Simona joins a thesis

On the same morning of reading (September 7th), you can read the catchy headline in the Society section of La Nueva España newspaper: “Simona, the dog that ate a leg for survival and was going to participate in a thesis”. Journalist MG Salas, who signed the article, explains: the story of this dog trapped by a hunter and bit his limb to stay alive. Surprising resistance reaction, strengthened by the fact that she wanted to save the offspring that she would bring into the world, probably because she was pregnant.

Rescued by her savior, Marga, delivered to a veterinarian and operated on urgently, the woman saved her life despite losing her cubs and her right front leg. All this happened a few years ago in Chiclana (Cádiz). Marga posted a photo of Simona online and my dear Oviedo friends Noemi and Fran, I have requested that they be adopted by animal lovers and hence by people with big hearts. They were informed that the dog was missing one leg because it was not clearly visible in the photograph, and they were not aware of this and said that this was a reason for adoption. This fact also describes my friends who have traveled from Oviedo to Chiclana to take him and include him in the life of the family, which already has five dogs.

The reader may wonder why Presence of Simona in her doctoral thesis. I will briefly explain below. PhD student Beatriz Cimadevilla Alonso presented her work entitled “A new philosophy of education: animal empathy.” In collusion with Noemi Rodriguez, the dog’s “mother” and a member of the court, she thought Simona’s presence in the university act at the highest academic rank would be a beautiful symbol.

In the presentation of the action, as the presiding judge, I referred to the existence of Simona, a non-human animal from whom all suffering animals in our world, which is also her home, can be represented.

Simona attended the event with a calmness that created an empathetic and calm atmosphere that made her the center of attention and love of those present.

The thesis was born five years ago, filled with readings, reflections, and experiences, and came together in a text of nearly four hundred pages, more than 60 of which were texts. bibliographic references used when writing the final report.

The dedication of the work is meaningful: “This thesis is dedicated to all suffering non-human animals; and those of my non-human animal siblings who are painlessly a part of my world.” And he says to them, “You are one of those who add meaning to my life”.

Beatriz from Arts, Law, Philosophy, Ethics, Politics and Pedagogy has developed a rich and passionate discourse that scrupulously appeals to the minds, but also aims to reach the hearts of future readers and listeners who listen to her explanation.

I defend theses that deal with issues that contribute to the development of society. I don’t really like amateurish exercises on questions (what is the gender of angels?), which have the sole purpose of obtaining a title, but not affecting it in any way (although any subject of study may seem respectable to me). Transformation of people and societies. There is no useful information if it doesn’t make us better people.

I know of a case where a member of the court asked a doctoral student what the use of research he had done so long and painstakingly was. The answer was quick, coming from the doctoral student himself: Not at all.

In this case, the aim was to discuss why and how mistreatment of non-humans should be avoided at all costs, whether for experimentation, entertainment, or whim, and, above all, why and how to evoke and develop empathy. -human animals. School curriculum.

According to the author, this Empathetic teachers need to be trained. because no one can give what he does not have. Let me repeat it once more: the noise of who we are reaches the ears of our children and students with such force that they prevent them from hearing what we are saying.

I remember a friend of my daughter’s family received a letter from school informing her that her daughter had stepped on and crushed a lizard on the playground. The teachers did not know that the boy’s father had a large museum in the basement of his house with large pieces of dismembered game, the fruit of their frequent hunting in Africa.

To raise the moral quality of society, it is necessary to transcend a speciesist vision of non-human animals as useable and disposable things. Because non-human animals are sentient beings who deserve respect and care, we must put an end to all this unnecessary suffering. A few minutes ago, I heard on television that the mayor of Tordesillas described the attempt to ban the Toro de la Vega Tournament as “social terrorism.” This is terrible. Terrorism is reveling in the suffering (until recently, death) of an innocent animal on the Duero river plain.

This is not the time to bring up the technical requirements that a PhD research should have. The court described the work as extraordinary and decided, as was mandatory, that the result of the secret ballot of the court members be given cum laude. I will quote only the first of his seventeen results:

“We need to educate about values ​​involving living things. To do this, we can (should) start from a key principle of criticizing any society involved in speciesism and objectification and construct an alternative from there.

At the start of the academic action, the print and television media recorded the event. In the news today on a national network, a few minutes were devoted to the news. I think it’s great that the media doesn’t just reflect on education when there is a scandal, conflict or attack.

Already the traditional meal, which the doctor generously wanted to offer to the members of the court, took place in a vegan restaurant. It couldn’t be otherwise. Simona also joined. We shared our meal in the hands of the thesis director, philosophy professor José Antonio Méndez, whom I admire.

I have sometimes expressed reservations about this type of food.

Members of a court who intervened harshly or even ruthlessly from a position of power (which of course was not the case) could not defend themselves or multiply, for obvious reasons. I’m not talking about respectful and justified criticism, of course. It goes without saying that the doctoral student, who has made a serious financial effort to get to the end of this long and grueling road, has to add a significant expense by paying for a meal at a fancy restaurant. Another thing would be to have some wine in the Faculty cafeteria. Dialogue can flow in that area without too much cost.

Congratulations to the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Oviedo for hosting this thesis, Beatriz for the work that made her a doctor, José Antonio who directed the thesis, Noemi and Fran for adopting this wonderful dog. To Simona, of course, for the example of endurance and kindness.