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Warrior89
Guest
I know that Miguel de Unamuno was a Spanish existential philosopher of a type, but can anyone give me any “real” information about him?
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Snowball
Guest
Unamuno was born in the medieval centre of Bilbao,Basque Country, the son of Félix de Unamuno and Salomé Jugo. As a young man, he was interested in the Basque language, and competed for a teaching position in the Instituto de Bilbao, against Sabino Arana. The contest was finally won by the Basque scholar Resurrección María de Azcue.
Unamuno worked in all major genres: the essay, the novel, poetry and theatre, and, as a modernist contributed greatly to dissolving the boundaries between genres. There is some debate as to whether Unamuno was in fact a member of the Generation of '98 (an ex post facto literary group of Spanish intellectuals and philosophers that was the creation of José Martínez Ruiz — a group that includes Antonio Machado, Azorín, Pío Baroja, Ramón del Valle-Inclán, Ramiro de Maeztu and Ángel Ganivet, among others).
In addition to his writing, Unamuno played an important role in the intellectual life of Spain. He served as rector of the University of Salamanca for two periods: from 1900 to 1924 and 1930 to 1936, during a time of great social and political upheaval. Unamuno was removed from his post by the government in 1924, to the protest of other Spanish intellectuals. He lived in exile until 1930, first banned to Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), from where he escaped to France. Unamuno returned after the fall of General Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship and took up his rectorship again. It is said in Salamanca that the day he returned to the University, Unamuno began his lecture by saying “As we were saying yesterday, …”, as Fray Luis de León had done in the same place four centuries before, as though he had not been absent at all. After the fall of Rivera’s dictatorship, Spain embarked on its second Republic, a short-lived attempt by the people of Spain to take democratic control of their own country. He was a candidate for the small intellectual party Al Servicio de la República.
The burgeoning Republic was eventually squashed when a military coup headed by General Francisco Franco caused the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Having begun his literary career as an internationalist, Unamuno gradually became a convinced Spanish nationalist, feeling that Spain’s essential qualities would be destroyed if influenced too much by outside forces. Thus for a brief period he actually welcomed Franco’s revolt as necessary to rescue Spain from radical influence. However, the harsh tactics employed by the Francoists in the struggle against their republican opponents caused him to oppose both the Republic and Franco. As a result of his opposition to Franco, Unamuno was effectively removed for a second time from his University post. Also, in 1936 Unamuno had a brief public quarrel with the Nationalist general Millán Astray at the University in which he denounced both Astray and the Francoists as a whole. Shortly after that, he was placed under house arrest, where he remained until his death.
Unamuno worked in all major genres: the essay, the novel, poetry and theatre, and, as a modernist contributed greatly to dissolving the boundaries between genres. There is some debate as to whether Unamuno was in fact a member of the Generation of '98 (an ex post facto literary group of Spanish intellectuals and philosophers that was the creation of José Martínez Ruiz — a group that includes Antonio Machado, Azorín, Pío Baroja, Ramón del Valle-Inclán, Ramiro de Maeztu and Ángel Ganivet, among others).
In addition to his writing, Unamuno played an important role in the intellectual life of Spain. He served as rector of the University of Salamanca for two periods: from 1900 to 1924 and 1930 to 1936, during a time of great social and political upheaval. Unamuno was removed from his post by the government in 1924, to the protest of other Spanish intellectuals. He lived in exile until 1930, first banned to Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), from where he escaped to France. Unamuno returned after the fall of General Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship and took up his rectorship again. It is said in Salamanca that the day he returned to the University, Unamuno began his lecture by saying “As we were saying yesterday, …”, as Fray Luis de León had done in the same place four centuries before, as though he had not been absent at all. After the fall of Rivera’s dictatorship, Spain embarked on its second Republic, a short-lived attempt by the people of Spain to take democratic control of their own country. He was a candidate for the small intellectual party Al Servicio de la República.
The burgeoning Republic was eventually squashed when a military coup headed by General Francisco Franco caused the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Having begun his literary career as an internationalist, Unamuno gradually became a convinced Spanish nationalist, feeling that Spain’s essential qualities would be destroyed if influenced too much by outside forces. Thus for a brief period he actually welcomed Franco’s revolt as necessary to rescue Spain from radical influence. However, the harsh tactics employed by the Francoists in the struggle against their republican opponents caused him to oppose both the Republic and Franco. As a result of his opposition to Franco, Unamuno was effectively removed for a second time from his University post. Also, in 1936 Unamuno had a brief public quarrel with the Nationalist general Millán Astray at the University in which he denounced both Astray and the Francoists as a whole. Shortly after that, he was placed under house arrest, where he remained until his death.
M
mschrank
Guest
did you google?
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Snowball
Guest
yes
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reen12
Guest
quote: Warrior89
Might I suggest that you consider checking wikipedia
when you need a brief “overview” or an introduction to
the work of a given philosopher. [or any encyclopedia.]
I do find it helpful to first find an overview of the entire
topic e.g., “existentialism,” and then go on to read
the brief summaries provided for each philosopher.
It may also be of assistance to think about what
realities tend to “produce” works in philosophy.
Philosophy is divided into Metaphyics, Ethics,
Aesthetics, and so on.
Yet each of these broad areas exist to “clarify”
and to address perennial questions.
Think of philosophy as a great river, flowing back
centuries before our time. Human nature does not change.
With each generation born, some members of each cohort
will pose the exact same questions that have been posed for
millenia.
Why are we here?
Who am I?
teleological queries:
what happens at the end of life?
Questions having to do with 'meaning."
Is this all there is? What is the meaning of my life?
What is meaning, to begin with?
What is true beauty? Does there exist some kind
of ethical code, that human beings should live by?
Metaphysics is divided into ontology and
epistemology. All “shorthand” for:
How do we know?
What confidence may we have in that which
man claims to know?
What does the word “being” mean?
Now I happen to hold that most people have
no interest at all, in such musings - such
ruminative activity. But there are some, in
each generation, who have a great interest
in these “abstract” areas that pertain to human existence.
not a thing about his work. That says more about*
me than it does about Unamuno.
]
Best wishes, as your studies continue.
[And BTW, I earned a degree in Philosophy
nearly 40 years ago.]
reen12 :coffeeread:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Unamuno
Might I suggest that you consider checking wikipedia
when you need a brief “overview” or an introduction to
the work of a given philosopher. [or any encyclopedia.]
I do find it helpful to first find an overview of the entire
topic e.g., “existentialism,” and then go on to read
the brief summaries provided for each philosopher.
It may also be of assistance to think about what
realities tend to “produce” works in philosophy.
Philosophy is divided into Metaphyics, Ethics,
Aesthetics, and so on.
Yet each of these broad areas exist to “clarify”
and to address perennial questions.
Think of philosophy as a great river, flowing back
centuries before our time. Human nature does not change.
With each generation born, some members of each cohort
will pose the exact same questions that have been posed for
millenia.
Why are we here?
Who am I?
teleological queries:
what happens at the end of life?
Questions having to do with 'meaning."
Is this all there is? What is the meaning of my life?
What is meaning, to begin with?
What is true beauty? Does there exist some kind
of ethical code, that human beings should live by?
Metaphysics is divided into ontology and
epistemology. All “shorthand” for:
How do we know?
What confidence may we have in that which
man claims to know?
What does the word “being” mean?
Now I happen to hold that most people have
no interest at all, in such musings - such
ruminative activity. But there are some, in
each generation, who have a great interest
in these “abstract” areas that pertain to human existence.
not a thing about his work. That says more about*
me than it does about Unamuno.
]Best wishes, as your studies continue.
[And BTW, I earned a degree in Philosophy
nearly 40 years ago.]
reen12 :coffeeread:
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