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 found Spain at the time. 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.
Unamuno's Del Sentimiento Trágico de la Vida (The Tragic Sense of Life) (1912) as well as two other works — La Agonía del Cristianismo (The Agony of Christianity) (1931) and his novella "San Manuel Bueno, mártir" — were included on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum.
Unamuno summarized his personal creed thus: "My religion is to seek for truth in life and for life in truth, even knowing that I shall not find them while I live." He said, "Among men of flesh and bone there have been typical examples of those who possess this tragic sense of life. I recall now Marcus Aurelius, St. Augustine, Pascal, Rousseau, Rene, Obermann, Thomson, Leopardi, Vigny, Lenau, Kleist, Amiel, Quental, Kierkegaard--men burdened with wisdom rather than with knowledge." He provides a stimulating discussion of the differences between faith and reason in his book The Tragic Sense of Life.
A historically influential paperfolder, from childhood to his last, difficult days, in several works Unamuno ironically expressed philosophical views of Platonism, Scholasticism, positivism, and the "science vs religion" issue in terms of 'origami' figures, notably the traditional Spanish pajarita.
Read more about this topic: Miguel De Unamuno
Famous quotes containing the word philosophy:
“The literature of the poor, the feelings of the child, the philosophy of the street, the meaning of household life, are the topics of the time. It is a great stride. It is a sign,—is it not? of new vigor, when the extremities are made active, when currents of warm life run into the hands and the feet.”
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“The new statement will comprise the skepticisms, as well as the faiths of society, and out of unbeliefs a creed shall be formed. For, skepticisms are not gratuitous or lawless, but are limitations of the affirmative statement, and the new philosophy must take them in, and make affirmations outside of them, just as much as must include the oldest beliefs.”
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