Democratic catastrophes and european unification in Ortega y Gasset's postwar political thought

For a major liberal theorist of totalitarianism's rise and early advocate for European unification, it is surprising how little Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset's views on the Second World War have factored into studies of his political thought. In this article, I show that Ortega described the conflict as a "catastrophe" that motivated European unification. Rather than an ex post facto interpretation, this was for him the fulfillment of a prophecy. As early as 1930, Ortega had predicted an impending catastrophe that would represent both a consequence of and a corrective for interwar democracy. European unification, then, was only possible to pursue after such an event. Noting that Ortega's casting of European unification as a response to the Second World War reflects common contemporary assumptions, I also argue that he exhibits how this logic can be enlisted in the service of constraining democracy.

Democratic catastrophes and european unification in Ortega y Gasset's postwar political thought Articles