José Ortega y Gasset, (1883-1955), Spanish writer, philosopher and revolutionary was noted for his humanistic criticism of modern civilization. His best known work, The Revolt of the Masses earned him an international reputation. In it, he decried the destructive influence of the mass-minded, and therefore mediocre, people, who, if not directed by the intellectually and morally superior minority, encourage the rise of fascism and totalitarianism.

The twenty-first century needs a new paradigm for philosophy, because both Anglo-American and Continental philosophy have ended in analytic sterility and deconstructive nihilism. They have ignored the radical reality of human life, which all other realities must presuppose. Three European philosophers in the twentieth century - Dilthey, Heidegger, and Ortega y Gasset - began to develop this idea, but never before has it been systematically conceptualized and adequately expounded. With reference to the works of these philosophers, this book examines the major categories and essential properties of human life as it is lived, for example, in time, circumstance, history, and understanding.

Human beings have questioned their existence for as long as they have been able to ponder and reason. In attempting to answer the questions of human existence, some have become religious, others atheist; some spiritual, others agnostic; some scientific, others philosophical. Regardless of how the questions have been answered, we have only been left with more questions or the concession that many things about our existence are just unknowable or beyond our ability to understand. Because of the difficulty in continually pondering the conclusions of what seem to be unanswerable questions, we have turned our attention to fantasy and science fiction-genres of thought that allow us to escape the reality of own ignorance. Finally-a book has been written that solves this human dilemma! It is the most powerful book ever composed on the subject matter. It transcends fantasy and science fiction in its simple presentation of reality and leaves the reader with the most profound perspective of human existence available. It has the potential of changing one's life, even the whole world, forever. This book answers all of life's questions, leaving none on which to speculate or remained confused. It provides the most complete and comprehensive answers to human reality ever given. Every piece of the puzzle needed to understand who we are and why we exist is included. And the most compelling element is that it speaks to our common sense-the very essence of our humanity! If read with an open mind, this book will unfold a whole new perspective of the world and its inhabitants and what their relationship is with the rest of the Universe. With this new and much needed perspective, we stand to gain a full understanding of ourselves. We will no longer remain shackled with the chains of ignorance, prejudice, and inequality that have kept humankind in bondage and misery for thousands of years. Armed with this knowledge, we will be able to reshape our individual realities and together transform our world, not just for ourselves, but for all life upon earth.

A field manual to the technologies that are transforming our lives Everywhere we turn, a startling new device promises to transfigure our lives. But at what cost? In this urgent and revelatory excavation of our Information Age, leading technology thinker Adam Greenfield forces us to reconsider our relationship with the networked objects, services and spaces that define us. It is time to re-evaluate the Silicon Valley consensus determining the future. We already depend on the smartphone to navigate every aspect of our existence. We’re told that innovations—from augmented-reality interfaces and virtual assistants to autonomous delivery drones and self-driving cars—will make life easier, more convenient and more productive. 3D printing promises unprecedented control over the form and distribution of matter, while the blockchain stands to revolutionize everything from the recording and exchange of value to the way we organize the mundane realities of the day to day. And, all the while, fiendishly complex algorithms are operating quietly in the background, reshaping the economy, transforming the fundamental terms of our politics and even redefining what it means to be human. Having successfully colonized everyday life, these radical technologies are now conditioning the choices available to us in the years to come. How do they work? What challenges do they present to us, as individuals and societies? Who benefits from their adoption? In answering these questions, Greenfield’s timely guide clarifies the scale and nature of the crisis we now confront —and offers ways to reclaim our stake in the future.

Why do we exist? For centuries, this question was the sole province of religion and philosophy. But now science is ready to take a seat at the table. According to the prevailing scientific paradigm, the universe tends toward randomness; it functions according to laws without purpose, and the emergence of life is an accident devoid of meaning. But this bleak interpretation of nature is currently being challenged by cutting-edge findings at the intersection of physics, biology, neuroscience, and information theory—generally referred to as “complexity science.” Thanks to a new understanding of evolution, as well as recent advances in our understanding of the phenomenon known as emergence, a new cosmic narrative is taking shape: Nature’s simplest “parts” come together to form ever-greater “wholes” in a process that has no end in sight. In The Romance of Reality, cognitive neuroscientist Bobby Azarian explains the science behind this new view of reality and explores what it means for all of us. In engaging, accessible prose, Azarian outlines the fundamental misunderstanding of thermodynamics at the heart of the old assumptions about the universe’s evolution, and shows us the evidence that suggests that the universe is a “self-organizing” system, one that is moving toward increasing complexity and awareness. Cosmologist and science communicator Carl Sagan once said of humanity that “we are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” The Romance of Reality shows that this poetic statement in fact rests on a scientific foundation and gives us a new way to know the cosmos, along with a riveting vision of life that imbues existence with meaning—nothing supernatural required.

This book provides a general survey of the life and work of the Spanish philosopher and essayist Ortega y Gasset (1183-1955), author of the widely read The Revolt of the Masses. Dr Dobson divides his study into sections devoted to Ortega's political thinking and to his philosophy, rooting these in the context of contemporary Spain and discussing the wider implications of their influence. He examines Ortega's position with regard to the Civil War, his ambivalent espousal of socialism, his emphasis on the importance of the select individual in the modernisation of society and creation of a nació vital; the appropriation of his ideas by Primo de Rivera in the cause of fascism. This book is intended to be accessible to both Hispanists and general readers with an interest in literature, history, intellectual and political thought and philosophy.