnacle Point (South Africa), when shellfishing is first documented in archaic modern humans.

Immunomodulation by conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in early life

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been reported to exert beneficial physiological effects on body composition and the immune system. However, little information is available on the influence of CLA on immune function during early life periods. The present study evaluates the effect of feeding an 80:20 mixture of cis-9,trans-11- and trans-10,cis-12-CLA isomers duringgestation, suckling and early infancy on the systemic and mucosal immune responses of Wistar rats at three different time points: at the end of the suckling period (21-day-old rats), in early infancy (28-day-old rats), and later in life (adulthood). Cis-9,trans-11- and trans-10,cis-12-CLA isomers were detected in the milk of CLA-fed dams and in the plasma of all CLA-supplemented pups, and the highest content was achieved in those rats supplemented over the longest period. Dietary supplementation with that CLA mix enhances the systemic production of the main in vivo and ex vivo immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes in 21- and 28-day-old rats. Moreover, CLA supplementation during suckling and early infancy also enhances the humoral immune defenses at intestinal level, by means of mucosal IgA increase, whereas down-regulates thesystemic lymphoproliferative response. Finally, we described herein how feeding a diet enriched with the same isomer mix of cis9,trans11- and trans10,cis12-CLA from gestation to adulthood improves the capacity of adult rats to achieve a specific systemic and mucosal immune responses. All these data support the immunomodulatory effects of dietary supplementation of CLA, particularly of the cis9,trans11-CLA isomer, during early stages of life on immune system development, as well as the long-term effects on the specific immune response in adult age.