(No)Timeliness of the José Ortega y Gasset’s Concept of Man

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper was to present a general outline of Ortega y Gasset’s anthropology focusing on its possible relevancy. Human being as Ortega argues, is a conscious being that specifies its surroundings. Because of the ability to transcend biological needs people can carry out their own project of life − not just being but well-being. This kind of perspective I acknowledge to be essential to our contemporary thinking about human being. Ortega considers the man as a kind of monad that consists of body, vitality, soul, spirit and ego. The notions of “vitality” or “soul” aren’t quite useful in today’s vocabulary, but they can be adopted as “living creature” and “psyche”. The notion of “ego” is dubious as it can’t be identified/expressed or to remain as “ego”. It isn’t also possible to apply at the same time the notions of “destiny” and “vocation” with the essential contingency of human being.