Yagodkin A.A. Man of the Year 1898: the Intellectual Biography of Ramiro de Maeztu

Abstract: The research subject of the presented work is the biography and creative legacy of the Spanish intellectual, writer and philosopher Ramiro de Maeztu, while the research object is the evolution of his views, gradually going from the liberal ideas of the Generation of ’98 to his later conservative views. The author examines and analyses the stages in the biography and literary career of Ramiro de Maeztu, paying special attention to the historical context, the influence of his surrounding intellectual environment, and the sociocultural factors that determined the ideological evolution of the writer. The key method of research applied in this study is the method of the “new intellectual biography”. The author relies on the methodological developments carried out by the Centre for Intellectual History (Russian Academy of Sciences) on Modern Intellectual History, Personal History, and biographic research. As a result of this research the author comes to the following conclusions: the evolution of Ramiro de Maeztu's views was caused by the sociocultural and intellectual environment of the time, as well as the historical context of the era. The tragic events of 1898 became the starting point for the evolution of de Maeztu’s views, which led to the development of his concept of "Hispanidad". The novelty of this research lies in the fact that Ramiro de Maeztu is not a well-known figure in Russian historiography. This study is the first attempt to explore Ramiro de Maeztu’s life through the approach of "the new intellectual biography".

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