La razón de la sinrazón: Unamuno, Machado, and Ortega in the Thought of María Zambrano

Scholars of Zambrano's philosophical works usually cite Ortega or foreign thinkers as source for her ideas, overlooking significant Spanish voices and ignoring Zambrano's statements of divergence from Ortega. As Ortega's disciple, she began early to define her idiosyncratic philosophi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hispania 1999-03, Vol.82 (1), p.56-67
Main Authors: Pérez, Janet, Perez, Janet
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Epistemology
Literary criticism
Literary history
Metaphysics
Persona
Poetry
Reason
Sabers
Soul
Thought
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Scholars of Zambrano's philosophical works usually cite Ortega or foreign thinkers as source for her ideas, overlooking significant Spanish voices and ignoring Zambrano's statements of divergence from Ortega. As Ortega's disciple, she began early to define her idiosyncratic philosophical personality, seeking to fuse epistemology with metaphysics (scrupulously avoided by Ortega). Antonio Machado, as model poet-philosopher, and Unamuno, with his emphasis on the soul and on single-minded subjectivity, both appealed strongly to Zambrano's metaphysical interests. Her theological dimension and interest in dream states, poetry, and intuition as sources of philosophical truth likewise differentiate her from Ortega, as does her passionate love for Spain-traits that place her closer to the Generation of 1898. Significant similarities between Ortega and Unamuno, and Ortega and Machado complicate attributions of influence. Ultimately, Zambrano's razón poética negates rationality, becoming lyric and metaphorical transcendence of Ortega's razón vital, incorporating the philosopher-poet model epitomized by Machado and Unamuno.
ISSN:0018-2133
DOI:10.2307/346062