The Faith Of A Knight

This acticle traces systematically the most significant theoretical contributions of the famous Spanish thinker Ortega?Gasset:modern European Integration, Popular Democracy and Regional Autonomy. It also makes a comprehensively analysis and study, based on his legal thoughts, upon Spanish social, cultural as well as legal backgrounds and the development process of the country turning from military dictatorship into modern democracy between the end of 19th century and the first half of the 20th century of Spain. Through the analysis above with the theory of the historical legal science, this article aims at an interpretation of the significance and the far-reaching influence Ortega's legal thoughts had on Spanish society in its growth into a modern democratic society.As a powerful colonial country, Spain used to be the leader of Europe and even of the whole world once in history. However, with the sinking of its economy and the rapid emerging of new forces such as United States, especially from its failure in the War of 1898 with US, drove Spain fell into many radical social-cultural changes."The generation of ninety-eight", represented by Ortega ? Gasset and Unamu?o, with filled with patriotic enthusiasm, gave reforming opinions on political, economic, cultural, legal and other aspects, with the expectation to safeguard the country's unification and realize the national rejuvenation.Ortega's legal thoughts focused on the nation and democratic theories, proposing strongly European countries abandon the rigid concept and sense of"Nation State"and to break the mental spirit barriers among individual countries in order to realize European the Integration of Europe and rescue the West world from declining under the banner of "common ideal life" and rescue the sinking of West's decline, holding the flag of "common ideal life". Ortega, who advocated to the creed of political elites, made a calm analysis against the tidal emerging of Popular Democracy in Spain. In view of the historical problem of country's division remained as the result of the policies of"expelling from Spain all Jews and Muslims who refused convert to the Catholic faith"implemented by the"The Catholic Monarchs"after the "co-prosperity" of Catholic, Judaism and Islam, Ortega insisted on carrying out " region division and the autonomy" in pursuance of the unity of the State and the future development.Ortega remains a very controversial figure, some viewing him as the father of modern Spanish spirit, same as Lu Xun in contemporary China, while others labeling him as a rebel against the government and the nation, which led to Ortega's "vote with his feet" and leaving homeland during the civil war. For the whole Spain, he was the protector of national reunification, for the entire Spanish-speaking world, he was the leader towards the constitutional system, for Europe, he was the thinker who dared to face the decline, and for the world, he was the disseminator of the knight spirit. The historical view, sympathetic attitude, critical spirit and the merciful compassion were among the most valuable fortune Ortega left us.