Miguel de Unamuno

Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (September 29, 1864–December 31, 1936) was a writer and philosopher from the Basque Country in Spain.

Philosophy

Unamuno's philosophy was not systematic, but rather a negation of all systems and an affirmation of faith "in itself." He developed intellectually under the influence of rationalism and positivism, but during his youth he wrote articles that clearly show his sympathy for socialism and his great concern for the situation in which he currently found Spain. The title of Unamuno's most famous work, El Sentimiento Trágico de la Vida (The Tragic Sense of Life), refers to the human condition of the desire above all else for immortality when faced with the certainty of death. Later authors such as Jean-Paul Sartre reinforced this human desire for immortality, but Unamuno goes even further than Sartre is willing to go. According to Unamuno, not only do we desire immortality, but the immortality of our friends and family, of our homes and nations, and of all aspects of life. This desire to live forever exactly as we do now is, of course, an irrational desire, but it is this desire that makes us human, even Quixotic.

Related Topics:
Rationalism - Positivism - El Sentimiento Trágico de la Vida - (The Tragic Sense of Life) - Jean-Paul Sartre - Quixotic

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An important concept for Unamuno was intrahistoria. He thought that history could best be understood by looking at the small histories of anonymous people, rather than by focusing on major events such as wars and political pacts.

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