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“Necesitamos el lenguaje, las emociones, el pensamiento, las historias. Eso es lo que somos”: un alegato de Margaret Atwood a favor de las artes
Es especialmente significativo para mí que, en estos tiempos, hayáis elegido otorgar este honor a una escritora. No estoy segura de cuál es la situación en España, pero los profesores de humanidades están sitiados en las universidades norteamericanas. Las materias que enseñan —literatura, idiomas, historia, historia y teoría del arte, y filosofía, entre otras— están siendo tacha de estudios no esenciales en una época caracterizada por el rápido cambio tecnológico y la innovación científica. A los estudiantes se les dice que el estudio de esas materias no les ayudará a conseguir un trabajo, a pesar de que muchas empresas buscan, no personas con habilidades especializadas, sino personas que sepan innovar, que sean capaces de pensar más allá de lo convencional.
Se supone que son precisamente estos estudios humanísticos los que enseñan a las personas a pensar, a crear y a comprender a los demás, especialmente a quienes son diferentes a uno mismo. Una novela literaria —según nos dicen los neurólogos— es lo más cerca que uno puede estar, en términos de actividad cerebral, de adentrarse en la mente, el corazón y el alma de otra persona. No se puede pensar, si no se sabe hablar, y si no se sabe hablar con claridad y de forma cabal. «¿Cómo voy a saber lo que pienso hasta que no vea lo que digo?» es un famoso aforismo atribuido al poeta W. H. Auden. Una sociedad que ya no puede pensar, que ya no puede pensar con claridad y que ya no puede cuestionar sus propias suposiciones se dirige hacia el precipicio. En cuanto a los idiomas, son quizá la primera tecnología estrictamente humana. Permiten la cooperación en grupo, la creación de mitos —que unifican a la sociedad— y la creencia en conceptos y entidades abstractos —lo cual no es un bien puro, porque nada humano es un bien puro, pero es de vital importancia para la historia de la humanidad—. No podemos entender hacia dónde es probable que vayamos, a menos que tengamos una idea de dónde hemos estado, y de las historias sobre cómo llegamos aquí, a este lugar y este momento. Y solo podemos conocer el pasado a través de las artes, los artefactos y los documentos que las épocas pasadas nos han legado —aunque, incluso así, nuestro conocimiento está destinado a ser incompleto—. Por eso dedicamos tantas palabras a intentar interpretarlos, y también a interpretarnos a nosotros mismos.
Se dice que el emperador del Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico Federico II, en el siglo XIII, quería saber qué lengua hablaban Adán y Eva en el Edén. Pensó que si criaba a unos bebés en un entorno en el que nunca oyeran hablar, estos revelarían espontáneamente esa lengua primigenia. Alimentaban y vestían a los bebés, pero no les hablaban de ninguna manera, ni siquiera mediante la lengua de signos. No prosperaron y acabaron muriendo. Necesitamos el lenguaje. Necesitamos emociones. Necesitamos el pensamiento. Necesitamos historias. Eso es lo que somos, en tanto que seres humanos.
La otra dificultad a la que se enfrentan las humanidades es una crisis en las aulas. Según nos cuentan, los estudiantes están recurriendo a la IA para que les escriba sus ensayos. Esta práctica se ha extendido como la pólvora. Se supone que escribir un ensayo te enseña algo a ti, el autor o la autora; pero si no lo has escrito tú mismo o misma, no has aprendido nada, salvo a hacer trampa. Y si todos los demás hacen trampa y se benefician de ello, ¿por qué no ibas a hacerlo tú? Así que se ha producido un gran retorno a los exámenes en el aula y a los mini-ensayos, al igual que ha habido una reacción contra las pantallas en general.
Luego está el problema de la libertad de expresión frente a la censura. Nunca en la era moderna, en Estados Unidos —que durante la Guerra Fría se consideraba el faro de la libertad y el principal bastión de la libertad de expresión en el mundo— se han prohibido tantos libros en las bibliotecas, ni se han retirado tantos de las escuelas. ¿Quién puede decir qué y a quién? La censura no es algo nuevo: cada sociedad tiene su propia versión de lo indecible, lo tabú, lo traicionero, lo blasfemo; pero es una cuestión de tema, grado y tipo. Es digno de mención el clamor por la libertad de expresión de un partido político en la oposición, seguido de medidas represivas y de la supresión de los medios de comunicación una vez que ese partido gana —especialmente si gana mediante una revolución, es decir, mediante el derrocamiento de un sistema existente y su sustitución por otro—.
La Revolución Francesa —a la que considero la primera revolución moderna, es decir, la primera que se apoyó en una turba populista— estaba totalmente a favor de la libertad de expresión antes de que estallara la revolución. Por supuesto que sí: querían poder denunciar el orden establecido. La revolución propiamente dicha fue precedida por unos cuarenta años de intensa actividad panfletaria. Una vez que los revolucionarios llegaron al poder comenzaron las luchas de poder entre facciones que siguieron, se destrozaron las imprentas, se suprimieron las publicaciones y, finalmente —al inicio del Terror—, se promulgaron leyes que incluían, entre otras cosas —como la prohibición de presentar pruebas en los juicios—, la condena de quienes se sospechaba que tenían pensamientos contrarrevolucionarios. ¿Cómo podían los tribunales revolucionarios saber qué tipo de pensamientos tenía una persona? Ni lo preguntes. Simplemente lo sabían. Y rodaron muchas cabezas. Lo mismo ocurrió durante las purgas de Stalin: en los juicios espectáculo, la gente confesaba cosas que no había hecho, e incluso cosas que desconocía. A esto es a lo que se refiere Orwell en 1984 con la expresión «delito de pensamiento». El régimen de 1984 pretende consolidar su poder —la bota pisoteando el rostro humano para siempre— eliminando del lenguaje cualquier palabra que permita a la gente hacer lo que hoy en día, todavía, podríamos llamar «pensar». ¿Será capaz la IA de lograrlo? Averigüémoslo.
Me apresuro a añadir que las revoluciones pueden ser tanto de derechas como de izquierdas. La rueda del destino gira, los de abajo se convierten en los de arriba, pero esa rueda puede girar tanto de izquierda a derecha como de derecha a izquierda. Fíjense en la enérgica agitación en favor de la libertad de expresión antes de que los trumpistas llegaran al poder. Fíjense en las represiones mediáticas, las demandas, los despidos y las adquisiciones de periódicos y cadenas de televisión desde entonces. Estados Unidos aún no tiene medios de comunicación estatales, y no es que esté precisamente destrozando imprentas; pero no por falta de ganas.
Como nota al margen, hay que mencionar que en 1984 existen máquinas de escribir novelas que producen bodrios románticos para las masas. La heroína, Julia, trabaja en este departamento. Cito: Julia tenía veintiséis años… y trabajaba… en las máquinas de escribir novelas del Departamento de Ficción. Disfrutaba de su trabajo, que consistía principalmente en manejar y mantener un motor eléctrico potente pero complicado… Podía describir todo el proceso de composición de una novela, desde la orden general emitida por el Comité de Planificación hasta el retoque final a cargo del Equipo de Reescritura. Pero no le interesaba el producto final. «No le interesaba mucho leer», decía. Los libros eran solo una mercancía que había que producir, como la mermelada o los cordones de las botas.
La máquina de escribir novelas era pura fantasía en 1948, cuando Orwell estaba escribiendo su libro. Pero quizá ahora ya no lo sea. Recientemente se ha producido un incidente relacionado con los premios literarios de la Commonwealth en torno a un relato que ganó un premio, pero que luego fue acusado de haber sido generado por inteligencia artificial. Dos sitios web de análisis de IA dijeron que sí, otros dos dijeron que no. Dado que estos analistas de inteligencia artificial eran ellos mismos IAs, ¿en qué situación nos pone eso? Quizá de vuelta al mundo de la escritura humana real. O quizás en 1984. Si es lo segundo, adiós al acto de la escritura humana real. No creo que vaya a suceder eso, pero lo averiguaremos.
Hasta ahora, solo he hablado de las crisis en las humanidades. Pero están ocurriendo en el contexto de una tormenta perfecta de otras crisis. Tres guerras cruciales: la de Ucrania, la de Gaza y la de Irán. La reorganización del orden geopolítico que estas guerras han provocado: la disminución del poder y del prestigio mundial de Rusia, Estados Unidos e Israel, y el ascenso de China. Las crisis medioambientales: la extinción de especies, la degradación de los ecosistemas, la destrucción de hábitats tanto animales como vegetales, pero también humanos: necesitamos oxígeno para respirar, y si destruimos la vida de los océanos, se acabará.
Las crisis económicas: subida de precios, pérdidas de empleo y una lista muy, muy larga. Permítanme añadir a la mezcla la deuda pública y la hambruna. Ambas precedieron a la Revolución Francesa. Solo lo comento. En este momento, ustedes en España se encuentran en una situación relativamente favorable. No están en guerra. Están bastante lejos de Rusia. Es poco probable que Irán los ataque. Cuentan con una rica historia y un tejido cultural diverso y fascinante. Tienen una monarquía constitucional —una democracia con un rey cordial como jefe de Estado— y, dado que Canadá tiene un sistema similar, naturalmente creo que es un buen orden. Es poco probable que se conviertan en una dictadura totalitaria en un futuro próximo. ¿Podría ser que, si los tiempos se tornan más sombríos, España se convierta —como lo fue Irlanda durante la Edad Media— en un santuario para la preservación de la alfabetización y el saber? No es algo descabellado.
Para concluir, les doy las gracias una vez más; les aseguro que este discurso no lo ha escrito una inteligencia artificial, sino yo misma, y deseo por el bien de todos nosotros que las humanidades pervivan, y también mucha suerte.
Gracias.
[Fotos: Universidad de Granada]
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Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor who has frequently criticized President Donald Trump, is poised to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister after emerging as the only candidate to replace outgoing Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Burnham, 56, received nominations from 322 of Labour’s 403 Members of Parliament on the first day of the leadership process, far surpassing the 81 required to enter the contest and leaving potential rivals with virtually no path to qualify.
He is expected to be formally confirmed as Labour leader Friday and appointed prime minister by King Charles III on Monday after Starmer’s resignation.
Britain’s parliamentary system allows the governing party to replace its leader — and therefore the prime minister — without holding a national election. The next nationwide election does not have to be held until 2029.
KEIR STARMER REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING STEPPING DOWN AS PM AND COULD ANNOUNCE TIMETABLE FOR DEPARTURE
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham of the Labour Party reacts after being declared the winner in the by-election at The Edge where votes were being counted on June 19, 2026, in Wigan, England. (Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images)
Burnham’s rapid path to Downing Street is drawing criticism from political opponents and foreign policy analysts who say he has not faced the scrutiny that would normally accompany either a competitive party leadership race or a general election campaign.
«Andy Burnham is the least scrutinized incoming U.K. Prime Minister of recent times,» Alan Mendoza, executive director of the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.
«He has faced neither a general election nor an internal party leadership debate in order to establish his positions for wider consumption,» Mendoza said. «He wasn’t even a candidate at the last general election.»
Burnham did, however, win 54.8% of the vote in June’s Makerfield parliamentary by-election, defeating Reform UK’s candidate and returning to the House of Commons after nearly a decade away. Before returning to Parliament, he had been directly elected mayor of Greater Manchester three times.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage argued in a previous interview with Fox News Digital that Burnham should seek a new national mandate.
«The public are tired of the game of musical chairs that’s been taking place in 10 Downing Street over the last decade,» Farage said.
NIGEL FARAGE RESIGNING FROM UK PARLIAMENT
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks during a news conference in Westminster, United Kingdom, June 10, 2025. (Thomas Krych/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«Mr. Burnham will come in, he will have no mandate,» he added. «I don’t even know what his policies are. Literally, I don’t. So, I think for all of those reasons, there ought to be a general election and a fresh mandate.»
Farage made the comments before resigning his parliamentary seat this month to trigger an Aug. 13 by-election in Clacton, where he plans to run again. Farage said he wanted voters to judge him amid parliamentary scrutiny over allegations involving gifts from wealthy supporters. He has denied wrongdoing. Police are separately investigating donations made to Reform UK, but no arrests have been announced.
Who is Andy Burnham?
Burnham grew up in north-west England between Liverpool and Manchester. The son of a British Telecom engineer and a receptionist, he joined the Labour Party as a teenager, studied at Cambridge University and was first elected to Parliament in 2001, according to The Associated Press.
He rose through Labour’s ranks during the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and served in several senior positions, including as culture secretary and health secretary.
Burnham ran unsuccessfully for the Labour leadership in 2010 and again in 2015. He left Parliament in 2017 after winning election as mayor of Greater Manchester, a regional position he used to build a national political profile.
A British Union flag flies from a souvenir stall near the Houses of Parliament in London, U.K., Oct. 27, 2025. (Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
As mayor, Burnham promoted greater regional control over transportation and public services. His administration brought Greater Manchester’s fragmented bus system under public control as part of the Bee Network, a regional transportation project that became one of his signature achievements.
He also became closely associated with the campaign for accountability over the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster, in which 97 Liverpool soccer fans were killed. Burnham supported victims’ families in their long-running effort to expose police failures and rebut false accusations originally directed at supporters.
MEET ‘COUNT BINFACE,’ THE TRASH CAN-CLAD COMEDIAN CHALLENGING NIGEL FARAGE
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces the timeline for his resignation after Andy Burnham’s decisive victory last week in the Makerfield by-election outside 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, June 22, 2026. (Reuters/Jack Taylor )
What has Andy Burnham said about President Trump?
Burnham has repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump, accusing him of contributing to global instability while warning that Britain risks importing the polarization of American politics. In a 2025 interview with The London Economic, Burnham compared Trump’s return to office to the turmoil caused in Britain by former Prime Minister Liz Truss.
«The instability that Liz Truss brought to Britain, I think Trump is bringing to the U.S. and the world,» Burnham said in the interview. He also described several of Trump’s decisions, including his approach to the Russia-Ukraine war, as «out of order.»
President Trump and King Charles shared a laugh outside the White House ahead of a state dinner. (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
Burnham’s criticism of Trump dates back to the president’s first election in 2016. After Trump’s victory, Burnham described some of his rhetoric as «deeply troubling» but argued that politicians on the left should examine why working-class voters had turned to him rather than simply blaming the electorate.
«We have to look closer to home,» Burnham said, according to The Guardian.
His language became sharper following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. As the attack unfolded, Burnham wrote on X that «any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now.»
More recently, during his Makerfield parliamentary campaign, Burnham warned that Britain was moving toward «the politics of the United States of America,» which he described as «a polarized, poisonous politics where people in communities don’t work together anymore.»
KING CHARLES FOLLOWS QUEEN ELIZABETH’S PLAYBOOK WITH A TWIST DURING TRUMP STATE VISIT: EXPERT
Despite those attacks, Burnham has stopped short of advocating a rupture with Washington. According to Time, he supported Starmer’s effort to maintain a working relationship with Trump, while arguing that Britain must be prepared to disagree with the United States.
«Obviously, the relationship is important to the U.K., but not to the point where we just go along with anything they say,» Burnham said.
Trump has already responded dismissively to the likely incoming British leader. Asked in June what he knew about Burnham, Trump said, «I don’t know, I think I see that he was, I guess, the mayor of a town.» Trump added that he had heard Burnham was «extremely liberal» and suggested that he would oppose expanded North Sea oil drilling, before declaring that «the U.K. is dying,» according ton Reuters.
What are Andy Burnham’s political views?
Burnham is generally regarded as being to the left of Starmer. He has said he wants to take what he calls «Manchesterism» nationwide, describing an approach that places «people and place before party» and transfers greater attention and authority from London to regions that have historically received less investment.
He has emphasized infrastructure, housing, transportation and regional economic development, while arguing against what he calls «trickle-down economics.» The Associated Press reported that his priorities have also included vocational education, youth employment, lower energy bills and cheaper rail travel.
Mendoza said that Burnham’s past positions and recent statements suggest he would move the British government further to the left.
«What we can be certain of is that he will be looking to impose a fairly radical left-wing agenda for the country based on his past beliefs and recent pronouncements,» Mendoza said.
«In no particular order, these include introduction of wealth taxes, changes to the electoral system, a vast expansion of social housing and attacks on hitherto allies of the U.K. like Israel.»
FROM LONDON SYNAGOGUES TO NEW YORK PRESCHOOLS — ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS ESCALATING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC
Pro-Palestinian protesters hold a banner and chant at at anti-Israel protest in London Dec. 9 2023., (Andy Soloman/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Burnham has sought to counter concerns about his limited recent national security experience.
He has pledged continuity in Britain’s commitments to NATO, its nuclear deterrent, the United States and Ukraine, according to The Associated Press.
He has also called for Britain to rebuild its military capabilities and domestic defense industry in response to what he described as an increasingly dangerous international environment.
On the war in Gaza, Burnham has criticized Labour’s earlier response and argued that the party was too slow to call for a ceasefire. The Associated Press reported that he has raised the possibility of additional sanctions and trade restrictions involving goods linked to Israeli settlements. Burnham has also condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack against Israel.
Burnham has not served in Britain’s national government since 2010 and spent almost a decade outside Parliament, meaning his record is far more developed on domestic and regional policy than on current foreign policy and national security questions.
When could Britain hold a general election?
Burnham would not be required to call an immediate general election. Labour won a large parliamentary majority under Starmer in July 2024, allowing the party to remain in power until 2029 unless Burnham decides to seek an earlier mandate.
Mendoza predicted that Burnham could attempt to capitalize on the momentum surrounding his arrival at Downing Street.
«As he is never likelier to be more popular than on day one of his premiership, we should also be on the watch for his calling of an early general election in order to capitalize on this unique moment,» Mendoza said.
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Britain’s Labour Party candidate Andy Burnham speaks to supporters after the Makerfield by-election in Ashton in Makerfield, England, June 19, 2026. (Jon Super/AP)
Burnham would inherit an economy facing weak growth, pressure on public finances, strained health and welfare services and continuing concern over the cost of living.
He would also become Britain’s seventh prime minister in just over a decade, reflecting the rapid political turnover at Downing Street since the country’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union.
andy burnham, united kingdom, europe, donald trump
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Lindy Li, a former top Democratic fundraiser, believes President Joe Biden is only doing himself a disservice by promising the public another explanation of why he decided to run for re-election in 2024 despite mounting concerns about his age and cognitive performance.
In her view, Biden’s upcoming memoir, «Promise Me, America,» will only serve to reopen painful wounds that Democrats have struggled to move past since the 2024 election loss. In a way, she believes the book is a bit of a microcosm of Biden’s presidency.
«They’re thinking, ‘Why can’t you just shut the f— up?’ Prior to me leaving the party, they wanted nothing to do with this guy. It was so bad that when, finally, Biden exited on July 21, there was no goodbye party other than a staffer one in the Rose Garden. There was nothing,» Li said.
«Jill has him writing books that no one wants to read instead of fully enjoying his retirement,» Li said, referring to Jill Biden, the former first lady.
EX-DEM INSIDER REVEALS SHE WILL EXPOSE DEMOCRATS WHO COVERED UP BIDEN’S COGNITIVE DECLINE IN NEW BOOK
Former President Biden was dogged throughout his term by rumors of his purported cognitive decline. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
«Just like she had him out running for president — a presidency that no one wanted, not even Democrats — instead of enjoying his retirement. He should have been in retirement 10, 20 years ago, but they need the money.»
Biden described his upcoming book in a post to X Wednesday morning.
«It’s about the challenges we face as a nation. About the decisions I made and why I made them,» Biden said, igniting mockery on social media. «It’s about why I chose to run for reelection and why I chose to step aside.»
«The first lie of Joe Biden’s book launch: ‘I’ve written a book,’» conservative communicator Steve Guest wrote.
«Joe Biden couldn’t sign his own pardons. Now he’s ‘written’ a book, which Democrats forced him to release after the midterms so he wouldn’t be in the news to remind people how bad he was,» wrote Outkick founder Clay Travis. «Who in the world is buying this book?»
«Who do we think wrote this book,» Daily Wire editor-in-chief Brent Scher wondered.
«Did the autopen write this too,» Missouri Republican Rep. Jason Smith questioned.
Li, who is publishing a new book of her own, «Unburdened,» later this year, was privy to many of the party’s internal discussions, research and panic behind the scenes, which indicated Biden enjoyed only shaky support even among his own camp long before he ultimately dropped out of the 2024 election.
BIDEN BOOK LAUNCH BACKFIRES AS CRITICS MOCK ‘AUTOPEN’ PRESIDENT INTO OBLIVION
Lindy Li, a former Democratic fundraiser, poses for a picture with former President Joe Biden at a 2023 campaign event. (Lindy Li)
In light of what she knows, Li doubts there is a way for Biden to spin his exit that won’t do further harm to his own image, an image his campaign went to great lengths to protect.
Li recalled how the Biden campaign confiscated her phone at a 2023 event.
«The [Democratic National Committee] was routinely confiscating the phones of top donors with social media followings,» Li said, referring to a party fundraising and campaign group.
«They took away my phone because they knew I was a prolific tweeter. And I posted something on Instagram that night, and a finance director from the DNC called me at around 10 or 11 that same night to instruct me to delete everything from Instagram about Biden that I posted that day.
«The reason is because [Biden] seemed infirm. He seemed weak.»
DEMOCRATS’ MIDTERM PUSH CLOUDED BY INFIGHTING OVER PARTY KEEPING 2024 AUTOPSY UNDER WRAPS
Lindy Li, a former Democratic fundraiser, and former President Joe Biden (Lindy Li; Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Now on this side of his presidency, Li believes he will further aggravate Democrats who have wanted to move past the 2024 election and reignite questions of why Biden wasn’t asked to step aside sooner.
«It’s very clear they were trying to hide the fact that instead of having a candidate they could be proud of, they were busy hiding a candidate that they were deeply ashamed of,» she added.
Fox News’ Ashley DiMella contributed to this report
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