The dilemma of modern man, in Ortega’s eyes, is the . We have more "life" (tools, speed, information) than ever before, yet we are unsure what to do with it. We are "sovereign over all things, but not masters of ourselves."
The mass-man enjoys the fruits of civilization (technology, medicine, rights) without understanding the effort or the principles required to sustain them. He is the "spoiled child" of history, demanding everything while feeling no obligation to excellence. 2. "I am I and my Circumstance" JosГ© Ortega y Gasset and the Dilemma of Modern Man
This is Ortega’s most famous maxim ( Yo soy yo y mi circunstancia ). He argued that a human being is not an abstract spirit, but a "dynamic project" inseparable from their environment and time. The dilemma of modern man, in Ortega’s eyes, is the