Fernando González Ochoa (April 24, 1895 – February 16, 1964), was a Colombian writer and

existentialist Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and value ...

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

known as "''el filósofo de Otraparte''" (''The Philosopher from Elsewhere''). He wrote about

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

, history, art,

morality Morality () is the categorization of intentions, Decision-making, decisions and Social actions, actions into those that are ''proper'', or ''right'', and those that are ''improper'', or ''wrong''. Morality can be a body of standards or principle ...

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

epistemology Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. Also called "the theory of knowledge", it explores different types of knowledge, such as propositional knowledge about facts, practical knowle ...

and

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

in a humorous, and creative style, in various genres of literature. González is considered one of the most original writers of Colombia during the 20th century. His ideas were controversial and had a great influence in the Colombian society at his time and still today. González work inspired Nadaism, a literary and cultural movement founded by Gonzalo Arango and some other writers, poets and painters that surrounded him. His ''Otraparte'' house in

Envigado Envigado () is a city and municipality due South of Medellín, Colombia in the department of Antioquia Department, Antioquia. It is located in the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley. It borders El Poblado, Medellín to the north, Sabaneta, An ...

, is today a museum and the headquarters of the cultural foundation to preserve and promote his legacy. His house was declared a National Patrimony of Colombia in 2006.

Biography

Context

Fernandogonzalesparentsfamilyotraparte1907

González lived during the beginning of the 20th century (1895–1964), a time of change, political turbulence and revolutions in industry. He was born seven years after the new political agreement of a more conservative constitution (1888) that gave great influence to the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in Colombian society, especially in the education of future generations. Four years after, when he was 4 years old, the nation fell in a bloody

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, the 1899 - 1902 Thousand Days War. The other important event that happened during his life was in 1903 when Colombia lost

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

. In 1926 the Banana massacre gave evidence of the labor problems of the different growing Colombian industries. He lived also in one of the principal trade centers of the country, the Metropolitan Area of Medellín, the first to start an

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

in Colombia during the 1930s. González was also a witness of the emergence of

Fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

in Italy when he was consul of Colombia in that country. In 1948 the killing of the presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán opened the doors of a new political instability with El Bogotazo. All these events are reflected in the works and thoughts of Fernando González Ochoa.

Early life

Fernando González Ochoa was born in

, a city in the

Aburrá Valley Aburrá Valley (in Spanish ''Valle de Aburrá''), is the natural river basin of the Medellín River and one of the most populous valleys of Colombia in its Andean Region with near 4 million inhabitants in its biggest urban agglomeration: The M ...

( Antioquia State). He was the second of seven children. His parents were Daniel González and Pastora Ochoa. His father was a school teacher, the inspiration of one of his books (''El Maestro de Escuela''). He was expelled from the school of the

Presentation A presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product. Presenta ...

of Envigado because he insulted a sister after being punished. Something similar would happen soon after he joined the

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

College of

Medellín Medellín ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...

, but this time because he was caught reading Shopenhauer and

Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche became the youngest pro ...

. The young González faced his teacher of philosophy, Rev. Quiroz, saying that nothing can be and can not be at the same time. He was a sophomore in high school when the Jesuits asked him to leave the school.

Formation

In 1915 he became a member of Los Panidas, a group of sceptics, with León de Greiff, Ricardo Rendón, Félix Mejía Arango, Libardo Parra Toro, José Manuel Mora Vásquez and Eduardo Vasco, among other young writers, artists and intellectuals. In 1916 González published his first book, ''Pensamientos de un viejo'' (Thoughts of an Oldman). The presentation was written by Fidel Cano, the founder of

El Espectador ''El Espectador'' () is a nationally circulated Colombian newspaper founded by Fidel Cano Gutiérrez in 1887 in Medellín and published since 1915 in Bogotá. It was initially published twice a week, 500 issues each, but some years later became ...

newspaper. In 1919 González got his diploma in law at University of Antioquia, however his thesis, "''El derecho a no obedecer''" (The Right Not To Obey) was not welcome by the Academic Council of the university. González had to make some modifications to the text and published it under the title of "Una tesis" (A Thesis).

Judge

In 1921 he became Judge of the Superior Tribunal of

Manizales Manizales () is a city in central Colombia. It is the capital of the Caldas Department, Department of Caldas, and lies near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano. Currently, the city is the main center for the production of Colombian coffee and an importa ...

. In 1922 he married in Medellín Margarita Restrepo Gaviria, the daughter of former president Carlos E. Restrepo. In 1928 he is nominated Second Judge of the Medellín Tribunals where he knew Benjamín Correa who would become one of his best friends. With Correa he visited several towns in the states of Antioquia, Caldas and Valle del Cauca. From those visits he got the inspiration to one of his most popular books, ''Viaje a pie'' (Journey on Foot), published in 1929, but banned by the

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of Medellín under the penalty of mortal sin. González went to

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

in 1931 to meet dictator

Juan Vicente Gómez Juan Vicente Gómez Chacón (24 July 1857 – 17 December 1935) was a Venezuelan military general, politician and '' de facto'' ruler of Venezuela from 1908 until his death in 1935. He only officially served as president on three occasions d ...

. He considered Gómez a sprout of Libertador

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...

and they became friends. The dictator was the godfather of one of the sons of González and he dedicated a work to him, "''Mi compadre''".

Diplomatic activity: Consul in Italy

González was nominated by President Enrique Olaya Herrera as consul of Colombia in

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

, Italy in 1932. He went with his family to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and that same year ''Le Livre libre'', a publishing house of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, published his book ''Don Mirocletes''. About that work Manuel Ugarte wrote a letter to him from

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million José Vasconcelos José Vasconcelos Calderón (28 February 1882 – 30 June 1959), called the "cultural " of the Mexican Revolution, was an important Mexicans, Mexican writer, philosopher, and politician. He is one of the most influential and controversial pers ...

on December 14 and 30, 1932. Vasconcelos wrote: He received other letter of the Colombian writer José María Vargas Vila, who was exiled in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. Vargas wrote to him: In 1933 the Italian police found his notes with criticisms of the regime of

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

and

. He was transferred to

Marsella :''"Marsella" is also the Spanish name of Marseille.'' Marsella ''or Marseille'' is a town and municipality in the Department of Risaralda in Colombia. About 30 km away from the capital Pereira. In 2023 the town had an estimated population ...

due to a petition of the Italian government. Those notes were the origin of his work ''El hermafrodita dormido'' (The Sleeping Hermaphrodite), a book with his experiences in the classic art museums of Italy. The book was published in Spain in 1934.

Bucarest Villa

In 1934 González returned to Colombia establishing in his town, Envigado, a small farm on which to live that he named "Bucarest Villa". There he started to publish the ''Antioquia Magazine'' until 1945. In 1935 the ''Arturo Zapata'' Printing Press of

published his "''El Remordimiento''" (The Remorse), an essay in theology written in Marsella (France) and ''Letters to Estanislao Zuleta''. The former president of

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

José María Velasco Ibarra José María Velasco Ibarra (19 March 1893 – 30 March 1979) was an Ecuadorian politician. He became president of Ecuador five times, in 1934–1935, 1944–1947, 1952–1956, 1960–1961, and 1968–1972, and only in 1952–1956 he complete ...

, who was exiled in Colombia, visited González in Bucarest Villa in 1936 and they became very good friends. To Velasco he dedicated some chapters of ''Los negroides'' (The Negroid People) where González called Velasco the first "Politician-Thinker" of the Americas. By his part, Velasco called González in his work ''Conciencia o barbarie: exégesis de la Conciencia política americana'' (Conscience or Barbarism: Exegesis of the American Political Conscience), published first by the ''Atlantida'' Printing Press of Medellín, "the most original and deep of the South American sociologists".José María Velasco Ibarra: Conciencia o Barbarie: Exégesis de la Conciencia Política Americana, Medellín, 1937. Republished in Buenos Aires. Spanish. Note: "America" in Spanish refers to the North and South American continents. In that year died in

the

n novelist

Teresa de la Parra Teresa de la Parra (October 5, 1889 – April 23, 1936) was a Venezuelan novelist. Life She was born Ana Teresa Parra Sanojo in Paris, the daughter of Rafael Parra Hernáiz, Venezuelan Ambassador in Berlin, and Isabel Sanojo de Parra. As ...

with whom González had been friends since 1930 when she visited him in Envigado. It was also the year of ''Los negroides'' publication, an essay on New Granada (

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

and

), saying that it is the only American region where the merger of races will create an original culture for a unified man. Such merger is a principle of promises and appalling realities at the same time.

Otraparte Villa

He started in 1940 the construction of his house in Envigado that at that time he called ''La huerta del alemán'' (The Garden of the German), but the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

would make him to change the name for ''Otraparte'' (Other Place). The villa was designed with architect Carlos Obregón, engineer Félix Mejía Arango and painter Pedro Nel Gómez. That year he published "Santander", an essay about General

Francisco de Paula Santander Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña (April 2, 1792 – May 6, 1840) was a Neogranadine military and political leader who served as Vice-President of Gran Colombia between 1819 and 1826, and was later elected by Congress as the President ...

. The writer Tomás Carrasquilla, his friend and the Colombian novelist he most admired, died. In ''Otraparte'' he received the American playwright

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'', and a U. ...

to whom he dedicated his work ''El maestro de escuela'' (The School Teacher). Wilder was in Colombia as a cultural ambassador of his country in South America and wrote about the ''Garden of the German'': "It is more delightful than all Chapinero". On April 9, 1948, Colombia shuddered with the killing of presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

. González dedicated to him some thoughts in 1936 in ''Los negroides'': In June 1949, after El Bogotazo, González wrote in the edition of his ''Antioquia Magazine'': In 1953 he was nominated consul of Colombia in Europe, but he stayed most of the time in

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

where he studied Simon Bolívar and

Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola ( ; ; ; ; born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Basque Spaniard Catholic priest and theologian, who, with six companions, founded the religious order of the S ...

. His friend Thornton Wilder and

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary criticism, literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th ...

asked to include his name in the list of candidates to the

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

of 1955 and two times he was nominated. The writers Gabriela Mistral, Jacinto Benavente and

Miguel de Unamuno Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (; ; 29 September 1864 – 31 December 1936) was a Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca. His major philosophical ...

admired his work. In September 1957 González returned to Colombia, to his ''Otraparte'' villa, remaining until his death in 1964. In 2006 President

Álvaro Uribe Álvaro Uribe Vélez (born 4 July 1952) is a Colombian politician who served as the 31st President of Colombia from 7 August 2002 to 7 August 2010. Uribe started his political career in his home department of Antioquia Department, Antioquia. H ...

approved Law 1068 to exalt the memory, life and work of the philosopher Fernando González and declared ''Otraparte'' Home Museum, in Envigado, as a national patrimony.

Thought

Fernando González is called the "Philosopher of Authenticity"Alberto Restrepo González:
¿Fernando González filósofo?
" (tr.en "Is Fernando González a philosopher?). Periódico El Colombiano, April 26, 2000. Archive of Corporación Otraparte. Retrieved on May 9, 2008. and his thought is related to the experience of his life as a man. He used to say that we must live in the simple but bringing awareness of the essentials.Jorge A. Zapata: " e must live in the simple but bringing awareness of the essentials Fernando González, Monografías.com. Retrieved on May 9, 2008. He thought about the Colombian man and, thus, the

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

n, their personality, fights and expressions. He called himself the "Philosopher of the Personality of

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

". He wrote that the Latin American man might develop the individuality to arise from their anonymity. He criticized what he called the ''Latin American vanity'' that was without substance and invited to express the personality with energy, giving to life the highest value. González thought his time as the decadence of the principle of freedom and individualism for an action of flocks following calves to worship (

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

). He longed for the man of the ancient Egypt, Greece and the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

Works

* (1916) Pensamientos de un viejo * (1916) El payaso interior * (1919) Una tesis - El derecho a no obedecer * (1929) * (1930) Mi Simón Bolívar * (1932) Don Mirócletes * (1933) El hermafrodita dormido * (1934) Mi compadre * (1934) Salomé * (1935) El remordimiento * (1935) Cartas a Estanislao. * (1935) "Hace tiempo" de Tomás Carrasquilla * (1936) Los negroides * (1936) Don Benjamín, jesuita predicador * (1936) Nociones de izquierdismos * (1936–1945) Revista Antioquia * (1940) Santander * (1941) El maestro de escuela * (1942) Estatuto de valorización * (1945) Cómo volverse millonario en Colombia * (1950) Cartas a Simón Bolívar * (1959) Libro de los viajes o de las presencias * (1962) Tragicomedia del padre Elías y Martina la Velera * (1963) El pesebre * (1936) Las cartas de Ripol

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Henao Hidrón, Javier. Fernando González, the Philopher of Authenticity. Medellín: University of Antioquia and Biblioteca Pública Piloto, 1988. Spanish. * Uribe de Estrada, María Helena. Fernando González: The Traveler who was seeing more and more. Medellín: Molino de Papel Publish House, 1999. Spanish. *Revista Aleph, No. 166. Número monográfico dedicado a Fernando González, con participación de varios escritores. *Arango, Gonzalo. "Fernando González". Manizales: Revista Aleph, No. 166, julio/sept. 2013, p.p. 34-36. *Jaramillo, María Dolores. "Eduardo Escobar habla sobre Fernando González". Manizales: Revista Aleph, No 166, julio/sept. 2013, p.p. 15-33 *Restrepo, Alberto. Guide to read Fernando González. Medellín: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana and Universidad San Buenaventura, 1997.

External links

Otraparte Cultural Corporation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Fernando 20th-century Colombian philosophers Existentialists Colombian ethicists Colombian philosophers 20th-century Colombian judges 1895 births 1964 deaths People from Envigado University of Antioquia alumni Colombian diplomats