Nicolás Gómez Dávila

Colombian aphorist philosopher who created radical critiques of modernity through unique literary fragments

This Bogotá-born thinker (1913-1994) developed a completely original philosophical style using escolios (marginal notes). His 5,000+ aphorisms challenged Enlightenment assumptions through paradoxical statements like Modern civilization is the cross on which man is crucified.

Operating outside academic circles, Gómez Dávila's complete works only gained international recognition posthumously. German philosopher Botho Strauss called him the most radical conservative thinker of the 20th century.

His anti-systematic approach influenced European New Right movements while being studied in avant-garde literature circles. The 2019 Penguin Classics edition brought his work to English readers, sparking debates about postmodern conservatism.