Description Baltasar Graci n, in full Baltasar Graci n y Morales, (born January 8, 1601, Belmonte de Calatayud, Spain--died December 6, 1658, Tarazona), philosopher and writer known as the leading Spanish exponent of conceptism (conceptismo), a style of dealing with ideas that involves the use of terse and subtle displays of exaggerated wit. com). (britannica.
In it he examined society from the standpoint of a savage and gave the clearest statement of his pessimistic philosophy with its emphasis on willpower and struggle.
In defiance of his superiors, he published pseudonymously El critic n (1651, 1653, 1657
The Critick), a three-part philosophical novel considered by the 19th-century German pessimistic philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer one of the most important books ever written. 1648; "Subtlety and the Art of Genius").
His literary ideas on conceptism and the art of conceited writing (writing that continually shocks the reader by the use of startling metaphor) were clearly set forth in Agudeza y arte de ingenio (1642, 2nd ed.
His early works--El h roe (1637
The Hero), El discreto (1646
The Compleat Gentleman), and El or culo manual y arte de prudencia (1647
The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle)--were largely efforts to educate people in the ethics of Worldly life.
After studying at Calatayud and Zaragoza, Graci n entered the Jesuit order at the age of 18 and later became rector of the Jesuit college at Tarragona.
Description Baltasar Graci n, in full Baltasar Graci n y Morales, (born January 8, 1601, Belmonte de Calatayud, Spain--died December 6, 1658, Tarazona), philosopher and writer known as the leading Spanish exponent of conceptism (conceptismo), a style of dealing with ideas that involves the use of terse and subtle displays of exaggerated wit
