Ortega y Gasset: Vital Reason and Historical Perspective

Individual Perspectives and the Universe

Individual perspectives are true: each view provides a critical perspective on the universe. These perspectives do not exclude one another; rather, they are complementary.

Ratiovitalism (1923–1955)

In The Theme of Our Time (1923), Ortega y Gasset sought to secede from the currents of life, specifically the irrationalism proposed by Nietzsche. He argued that it makes no sense to reject human reason simply because it is immersed in life. Ortega famously stated that "thinking is a vital function." He posits that reason does not mean life must be set aside; rather, reason is intrinsic to life. This leads to ratiovitalism, or vital reason, which stands in opposition to the pure reason of traditional rationalism, as it can capture the peculiarities of life.

Life as Experience and Project

Ortega believed that life is the experience of reality—a set of experiences and the arena where everything is collected. He argued that one cannot speak of life in terms of substance, because life is not a "thing," but a project. Common elements exist in every life:

• Living is knowing: The inherent desire to understand reality.
• Living is being in the world: One cannot separate the world or circumstance from the self or subjectivity.
• Life is fate and freedom: We live in a specific circumstance; while we cannot choose our initial circumstances, we have the freedom to determine our response to them.
• Life is a future project: For Ortega, the future is the most important dimension in characterizing humanity.

Historicism and Historical Reason

Ortega's historicism leads us to historical reason, because life is change and history. Traditional philosophy defined human existence as static, a view Ortega believed failed because humans are not mere things in the world, but beings defined by temporality and history. To understand the human world, one must capture the sense that exists in reality. This requires historical reason to refer to individual feelings and projects, as well as the beliefs used to give meaning to life.

Ideas vs. Beliefs

Ortega distinguishes between ideas and beliefs:

• Ideas: Thoughts we construct and of which we are consciously aware.
• Beliefs: A special kind of idea so deeply assumed that we do not need to defend them; we simply live within them.

The Theory of Generations

Ortega developed the theory of generations to interpret history, categorizing them as follows:

• The expired generation: Represented by the elderly.
• The dominant generation: Those in full swing who control current institutions.
• The recent generation: Formed by the youth.

Ortega argued that two members of the same generation share more in common than two people with identical political ideologies who belong to different generations.