José Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955) was a Spanish philosopher and politician whose career was at its height during the interwar period in Europe. He was particularly focused on bringing Spain into the world of modern thought and politics, and he was a hero to republicans, liberals, and socialists alike in his country. On the other hand, though he was not opposed to democracy, he feared the implications of mass culture in Europe, believing that Europeans lacked the elite leadership to school the people in making intelligent cultural and political choices.