Vestigios

Various analyzes of the political symbolism of the relics of martyrs, saints, kings and famous people, the historical reactions against collecting and the continuity of some civil cults to the present day parade through the pages of this book. The modern history of the barbarism of the State, manifested in the implausible practices of the application of torture and the death penalty, is covered in detail. The recurring appearance of poverty, from the 16th century to today, is studied, linking it to the dignity of people and analyzing the historical and current measures adopted to eradicate it. This book brings together eleven essays that investigate the relationships between individuals and power, in settings of oppression, poverty and freedom. They return to the figure of Ferdinand the Catholic as a model of a prince. They study the circumstances in which the idea emerged that happiness is a fundamental right of citizens and how the obligations of the State were configured to achieve it. They describe the creation of political societies and the emergence of public policies as essential today as environmental ones. And they analyze the elements of our culture that have most contributed to forming our identity as a people, analyzing the fabulous expansion of the Spanish language.