Unamuno y Arana: la cara y la cruz del nacionalismo vasco

Abstract

Basque nationalism represents a quandary when defining the current state of Spain. Its origins are traced to the end of the 19th century, a time in which both Unamuno and Sabino Arana, the founder of the above mentioned ideology, were already known. The fact that these two thinkers, who lived through the same historical circumstances, had such different perspectives on nationalism has raised questions about their initial presumptions. How did they view the essential tenants for nationalism as «fueros», Spanish history or the bearing of the Basque tongue in the national arena? The answer to these questions holds the key to understanding each of their positions. The present study, therefore, analyzes their main ideas, as expressed in their texts, as well as examines the occasions in which they confronted each other directly in order to show how each one of them exemplifies both sides of a nationalistic ideology.