The paper outlines the essential developments in Spanish philosophy of the 20th century. It shows the Spanish philosophy appering on the European philosophical arena as late as at the beginning of the 20th century and as related to the criticism of the project of the European modernity. The grounds of the marginalization of Spain in the frame of modern European philosophy are not to be looked for only in modern Spanish history, but also in one-sideness of the European conception of (...) the history of philosophy, which gave priviledges to philosophical systems and excluded a wide range of other forms od reflection transcending this context. Following from the two historical turning points four periods in the development of the Spanish philosophy of the 20th century are determined: 1. the philosophy of modernism and its criticism , 2. the philosophy in the "silent period" , 3. the philosophy in the period of transition to democracy and 4. the contemporary philosophy. (shrink)