Ortega y Gasset’s Philosophical Concepts Explained
Ortega y Gasset’s Philosophical Concepts
Reality is not a set of things that happen to us. It does not conform to preset patterns but uses “occasional” categories, whose meaning depends on the circumstances.
Ortega’s Concept of Reality
Ortega y Gasset identified two concepts of reality: what is real for us and actual reality. The reality that is “real to us” is what we encounter and must live with, whether we like it or not. The “true and primary reality” is an uncertain portfolio of facilities and difficulties in our lives. It is a stark reality, open to interpretation, presented to man as an enigma that produces fear. Ortega primarily uses the first concept in his writings.
Relativism in Philosophy
Relativism has been influential in philosophy, primarily in two areas: the theory of knowledge and ethics.
- Epistemological Relativism: This thesis states that there are no absolute truths; all truths are relative. The truth of a statement depends on the conditions, circumstances, or time elapsed.
- Ethical Relativism: This theory posits that nothing is absolutely good or bad. The morality of an action depends on the conditions, circumstances, or time during which the action is performed.
Key Philosophical Terms
Grid
A set of wires or lines forming a network, often woven into a larger structure.
Aetemitatis Species
A Latin phrase meaning “appearance or form of eternity.” It refers to something beyond duration, unaffected by time.
Spinoza’s Philosophy
Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) was a rationalist philosopher born in Amsterdam to a Jewish family. He identified God with nature. To know God, one must know the things of nature, as “the more we understand individual things, the more we know God” (Ethics, Part 5, Proposition XXIV). Spinoza distinguished three kinds of knowledge, with the third being the most important, as it reveals the essence of an object. Knowing things from their essence means seeing them from God’s perspective, allowing the mind to grasp things from eternity.
The Subject in Ortega’s Thought
The term “subject” comes from the Latin word “subiectum,” meaning “what lies under something,” be it an object or action. It has many meanings in philosophy, including logical, ontological, psychological, and epistemological contexts. In Ortega’s work, the subject holds epistemological and anthropological significance. As the knowing subject, Ortega’s individual builds their own perspective. This subject is not abstract or universal but concrete and vital.
Limited To
Refers to something that is beyond dispute.
Misrepresentation
The act of forcing or twisting the interpretation of a saying, text, or fact.
Transcendent
Applies to something that is beyond a thing or person, excelling or surpassing it. Ortega emphasized that culture is transcendent because it remains beyond the individual, society, or the time of its origin. For example, ancient Greek culture continues to influence us, even though that society physically disappeared over twenty centuries ago.
Transubjective
Describes something that transcends the subject, going beyond the individual. Reality, presented as objective, is transubjective.
Ubiquitous
Describes something or someone present everywhere at the same time.
Ultravital
What lies beyond life; it is immutable, in contrast to the diverse and changing nature of life itself.