Agustín García Calvo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Agustin Garcia Calvo
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| Born | October 15, 1926 |
| Died | November 1, 2012 (age 86) |
| Era | 20th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Continental philosophy |
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Main interests
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Aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, ontology, philosophy of history, psychology, value theory |
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Notable ideas
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Apollonian and Dionysian, Death of God, eternal recurrence, herd instinct, master-slave morality, Übermensch, perspectivism, will to power |
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Influences
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Agustín García Calvo (born October 15, 1926 – died November 1, 2012) was a Spanish philologist, philosopher, poet, and playwright. A philologist studies language in historical texts. A philosopher thinks deeply about life and knowledge.
Contents
Life Story
Agustín García Calvo was born and died in Zamora. He studied Classical Philology at Salamanca University. This means he learned about ancient Greek and Latin languages and literature. He finished his PhD (a high-level degree) in ancient poetry and rhythm when he was just 22.
Early Career and Challenges
In 1951, he started working as a grammar-school teacher. Later, in 1953, he became a university professor of Classical Languages in Seville. He also taught at Madrid's Complutense University from 1964 to 1965.
However, in 1965, the government at the time, led by General Franco, removed him from his teaching job in Madrid. This happened because he supported student protests against the government. Other professors also lost their jobs or resigned to show their disagreement.
Time in Exile
After this, García Calvo lived for many years in Paris, France. This period away from his home country is called exile. In Paris, he taught at Lille University and the Collège de France. He also worked as a translator for a Spanish publishing company that was also in exile. He even held regular discussion groups in a café in Paris.
Return to Spain
In 1976, after General Franco died, García Calvo was able to return to Spain. He got his teaching job back in Madrid. He continued to teach ancient philology until he retired in 1992. He remained an active writer and speaker until he passed away in 2012.
His Ideas on Society
Agustín García Calvo had strong ideas about how society works and how people are controlled. He often wrote and spoke about these ideas. He wanted to give a voice to ordinary people who felt controlled by powerful systems.
Questioning "Reality"
A big part of his thinking was about something he called "Reality." He believed that what we often think of as "real" is actually a made-up idea. This "Reality" is created by powerful groups to make things simple and easy to control. When things are simplified, their unique and unpredictable parts are removed. This makes it easier for them to be managed and controlled.
He thought that people are also "things" that get organized into "individuals." This means each person is told they must be unique, but at the same time, they are expected to act like everyone else in a crowd. He believed that this system always has flaws. The unexpected actions and feelings of people, which can't be planned, are what he called "the people."
Power and Democracy
García Calvo believed that power systems become very clever in modern societies, especially in democracies. He thought that the idea of "progress" often means spreading this democratic system everywhere. Because of this, he felt that people should question democracy itself. He saw it as a system that controls people in very advanced ways.
He also thought that older types of control, like dictatorships, were sometimes kept around just to make democracy look better by comparison. He called this a "cheat."
Money and Science
He believed that "God" (meaning whatever people worship or value most) has changed over time. In the past, it might have been "Man." But in modern times, he thought it was "Money." Money is everywhere, and everything seems to have a price or value.
He saw Science as the "religion" that worships this new "God" (Money). He believed Science's main job was to keep the idea of "Reality" up-to-date. It also convinced people that everything is under control, even when it might not be.
Challenging the System
García Calvo thought that in modern society, the government (State) and big businesses (Capital) are really just two parts of the same controlling system. He believed that ordinary people should challenge both of them. He felt that people should not ask for "rights" from the system, because that would mean accepting the system's power. He also thought that suggesting new types of government wouldn't help, as it would just lead to more control.
He saw this challenge not as something an individual does alone. Instead, he called it "the people's struggle." This struggle comes from the part of us that is still "the people," beneath our individual identities.
Language and Freedom
Language also played a big role in his ideas. He thought that words, which have specific meanings in each language, help create the "Reality" we live in. When language makes us feel like we know everything and can control it, it can be a tool of power.
However, he also believed that language can be a way for "the people" to express themselves freely. He saw moments in everyday language where people show that they don't really know everything, and that "Reality" doesn't cover everything that happens. He felt that language belongs to everyone and no one can truly own it.
Examples of His Ideas
Here are some ways Agustín García Calvo showed his ideas in action:
- He often spoke out against private cars and supported public transport like trains. He saw cars as symbols of individual control, while trains represented a shared way of moving.
- He questioned the idea that "we all together form public finance." This means he challenged the way governments manage money and how people are told they are responsible for it.
- He used a simple, direct writing style, similar to how he spoke. He avoided the complicated language often used by academics or politicians. He believed this helped him connect more directly with "the people."
Books Translated by Agustin
- What is it that's happening?
- Analysis of Welfare Society
- Interview with Agustín García Calvo: "The future is a vacuum that doesn't let us live"
Awards
- In 2006, he won the Premio Nacional a la Obra de un Traductor. This is a national award for a translator's work in Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Agustín García Calvo para niños
