Averkina N. An individual as "radical reality" in J.Ortega y Gasset's philosophy. - A manuscript.

The dissertation addresses the problem of an individual in the context of J.Ortega y Gasset's philosophic heritage. The work demonstrates a new understanding of human existence through the notion of "radical reality", which makes it possible to analyze a broad spectrum of an individual's relations with the world, ontological, gnoseological and socio-cultural dimensions of his existence. Bringing up the problem of an individual and accentuating different levels of personal existence's syncretic world we logically come to the consideration of an individual's internal self-realization and its consequences for socio-reality. Our reveling the grounds and mechanisms for such self-realization to determine an individual's existence and essence makes the investigation especially timely. Generalizing J.Ortega y Gasset's main theoretical provisions, we make a conclusion on their importance for understanding dangerous tendencies of mankind's modern development towards a mass and man-created society. It is pointedout that self-realization of an individual through his creative activity as a contribution of new meanings, values and world view orientations is an alternative to self-projection of "a technical person" and "a mass-man". The determination of the special place and role the knowledge of an individual has in J.Ortega y Gasset's creative work among other philosophic teachings gives the possibility to extrapolate it into the modern scientific and theoretical discourse, as well as to understand the reasons and character of the current crisis facing mankind in a new way. Key words: an individual, radical reality, life, life wisdom, individual project, self-projection, mass-man, technical person, artist.