Javier Gomá at ESADE: "There are reasons to think that we are living at the best time in the history of the world"

“We don’t live in the best possible world, but we do live in the best world that has ever existed." This was one of the main conclusions of the first talk of the year at ESADE’s Madrid campus, by philosopher Javier Gomá.

In his talk, Dr. Gomá, who recently became a visiting professor at ESADE, declared: “The crisis we are facing is a huge anthropological experiment. We have never been in a situation like this. It is worthy of reflection." Dr. Gomá was introduced by ESADE Secretary General Francisco Longo.

"While the average Spaniard has behaved civic-mindedly, the intellectuals have behaved in accordance with a short-term vision dominated by ideology and personal anecdotes. They have been very unreasonable," said Dr. Gomá. He called for an educated vision “that consists not in knowing history, but rather in having a historical consciousness that enables one to relativise all things human and create a symbolic world that is conducive to coexistence."

On the basis of this historical consciousness, the essayist and director of the Juan March Foundation declared: “There are reasons to think that we are living at the best time in the history of the world. The moral progress we have seen in the past 500 years – rule of law, welfare, equality, democracy – obliges us to believe this."

Dr. Gomá added: “Democracy requires an educated vision: it is the government of imperfection, of contingency and of relativity. It requires an educated heart that understands that there are no absolute truths, that everything is fallible."

For this reason, Dr. Gomá argued, it is vital to shape our desires and shake off the current existential meaning of democracy: “Educating your heart means coming to grips with your own imperfections and those of others. We mustn’t project onto institutions something which they do not give – which they cannot and should not give."

Javier Gomá is one of the most recognised and influential philosophers in Spain today. He holds a PhD in philosophy and degrees in both classical philology and law. He was the highest scoring candidate the year he took the civil-service examination to serve as legal counsel to the Spanish Council of State. Since 2003, he has been the director of the Madrid-based Juan March Foundation.

In 2004, he won the Spanish National Essay Award for his first book, Imitación y experiencia (2003), which, together with Aquiles en el gineceo (2007) and Ejemplaridad pública (2009), forms part of a trilogy dedicated to life experiences. In 2013, Dr. Gomá published a monograph, entitled Necesario pero imposible, on the subject of hope. Taken together, his four books make up a vast philosophical project which he calls a “theorem of experience and hope". Dr. Gomá has received various awards for his work. He collaborates with various media outlets and has given talks at a wide-range of Spanish and international institutions.