nolens volens, to submit to the norm of denying all morality, and this is not amoral, but immoral. It is a negative morality which preserves the empty form of the other." - Meaning and context.">
Chapter XV: We Arrive At The Real Question
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What, by a word lacking even in grammar, is called amorality, is a thing that does not exist. If you are unwilling to submit to any norm, you have, nolens volens, to submit to the norm of denying all morality, and this is not amoral, but immoral. It is a negative morality which preserves the empty form of the other.

— José Ortega y Gasset

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "What, by a word lacking even in grammar, is called amorality, is a thing that does not exist. If you are unwilling to submit to any norm, you have, nolens volens, to submit to the norm of denying all morality, and this is not amoral, but immoral. It is a negative morality which preserves the empty form of the other." in the context of "Chapter XV: We Arrive At The Real Question" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "José Ortega y Gasset" (Quotes, The Revolt of the Masses (1929): La rebelión de las masas (1929)    Also see The Revolt of the Masses) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
José Ortega y Gasset

About José Ortega y Gasset

José Ortega y Gasset (May 9 1883 – October 18 1955) was a Spanish philosopher.