The conversion of the atom : nuclear science and ideology in Francoist Spain

At the beginning of the atomic age, Francoist Spain launched an expensive project for the research, development and use of nuclear energy. Scientists, the military and high-ranking officials in the administration mobilised to materialise a techno-scientific dream of international scope. The modernity of nuclear science contrasts with the reactionary ideology of the regime, but the paradox is only apparent, because there is no necessary historical relation between science and democracy. The stimulus to nuclear technoscience reveals the mutual construction of science and politics during the Cold War era and the different ways to appropriate and exploit the atom during the dictatorship

La deposició àcida a Catalunya

Peer Reviewe

La deposició àcida a Catalunya

Peer Reviewe

Relación y mutua influencia entre la Filosofía y la Medicina Hipocrática

A mediados del siglo VI se produce un cambio importante en la historia del pensamiento humano. Las explicaciones sobre la concepción del mundo, del hombre, de sus orígenes, propuestas por los pensadores míticos son sustituidas gradualmente por las explicaciones de los llamados primeros filósofos. Es una reflexión sobre la naturaleza en general y sus procesos, tratan de penetrar en la realidad tal cual es, descubrir las respuestas en las causas naturales. Es precisamente, en esta nueva visión de la naturaleza donde hunde sus raíces la Medicina occidental. Frente a la mentalidad mítico-mágica que proclama el carácter sagrado de la enfermedad se impone la explicación racional, científica de la enfermedad humana. El castigo de los dioses se ha convertido en un desorden de la naturaleza. La enfermedad pertenece al mismo orden de las cosas, de los movimientos, de los planetas, desde esta perspectiva la Medicina Hipocrática constituye el punto de inflexión trascendental en el modo de explicar y curar la enfermedad. En el Corpus Hippocraticum se plasman términos e ideas inicialmente filosóficas que han sido incorporadas o asumidas en el ámbito de la Medicina. La relación entre Filosofía y Medicina se aborda en este trabajo desde dos ángulos. El primero presta especial atención a dos tratados hipocráticos considerados como exponentes de la influencia filosófica en la medicina: Sobre la dieta y Sobre los aires, aguas y lugares. El segundo, se centra en dos conceptos filosóficos physis y téchne adaptados, interpretados y desarrollados por la Medicina hipocrática de modo original con inéditas aportaciones llegando influir a su vez en los filósofos.Towards the middle part of the VI Centyry an important change takes place in the history of mankind thinking. Explanations about worlviews, mankind and its origins proposed by mytical thinkers are increasingly substituted by the so-called first philosophers' explanations. It's a reflection about nature in general and its processes, and they try to penetrate reality as it is and to discover the answers in natural causes. It is precisely in this new vision of nature that Western Medicine is rooted. A rational, scientific explanation of human illness wins over a mythical-magical mentality that maintains the sickness has a sacred character. The gods' punishment has become a nature disorder. Illness belongs to the same order as things, movements, and planets, and from this perspective Hypocratic Medicine constitutes an transcendental in!ection point in the way to explain and cure illness. The Corpus Hippocraticum captures initially philosophical terms and ideas that have been incorporated or assumed in the scope of Medicine. In this paper, I approach the relationship between Philosophy and Medicine from two angels. The first one focuses on hypocratic writings which are considered as paramount of Philosophy's influence on Medicine: On the diet and On the airs, waters, and places. The second one focuses on two philosophical concepts - physis and téchne - which were adapted, interpreted, and developed by Hypocratic Medicine in an original way with novel contributions which in turn had an influence on philosophers

El significado cultural de la física y la evolución en la España franquista: continuidad y desarrollo en el periodo autárquico

Science took on several distinct uses and meanings under Francoism. It was exhibited as a token of intellectual prowess, deployed as a mighty diplomatic tool, applied as a resource for industry, and invoked in support of National Catholicism. However, in order to successfully fulfill all these roles, science had first to be cleansed and purified, for it was historically bound to materialism, atheism, and positivism. Physics had developed a mechanical worldview that precluded spiritual agency, and the theory of evolution had deprived man of his privileged place in nature. Could these developments be reversed? Classical physics would not easily serve the needs of the new National Catholic state, but modern physics might do, acting as a model and a tool for biological reasoning. In this paper we describe the various attempts by Spanish scientists, philosophers, and intellectuals to enlist modern physics and a revised version of evolution in the construction of the new regime. They strove to show their spiritual value, to sever them from a soul-less modernity, and to reinstate them within a grand universal Catholic tradition. We discuss the import of their arguments for the simultaneous debates about time, space, matter, life, and evolution, exploring the affinities and tensions between the inert and the living world.La ciencia tuvo distintos usos y significados en el franquismo. Fue exhibida como logro intelectual, desplegada como herramienta diplomática, aplicada como recurso industrial, e invocada en apoyo al nacionalcatolicismo. Sin embargo, para poder ejercer todos estos papeles, antes tuvo que ser purificada, disociándola del materialismo, el ateísmo y el positivismo. La Física había desarrollado una visión mecánica del mundo que excluía la agencia espiritual, y la evolución había privado al hombre de su lugar privilegiado en la naturaleza. Si la Física determinista clásica no era útil a los fines del nuevo Estado nacionalcatólico, la Física moderna sí podía serlo, y servir como modelo y herramienta para la Biología. En este artículo describimos los intentos de científicos, filósofos e intelectuales españoles por alistar la Física moderna y una versión revisada de la evolución en la construcción del nuevo régimen y mostrar su dimensión espiritual, desgajándolas de una modernidad sin alma y reinstaurándolas en la tradición católica universal. Discutimos la relevancia de estos argumentos para los debates simultáneos sobre el espacio, el tiempo, la materia, la vida y la evolución, explorando las afinidades y las tensiones entre el mundo vivo y el mundo inerte

Attention to EU Affairs in the Spanish Parliament: The Role of Credit-Claiming and Issue Saliency Strategies

Recent research demonstrates that the salience of EU affairs in domestic parliaments is mainly driven by government parties. This has been interpreted as illustrating the so-called opposition deficit thesis and mainly explained considering governments' informational advantages and reporting duties. Drawing on a dataset on oral questions introduced in plenary meetings in the Spanish parliament, this article sheds new light on government and opposition MPs' incentives to raise attention to the EU. Results show that in Spain, where there is no party conflict on European integration, government MPs pay attention to EU affairs following credit-claiming strategies. These strategies are likely in the context of EU events and when the perceived benefits of integration are high, and unlikely under critical junctures, when the EU cannot be framed as a governmental success. Opposition MPs pay less attention to EU affairs but they still use the EU to give visibility to issues that are of interest to their voters