Abstract
The theory of history is a central topic in
Ortega’s writings. The American pragmatists
wrote little on history. Ortega had fervent
critiques of American Pragmatism. The argument
presented here is that there are similarities in his
theory on history with a pragmatist view,
nonetheless, which can be summarized as a
pragmatist perspectivism on the philosophy of
history and historiography. Historical data
selected for recording is largely determined by
pragmatic reasoning; the historical details are
useful, meaningful, relevant, and interesting
–and continue to be– as they help us solve
problems, since a study of the past is effective in
helping us better prepare for the future. There is
important epistemological and metaphysical
value to be found in a pragmatist perspective on
history and historiography