The antinomy of culture-life in Jose Ortega Y Gasset

Jose Ortega Y Gasset's culture-life antinomy is the subject of this study. According to Gasset, who defines culture as the age's life system, a person who remains below the vital level of his age cannot progress beyond becoming a form of subhuman in comparison to others. He believes that despite being a historically rooted being, man designs his present and future based on the lessons learned from his previous lives. As a result, a person's values in the society in which he lives have significance, and the society's values are influenced by the culture in which he lives. For instance, revelation held significant relevance for those who lived during the Middle Ages. People can deal with the calamities and nightmares that life offers because they believe in revelation. As a result, culture plays a unique role in preserving people's way of life. Humans' ideological control over a reality that keeps them alive is known as culture. On the other hand, life is the length of time that passes on average between an elementary particle's creation and destruction. In addition, whatever we experience and do in line with our choices during this period means something to us within the whole of life. As a result, life's value is derived from the meaning we give it rather than from life itself. The future of humanity, according to Gasset, is threatened by massification, which robs life of its purpose and value and creates the conditions for a historical crisis. Gasset claimed that this issue may be solved by educating the general public and spreading popular culture. Gasset sought to transform via culture. He therefore sought to revive culture by placing the mind in a crucial context once again. Additionally, he developed the idea of the "vital mind" and used it as the cornerstone of his philosophical system. He thinks that human beings can achieve happiness through culture, which is a life-threatening life.