Luis Vives recognized that in Spain, pursuing knowledge and literature often led to scrutiny, as any intellectual endeavor was likely to be viewed suspiciously and associated with heresy, errors, and undesirable influences. This environment created a culture of fear and imposed silence among the educated, who might refrain from expressing their thoughts freely.

Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s book, "A History of Spain," illustrates the challenges faced by scholars like Vives. They navigated a landscape where intellectual curiosity was often stifled by oppressive societal norms and the threat of persecution, ultimately hindering the growth of scholarship and open discourse in the country.