Vidal Peña García, prominent Spanish philosopher, dies at 85

Vidal Peña García, a prominent figure in contemporary Spanish philosophy and a key member of the School of Philosophy of Oviedo, has passed away in Oviedo at the age of 85.

A professor at the University of Oviedo, Peña was recognized for his erudition, conceptual rigor, and his extensive expertise regarding the philosopher Baruch Spinoza. His intellectual path was deeply influenced by Gustavo Bueno, who directed Peña's 1972 doctoral thesis, ‘El materialismo de Espinosa’.

This research led to the 1974 publication of ‘El materialismo de Spinoza. Ensayo sobre la ontología spinozista’, a reference work for understanding the materialist interpretation of Spinoza developed in Asturias. Peña's work focused on Spinoza's ability to confront dualistic and spiritualist conceptions of reality by viewing reality as a necessary totality without recourse to a transcendent world.