Antonio Escohotado (1941-2021) He was a Spanish philosopher, jurist and essayist. He was especially known for his exhaustive investigations into the drug; his position on the matter was in opposition to the prohibition of these substances. Do not forget that he spent time in jail for possession of illegal substances. His ideology is committed to freedom of choice, underlining the vital need of human beings to combat any oppression. That is why Escohotado is considered a liberal-libertarian, in tune with Marxism.
His major work was General history of drugs (1989), and the whole of his essay work is impregnated with a lifetime of study of Philosophy with the influence of different authors. However, empiricism is also very present in his work and study methodology through continuous observation of reality. In this article we tell you the most relevant about the work of Antonio Escohotado.
Main books of Antonio Escohotado
Reality and Substance (1985)
Metaphysical book that reflects on reality and Philosophy. A personal view of the exercise of this branch of the Humanities, what it is supposed to be and what it is supposed to affect. An act of comprehension of the human being, attracting concepts such as nothingness, being, essence, reason, matter, time or space to the present time. A very specialized book for scholars in this discipline.
General History of Drugs (1989)
Philosophical treatise that accurately and deeply scans the multiple and diverse substances that alter behavior and consciousness. Even Escohotado feels free to use the term "drug" in many cases. It makes use of a historical perspective, I feel this work a pinnacle work in the field. Substances of legal and illegal use are taken into account. The review is very broad, covering different areas: history, culture, mythology, anthropology, sociology, medicine, chemistry and even politics. All in a single volume of more than 1500 pages with illustrations included.
Harlots and Wives: Four Myths about Sex and Duty (1993)
Suggestive essay that understands the duality between men and women. The text is supported in the destiny of the two sexes with four classic legends. By using these great characters, who revolve around mythology, as a model or mold, universalizes topics such as family, union, and their respective duties. These will fluctuate depending on the sexual gender associated with its members. Complete a synthesis of antiquity and the current world through the study of the domestic in our families. The mythological couples in this book are: Ishtar-Gilgamesh, Hera-Zeus, Deyanira-Heracles, María-José.
Portrait of the Rake (1997)
The book includes various chapters whose common core is the acceptance of the body, the senses and the spirit. In this way, the texts collected by Escohotado they exude states that extend beyond the sensations that the body experiences and that surpass mind and spirit. In the first chapter, carnal love is discussed and in the second, states of mind such as happiness and sadness are reviewed within the framework of ethics. In the third we find the bet from the perspective of vice. The fourth chapter considers drunkenness as a way of testing the world. The fifth is about euthanasia. The sixth and seventh are interviews with Albert Hoffman and Ernst Jünger.
Chaos and Order (2000)
chaos and order received the Espasa Essay Award in 1999. . With this stimulating title, Escohotado intends to put an end to the classic isolation of sciences and humanities, seeking to unite them. Escohotado establishes new ways of organizing knowledge in an easy and understandable way for the reader. The author makes an analysis of the thought of the past to bring it to the present in a renewed way. chaos and order it is a theoretical transformation for the reader to understand in his daily life.
Learning From Drugs (2005)
learning about drugs is an updated review of substances from different eras. Some legal and others not: alcohol, sleeping pills, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or coffee are some that Escohotado talks about in his book. The author understands that you can learn from them, that it is not necessary to demonize them, but that their effects should be known if they are taken and the consequences of their abuse. The objective is that the reader can form his own opinion about drugs.
The Enemies of Trade (2008)
It is an extensive essay with the subtitle A moral history of propertyand divided into three volumes. It is a deep investigative work about the communist movement. Volume one was published in 2008, the second in 2013 and the last one that closes the study is from 2017. And since the vast majority of his work in recent decades was published by Espasa-Calpe.
The first book develops the origins of communism until the French Revolution. The second focuses on the turbulent XNUMXth and early XNUMXth centuries, extremely relevant times for the communist project. The third volume is a study from Lenin's seizure of power in Russia that goes through the fall of the berlin wall and the decomposition of the soviet union. In conclusion, The enemies of commerce is an interesting essayistic work of analysis on communism through the centuries with the arrival and final settlement of the consumer society.
My Private Ibiza (2019)
It is an autobiographical book. The only one written by the author, which raised doubts that are also reflected in this work. In a cheeky and fun way Escohotado narrates the importance that the island of Ibiza had for him, his first time there, and all the years he spent in this place, which were not few. For the first time we see more the person than the writer.
The Forge of Glory (2021)
Escohotado was a philosopher, but also a great soccer fan. With this latest work in his professional career we find a curious reflection on the history of Real Madrid. This is a brief overview of the consecutive victories of this team from Madrid, which has remained more or less constantly at the top of any classification, whether Spanish or European. Namely, Escohotado, in collaboration with Jesús Bengoechea, tries to explain the secret of the club's success through its history.
About the Author
Antonio Escohotado Espinosa was born in Madrid in 1941. He was a Spanish thinker and writer educated at the Complutense University of Madrid. Doctor of Philosophy of Law, he was also a university professor and translator. His thought was situated in libertarian liberalism, a Marxist current. And he became a soldier in the Communist Party clandestinely in Franco's time.
Likewise, Escohotado from his family contacted different ideological lines. His father was a Falangist militant and his maternal uncle, Juan José Espinosa San Martín, also belonged to the Falange and was a minister during the Franco regime. However, his cousin, the philosopher José Luis Escohotado, is a thinker with a Marxist ideology.
The island of Ibiza became a countercultural model of Spain in the 70s when Francoism withered. Escohotado was aware of this and founded the disco Amnesia on the island in 1976. Ibiza was a very important place for him and it also influenced his work. Alli he spent the last months of his life where he died last November 2021.