José Ortega y Gasset: Context, Thought, and Enduring Legacy

José Ortega y Gasset: Historical Context

During the lifetime of José Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955), Spain experienced the most diverse political forms. This period saw the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, which was replaced by the Second Republic, subsequently interrupted by the Civil War, leading to Franco's dictatorship. Outside of Spain, the era was marked by the loss of Cuba and the Philippines, known as the Disaster of '98. Globally, the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War, German Nazism, and Italian Fascism profoundly shaped the geopolitical landscape.

Socio-Cultural Landscape of Ortega's Era

Society witnessed a significant growth in the political influence of the middle class and increased participation of the masses in political processes. Art movements underwent a profound renewal, leading to the emergence of the avant-garde. These short-lived art movements included:

• Surrealism
• Cubism
• Dadaism

Science, while making major advancements, also began to grapple with moral values, as its destructive power became greater than ever before.

Philosophical Currents Influencing Ortega

Philosophy also underwent a great revolution, with a proliferation of new philosophical trends. Due to its direct link with Ortega's thought, several key schools should be highlighted:

• The Neo-Kantian school of Marburg.
• The Historicism of Dilthey, which formed a basis for Ortega's ideas.
• Husserl's Phenomenology, which advocated 'going back to the things themselves' without subjective bias. Ortega was one of the first to embrace phenomenology, recognizing its ability to overcome the errors of positivism.
• The Existential Philosophy of Heidegger.

Key Influences on Ortega y Gasset

In Spain, Ortega was significantly influenced by the Krausists, Regenerationism, and the Generation of '98. He notably reacted to the ideas of Unamuno.

Outside of Spain, particularly in Germany, Ortega assimilated Neo-Kantianism and Husserl's Phenomenology. However, the most significant influence was Nietzsche, whose vitalism profoundly affected Ortega. Other important figures included Heidegger, with his profound exploration of the topic of life, and historians like Arnold Toynbee and Henri Bergson, who influenced his historical perspective.

Ortega y Gasset's Enduring Impact

Ortega's legacy is evident through his disciples, who included prominent figures such as:

• José Gaos
• María Zambrano
• Francisco Ayala
• Julián Marías

These thinkers, instead of disseminating his philosophy in Spain, largely did so in Mexico and Argentina due to exile caused by the Civil War. Consequently, Ortega's work was not widely known in Spain until the 1960s.

Ortega also exerted considerable influence as an editor, not only in philosophy but also on the Generation of '27, the novel, and art. José Ortega y Gasset remains the most internationally recognized Spanish philosopher.