La caza y los toros

Hunting and bullfighting have never been so threatened in Spain as they are today. The new animal sensitivity, incapable of understanding or tolerating any activity that involves the death of an animal, has targeted these two traditions with millennial roots, and some administrations have already banned or are considering banning bullfights. The new legislation, citing a protection of animal welfare, has also begun to persecute hunting activities and the circus. In this climate of irrationalism, the writings of the eminent philosopher José Ortega y Gasset are more current than ever. Originally published in 1960 in Revista de Occidente, directed by the thinker himself, this book is not so much a defense of hunting and bullfighting by an unconditional fan or a die-hard enthusiast. On the contrary, it is a pondered and calm meditation on two cultural aspects that allow us to reconstruct the national life of the Spanish people and its distinctive character compared to other European nations. The expanded reissue of this classic of Spanish thought is made up of various texts by the author and includes various essays and finished articles, as well as prologues to other works, drafts, notes and notes. Ortega y Gasset's reflections on hunting and the national holiday not only show that his original theories can be applied to all kinds of concrete and popular themes, but also that there are no reasons to disdain arts that deserve the highest philosophical consideration. .