Gumersindo de Azcárate facts for kids
Gumersindo de Azcárate (born in León in 1840, died in Madrid in 1917) was an important Spanish thinker. He was a philosopher, a jurist (which means he was an expert in law), and a politician.
A Life of Learning and Change
Gumersindo de Azcárate studied law in a city called Oviedo. After finishing his studies, he started teaching in Madrid in 1864. He taught about different legal systems from around the world. He also became a representative for León in the Cortes Generales, which is like the Spanish Parliament.
In the 1870s, he joined other important thinkers, Francisco Giner de los Ríos and Julián Sanz del Río. Together, they taught at a special school called the Institución Libre de Enseñanza (Institute of Free Teaching). This school was known for its modern and open way of teaching.
His Ideas and Philosophy
De Azcárate was a main leader of a way of thinking called Krausismo in Spain. This philosophy was based on the ideas of Karl Christian Friedrich Krause. It focused on things like freedom, reason, and moral values.
In his writings, Gumersindo de Azcárate shared many of his ideas. Some of his famous books include Estudios económicos y sociales (Economic and Social Studies) and Estudios filosóficos y políticos (Philosophical and Political Studies).
He believed that the government should not have too much power in one central place. He thought that power should be shared more widely. He also suggested that some government tasks could be handled by private groups instead. He studied different ways that parliaments and local governments could work better.
Political Work
In 1912, Gumersindo de Azcárate helped start a new political group. It was called the Reformist Republican Party. This party wanted to make important changes in Spain and create a more modern and fair society.
