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Why Live If We’re Just Gonna Die? — Spanish Existentialism and Miguel de Unamuno

Sisyphus 55 | August 11, 2025



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SOURCES
https://www.thesmartset.com/article12061301/

https://mypoeticside.com/poets/miguel-de-unamuno-poems

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Miguel-de-Unamuno

https://press.princeton.edu/series/selected-works-of-miguel-de-unamuno

Written by Sisyphus 55

Comments

This post currently has 36 comments.

  2. @liltick102

    August 11, 2025 at 10:46 pm

    Difficult to find translated Unamuno, I have Tragic Sense of Life but that’s all, that and a spanish copy of Don Quijote— would love to check out his Don Quixote..

  4. @victoralabbq

    August 11, 2025 at 10:46 pm

    Thank you for doing a spanish philosopher, it is not common english speaking people know much about spanish philosophy but I think there is much original thought in it

  24. @letsreadtextbook1687

    August 11, 2025 at 10:46 pm

    I love that you always explain their history before their actual philosophy. Makes it much more understandable why they think that way, and even why they think it's important to think that way

  25. @tubaboytom

    August 11, 2025 at 10:46 pm

    Another infamous Spaniard is Francisco Goya. The Spanish Artist who devolved into despair after seeing the harsh realities of conflict during the same time that Unamuno did. His Black Paints are renown and is a great example of the same existentialism that is faced with our philosopher here (in my opinion). I love his Saturn eating his Son painting and I always will.

  26. @LuiselGames

    August 11, 2025 at 10:46 pm

    For the longest time time I had thought that very few spanish thinkers (nor polish, portuguese or Irish either, i don't know whtas wrong with us "catholic" countries) had had a big impact in people outside our borders. As an Spaniard I am so glad to see a fellow canadian take the time to study Miguel de Unamuno wich is not only fundamental tu understand 20th century's history in Spain but also a key figure that inspired many.

    while I was watching this i could't help but wonder. Is there any canadian author that you could consider fundamental whoose work doesn't seem to be known at other countries. I would love to know. Thank you for all of your videos. I am a big fan of yours.

  27. @BirdEgg123

    August 11, 2025 at 10:46 pm

    There's a movie about this man during the civil war of 1936. Its called "While at war". It can barely be classified as a war movie, and it's one of the most tranquil and beautiful movies I've seen.

  29. @alejandroreguera8222

    August 11, 2025 at 10:46 pm

    2:30 Just wann point out that Franco didnt brought racism to spain, there was already a lot of racism in both sides, left and right. In fact, Franco spent most of his career in the spanish colonies of northern morocco, and his personal guard was all moorish, there is even a mosque in honor of Franco. In the communist part of the republican side there were banner saying "Spanish women on the rebel side have given birth to black children".

  30. @LitlleMissCraftyArts

    August 11, 2025 at 10:46 pm

    I jumped on the blinkist offer and can say I'm really impressed. Currently listening to Foucault's Discipline and Punish (which has been sat on my shelf for an embarrassing length of time). It's such an ingenious way of capitalising on time spent doing mundane things, I just listened whilst doing the dishes. Thank you for such a good sponsorship offer!

  31. @smileyp4535

    August 11, 2025 at 10:46 pm

    2:43 What??? this caught me so off guard that have do google "Miguel de Unamuno death" and went to his wiki peadea page and it said this:
    "Unamuno died on 31 December 1936.[25] The official version reported that he died as a result of the inhalation of gases from a brazier. However, research by Colette Rabaté [es] and Jean-Claude Rabaté [es], released in 2020, suggests that he may have been murdered by Bartolomé Aragón, the last person to have visited him, based on the fact that he falsely claimed to be a former student of his, was a fascist militant (and requete) with opposed political ideas to Unamuno and had collaborated with Nationals propaganda before. Additional telltale findings were: the lack of autopsy (despite having been mandatory, as the cause of death was determined to be a sudden death due to a intracranial bleeding), two screams from Unamuno heard by his maid during the Aragón visit and discrepancies in the time of death registered by the coroner and the authorities."

    TL;DR death from "inhalation of gases from a brazier" was his official obituary but that this is disputed and likely a lie (as it sounds like) potentially a fascist (like legit fascist party member from when it was a thing) who didn't like him lied and pulled strings to get that published as a way to mock him posthumously and he was more likely shot (there was no autopsy before burial and like i said the guy pulled some string's)

    imagine if someone killed you and made the obituary say "autoerotic asphyxiation" yikes
    edit: ironically hopefully as an existentialist and embracer of the absurd could find humor in the cruel act of "slander"

Comments are closed.

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