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Joxe Azurmendi

Joxe Azurmendi Otaegi (born 19 March 1941) is a Basque writer, philosopher, essayist and poet. He has published numerous articles and books on ethics, politics, the philosophy of language, technique, Basque literature and philosophy in general.[3]

In this Basque name, the first surname is Azurmendi and the second is Otaegi.

He is member of Jakin and the director of Jakin irakurgaiak, a publishing house which has published over 40 books under his management. He also collaborated with the Klasikoak[4] publishing firm in the Basque translations of various philosophical works and was one of the founders of Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea (The Basque Summer University).[5] He is currently a Professor of Modern Philosophy and a lecturer at Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (The University of the Basque Country).[6] In 2010 he was awarded the title "honorary academic" by Euskaltzaindia (The Basque Language Academy).[7]


Azurmendi is an intellectual who studies the problem more than the solution. Azurmendi's essays cover modern European topics in great depth and knowledge. He has incorporated the philosophy and thinking of European thinkers, especially German ones. He often adopts a polemic tone.[8]


Joxe Azurmendi is, in the opinion of many, one of the most prolific and erudite thinkers in the Basque Country.[9][10]

Life[edit]

Joxe Azurmendi studied philosophy and theology at The University of the Basque Country, Rome and Münster.[11]


At the beginning of the 1960s he joined the cultural movement which grew up around the magazine Jakin, and was in fact the director of the publication when it was prohibited for the first time by Franco's regime. He has collaborated closely and uninterruptedly with the magazine since its restoration. In that publication he has raised the problems of Basque society in the context of European thinkers.[12] During the early 1970s he focused his attention on disseminating basic literature in the Basque language on subjects which were being hotly debated at the time in the Basque Country: nationhood, socialism, internationalism,[13] etc. In the 1980s he began teaching at The University of the Basque Country, and in 1984 he submitted his thesis on Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta, the founder of the Mondragon cooperative movement, in which he argued that Arizmendiarrieta's project aimed to unite individuals and society under an organisation which combined both socialism and French personalism.[14]


In 1992 he published what was to become his best-known work: Espainolak eta euskaldunak (The Spanish and the Basques). The work, published by Elkar, was written in response to a text by Sánchez-Albornoz which claimed that "The Basques are the last people to be civilised in Spain; they have a thousand years less civilisation than any other people ... They are rough, simple people who nevertheless consider themselves to be the children of God and the heirs to his glory. But they are really nothing more than un-Romanised Spaniards."[15] Azurmendi's essay refuted and dismantled the stereotypes maintained about the Basques by certain Spanish intellectuals.


It was on the threshold of the new millennium, however, that Azurmendi's work reached its height. During the early years of the 21st century he published the trilogy formed by Espainiaren arimaz (About the soul of Spain) (2006, Elkar), Humboldt. Hizkuntza eta pentsamendua (Humboldt. Language and Thought) (2007, UEU) and Volksgeist. Herri gogoa (Volksgeist. National Character) (2008, Elkar). In this trilogy, Joxe Azurmendi reveals some of his most significant thinking.

Writing style[edit]

In his language Joxe Azurmendi combines an educated register with colloquial expressions, and his prose is fast, incisive, and ironic. Azurmendi's Basque is modern and standard and he demonstrates great knowledge of the language, and richness and variety of expression.[28]

1976: Andima Ibiñagabeitia Award for the work: Espainolak eta euskaldunak

[29]

1978: Irun Hiria Award for the work: Mirande eta kristautasuna (Mirande and Christianity).

1998: Irun Hiria Award for the work: Teknikaren meditazioa (Meditations on Technique).

2005: Juan San Martin Award for the work: Humboldt: Hizkuntza eta pentsamendua (Humboldt. Language and Thought).

[30]

2010: Euskadi Literatura Saria Award, in the essay category, for the work: Azken egunak Gandiagarekin (The last days with Gandiaga).

[31]

2010: Ohorezko euskaltzaina by .[7]

Euskaltzaindia

2012: Eusko Ikaskuntza Award.[33]

[32]

2012: Dabilen Elea Award

[34]

2014: Digitization of the entire work of Joxe Azurmendi by The Council of Gipuzkoa

[35]

2015: Euskadi Literatura Saria Award, in the essay category, for the work: Historia, arraza, nazioa (History, race, nation).

[36]

2019: Joxe Azurmendi Congress hosted by Joxe Azurmendi Katedra and University of the Basque Country

[37]

Hizkuntza, etnia eta marxismoa (Language, Ethnics and Marxism) (1971, Euskal Elkargoa)

Kolakowski () (1972, EFA): co-author: Joseba Arregui

Kołakowski

Kultura proletarioaz (About Proletarian Culture) (1973, Jakin EFA)

Iraultza sobietarra eta literatura (The Soviet Revolution and Literature) (1975, Gero Mensajero)

Gizona Abere hutsa da (Man is Pure Animal) (1975, EFA)

Zer dugu Orixeren kontra? (What do we have against ?) (1976, EFA Jakin)

Orixe

Zer dugu Orixeren alde? (What do we have in favour of ?) (1977, EFA Jakin)

Orixe

Artea eta gizartea (Art and Society) (1978, Haranburu)

Errealismo sozialistaz (About Socialist Realism) (1978, Haranburu)

Mirande eta kristautasuna ( and Christianity) (1978, GAK)

Mirande

Arana Goiriren pentsamendu politikoa (The political thinking of ) (1979, Hordago Lur)

Arana Goiri

Nazionalismo Internazionalismo Euskadin (Nationalism Internationalism in the Basque Country) (1979, Hordago Lur)

PSOE eta euskal abertzaletasuna (The Spanish Socialist Party and Basque Nationalism) (1979, Hordago Lur)

El hombre cooperativo. Pensamiento de Arizmendiarrieta

ISBN

Filosofía personalista y cooperación. Filosofía de Arizmendiarrieta (Personalist philosophy and cooperation. Arizmendiarrieta's philosophy) (1984, EHU)

Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Spengler, Miranderen pentsamenduan (, Nietzsche, Spengler in the thinking of Mirande) (1989, Susa)

Schopenhauer

Miranderen pentsamendua ( thinking) (1989, Susa)

Mirande's

Gizaberearen bakeak eta gerrak (War and Peace according to the Human Animal) (1991, Elkar)

Espainolak eta euskaldunak

ISBN

Karlos Santamaria. Ideiak eta ekintzak (Karlos Santamaria. Ideas and Action) (1994, The Gipuzkoa Provincial Council (unpublished))

La idea cooperativa: del servicio a la comunidad a su nueva creación (The cooperative idea: from the community service toward its new creation) (1996, Gizabidea Fundazioa)

Demokratak eta biolentoak (The Democrats and the Violent) (1997, Elkar)

Teknikaren meditazioa (Meditations on Technique) (1998, Kutxa Fundazioa)

Oraingo gazte eroak (The Mad Youth of Today) (1998, Enbolike)

El hecho catalán. El hecho portugués (The Catalan fact. The Portuguese fact) (1999, Hiru)

Euskal Herria krisian (The Basque Country in Crisis) (1999, Elkar)

La violencia y la búsqueda de nuevos valores (The violence and the search for new values) (2001, Hiru)

La presencia de Nietzsche en los pensadores vascos Ramiro de Maeztu y Jon Mirande (The presence in the Basque thinkers Ramiro de Maeztu and Jon Mirande) (2002, Euskalerriaren Adiskideen Elkartea)

Nietzsche's

Etienne Salaberry. Bere pentsamenduaz (1903–2003) (Etienne Salaberry. About his Thinking (1903–2003)) (2003, Egan)

Espainiaren arimaz (About the soul of Spain) (2006, Elkar)

Volksgeist. Herri gogoa (. National Character) (2007, Elkar)

Volksgeist

Humboldt. Hizkuntza eta pentsamendua (. Language and Thought) (2007, UEU)

Humboldt

Azken egunak Gandiagarekin (The last days with Gandiaga) (2009, Elkar)

Bakea gudan (Peace in War) (2012, Txalaparta)

Barkamena, kondena, tortura (Forgiveness, Condemnation, Torture) (2012, Elkar)

Karlos Santamariaren pentsamendua (Karlos Santamaria's thinking) (2013, Jakin/EHU)

Historia, arraza, nazioa (History, race, nation) (2014, Elkar)

Gizabere kooperatiboaz (About the cooperative Human Animal) (2016, Jakin)

Hizkuntza, Nazioa, Estatua (Language, Nation, State) (2017, Elkar)

Beltzak, juduak eta beste euskaldun batzuk (Blacks, Jews and other Basques) (2018, Elkar)

Pentsamenduaren historia Euskal Herrian (History of thought in the Basque Country) (2020, EHU-Jakin)

Europa bezain zaharra (As old as Europe) (2023, Jakin)

Volksgeist

(in English)

The democrats and the violent

(in German)

Verspätetes Manifest

(in German) , RIEV, 48-1: 125–142, Eusko Ikaskuntza, 2003 ISSN 0212-7016

Ein Denkmal der Achtung und Liebe. Humboldt über die baskische Landschaft

(in Basque)

Joxe Azurmendi on the jakingunea website

(in Basque)

section on Joxe Azurmendi on the Literaturaren Zubitegia website

(in Basque) The poem , music by Imanol Ubeda.

Prometeo mixerablea

(in Basque)

interview by Elkarri.

(in Basque)

Karlos Santamaria's thinking.

(in Basque) Archived 10 December 2012 at archive.today

Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Spengler, in the thinking of Mirande (1989, Susa)

(in Basque) Archived 18 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine

Books of 20th century poetry – Joxe Azurmendi (2000, Susa)

(in Basque)

Joxe Azurmendi on the Lapiko Kritikoa website.