The Philosophy of José Ortega y Gasset: Objectivism, Perspectivism, and Ratiovitalism
The Philosophy of José Ortega y Gasset
Objectivism (1905-1914)
Ortega y Gasset’s early philosophical development, influenced by his time in Germany, focused on Spain and its perceived decline. He believed that Europe, symbolizing objective science and philosophy, held the key to Spain’s revitalization. Ortega sought a path for Spain to become Europeanized while retaining its unique Spanish identity.
Influenced by neo-Kantianism, Ortega grappled with the problem of knowledge. He sought a middle ground between realism and idealism, rejecting both the naive acceptance of external reality and the reduction of the world to pure consciousness. His work, Adam in Paradise, laid the groundwork for this reconciliation.
Ortega introduced the concept of “circumstance,” arguing that the self exists within the world and interacts with it. Life, he posited, is a performance, a task of dealing with the world and its circumstances. This is exemplified in his Meditations of Quixote:
“I am myself and my circumstance, and if I do not save it, I do not save myself.”
This emphasizes the vital and circumstantial nature of reality, where life takes on a radical meaning.
Perspectivism
“Every life is a view of the universe.” This quote from The Topic of Our Time encapsulates Ortega’s perspectivism. He argued that we know the world from individual perspectives, which change as we progress through life. Different viewpoints on the same issue can be true depending on the perspective from which they are observed.
Ortega developed his perspectivism in works like Truth and Perspective, The Spectator, and The Modern Theme of Time. He argued that reality is not composed of being, substance, matter, or spirit, but of perspectives. Our understanding of truth becomes more complete as we integrate diverse perspectives.
Ortega illustrated his perspectivism with examples like viewing the Sierra del Guadarrama from different locations. In The Spectator, he summarizes:
“The truth…is broken into innumerable facets…each of which gives to an individual…We are irreplaceable, we are needed.”
He stressed the importance of individual perspectives in contributing to a comprehensive understanding of reality.
Ratiovitalism
Ortega viewed life as the ultimate reality, not in a purely biological or instinctive sense, but as an encompassing reality interconnected with the human self. In What is Philosophy?, he states:
“Our lives…is that the person deals with things…and clearly what our life is dependent on both whatever our individual and what is our world.”
Life, for Ortega, is the primary fact of philosophy. It is the existential reality of human beings, their work, and their historical and social context. It is the coexistence of the self and the world.
Ortega believed that human beings are shaped by history and project themselves into the future with freedom. They build themselves through creating their own history. Each individual has a unique and personal project, influenced by their circumstances. Education, culture, and politics play a role in facilitating or hindering this project.
Ortega’s concept of vital reason emphasizes that reason is not a cold, insensitive tool, but a function of life itself. Thought and reflection are the most natural and human ways of life. Reason illuminates and makes sense of our personal and cultural existence.
Ortega saw Spanish culture, particularly its art and literature, as a prime example of vital reason. He believed that Spanish philosophy is expressed through symbols and literary works like Don Quixote and Life is a Dream.