Born: May 9, 1883, in Madrid, Spain
Died: October 18, 1955, in Madrid, Spain
As a boy José Ortega y Gasset attended a Jesuit school in Málaga. He was educated further at the University of Madrid from 1898 to 1904. He studied in Germany from 1906 to 1910. During this time he was influenced by Neo-Kantianism. In 1911 he became a professor of metaphysics at the University of Madrid. Ortega y Gasset founded the Revista de Occidente, a critical review, in 1923.
José participated frequently in the politics of his country. He opposed the isolation of the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe and became an enemy of the dictator Primo de Rivera. For supporting the overthrow of Alfonso XIII in 1931, he became known as one of the Fathers of the Republic. He served as Deputy of Leon, until he was eventually exiled from Spain by Franco. While in exile José spent some time in France, America, and Peru where he taught at the University of San Marcos. In 1945 he returned to Spain.
The Revolt of the Masses, published in 1930, is probably José Ortega y Gasset's most acclaimed novel. The book is about class conflict and offers strong insight into the author's opinions regarding the future of modern civilization. As a Spanish humanist and philosopher Ortega y Gasset contributed significantly to Spanish literary renaissance of the twentieth century.