Joxe Azurmendi

He also collaborated with the Klasikoak publishing firm in the Basque translations of various philosophical works and was one of the founders of Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea (The Basque Summer University). He has been Professor of Modern Philosophy and a lecturer at Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (The University of the Basque Country). In 2010 he was awarded the title "honorary academic" by Euskaltzaindia (The Basque Language Academy). He was an intellectual who studied 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 adopted a polemic tone. Azurmendi was, in the opinion of many, one of the most prolific and erudite thinkers in the Basque Country.

Joxe Azurmendi studied at University of the Basque Country and University of Münster. The recorded working language is Spanish and Basque. The field of work recorded is philosophy, poetry and relativism. Places of work recorded in the authority are San Sebastián, Cologne and Basque Country. Employment is recorded with University of the Basque Country. Works named in the authority record are Filosofiako gida. Distinctions recorded are Gipuzkoako Urrezko Domina and Invited speaker at the beginning of the UEU academic year.

• Region — Western philosophy • Era — Contemporary philosophy • Name — Joxe Azurmendi • Born — 19 March 1941 • Birthplace — Zegama, Spain • Died — 1 July 2025 • Place of death — San Sebastián, Spain • Education — University of the Basque Country, University of Münster • School Tradition — Continental philosophy Relativism • Main Interests — Modernity, Age of Enlightenment, Rationalism, Romanticism, social philosophy, political philosophy, philosophical anthropology, philosophy of language, ethics, nationalism, Basque literature • Notable Ideas — The State as secular church, morality as a political weapon

Joxe Azurmendi studied philosophy and theology at The University of the Basque Country, Rome and the University of Münster. 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. 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, aesthetic autonomy 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. He was a visiting scholar at the University of Cologne, the University of Padua and the Ruhr University Bochum where he spent several months each year from the 1980s until his retirement. He retired in 2011 and was appointed professor emeritus of the University of the Basque Country. 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." 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. In 2009, Azurmendi published his most personal work, Azken egunak Gandiagarekin (The last days with Gandiaga), where he reflected on different forms of rationality within philosophy of science, philosophy of religion and philosophical anthropology. The main thesis he defended was that scientific rationality has left us without the necessary language to deal with the meaning of life. Azurmendi died in San Sebastián on 1 July 2025, at the age of 84. According to his wishes, there was no wake or public funeral.

Joxe Azurmendi's works include various colloquial expressions, and his prose is fast-paced and sharp. Azurmendi's Basque is modern and standard.

The Inguma database of the Basque scientific community contains over 180 texts written by Azurmendi.

• Hizkuntza, etnia eta marxismoa (Language, Ethnics and Marxism) (1971, Euskal Elkargoa) • Kolakowski (Kołakowski) (1972, EFA): co-author: Joseba Arregui • 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 Orixe?) (1976, EFA Jakin) • Zer dugu Orixeren alde? (What do we have in favour of Orixe?) (1977, EFA Jakin) • Artea eta gizartea (Art and Society) (1978, Haranburu) • Errealismo sozialistaz (About Socialist Realism) (1978, Haranburu) • Mirande eta kristautasuna (Mirande and Christianity) (1978, GAK) • Arana Goiriren pentsamendu politikoa (The political thinking of Arana Goiri) (1979, Hordago Lur) • 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 (Cooperative Man. Arizmendiarrieta's thinking) (1984, Lan Kide Aurrezkia) • Translated into Japanese as ホセ・アスルメンディ: アリスメンディアリエタの協同組合哲学 (東大和: みんけん出版, 1990) • Filosofía personalista y cooperación. Filosofía de Arizmendiarrieta (Personalist philosophy and cooperation. Arizmendiarrieta's philosophy) (1984, EHU) • Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Spengler, Miranderen pentsamenduan (Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Spengler in the thinking of Mirande) (1989, Susa) • Miranderen pentsamendua (Mirande's thinking) (1989, Susa) • Gizaberearen bakeak eta gerrak (War and Peace according to the Human Animal) (1991, Elkar) • Espainolak eta euskaldunak (The Spanish and the Basques) (1992, Elkar) • Translated into Spanish as Azurmendi, Joxe: Los españoles y los euskaldunes, Hondarribia: Hiru, 1995. • 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 Nietzsche's presence in the Basque thinkers Ramiro de Maeztu and Jon Mirande) (2002, Euskalerriaren Adiskideen Elkartea) • 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 (Volksgeist. National Character) (2007, Elkar) • Humboldt. Hizkuntza eta pentsamendua (Humboldt. Language and Thought) (2007, UEU) • 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)

• Gure klasizismo txikia (Our little classicism) (2026, Jakin)

• Hitz berdeak (Unrefined words) (1971, EFA) • XX. mendeko poesia kaierak – Joxe Azurmendi (Books of 20th century poetry – Joxe Azurmendi) (2000, Susa), edited by Koldo Izagirre.

• Articles in the journal Jakin • Articles in the journal Anaitasuna • Articles in the journal RIEV