Q0198
“I am myself and my circumstance; and if I do not save…” — José Ortega y Gasset (Meditaciones del Quijote (1914))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Meditaciones del Quijote (1914). Theme: self.
English
I am myself and my circumstance; and if I do not save it, I do not save myself.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Meditaciones del Quijote (1914) and files it under Existentialism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About José Ortega y Gasset
José Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955) was Spain’s leading twentieth-century philosopher and essayist, founder of Revista de Occidente. Meditations on Quixote and The Revolt of the Masses diagnose modern culture and mass society.
How to read this passage
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, action.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
- Action
- Action concerns agency: what it is to do something intentionally, and how thought becomes practice.
How to cite this quotation
APA: José Ortega y Gasset. (n.d.). I am myself and my circumstance; and if I do not save it, I do not save myself. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0198
MLA: José Ortega y Gasset. “I am myself and my circumstance; and if….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0198.
Chicago: José Ortega y Gasset. “I am myself and my circumstance; and if….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0198.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “I am myself and my circumstance; and if…”?
The passage is attributed to José Ortega y Gasset, Meditaciones del Quijote (1914). The archive attributes this English wording to Meditaciones del Quijote (1914) and files it under Existentialism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does José Ortega y Gasset mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, action.