Jose Ortega y Gasset: the existential metaphysics of life

• Published in: Eidos (Barranquilla, Colombia) Colombia), 2010-01 (12)
• Main Authors: Malishev, Mijail, Gonzalez, Julian Herrera
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• ISSN: 1692-8857; 2011-7477

This paper tackles different aspects of the concept of life in the work of Ortega y Gasset. For the Spanish philosopher, human life is a destitute existence compared with the sufficient being of the substance or the thing; that is why the man is an entity that makes itself. He is the cause of himself in two ways: first because he makes himself and second because he has the ability to decide what he wants to do and how to do it. Ortega argues that being free means avoiding wrong identifications with the world, being able to surpass oneself, fulfilling oneself vocation. This means that every human being must find his own self, his sameness, and clarify his sincere attitude toward everything. No matter if the attitude is stupid or intelligent. What is important is that every human being, in whatever situation, feels and thinks what he really feels and thinks. The paper shows the vulnerability of this existentialist position: the man is charged with the responsibility with regard to his convictions, but not because of his convictions.