Il demonio e il fanciullo. Note sul pensiero di José Bergamín

This paper investigates José Bergamín’s (1895-1983) philosophical thought starting from his meditation on demonology and childhood, developed in the essay La importancia del Demonio (1933). Through the analysis of this and other essays by the author, this article tries to point out the connection of art criticism and philosophical thinking in Bergamín, also highlighting certain forms of his speculation, such as the quotation and the aphorism. In the last part, analysing the essay La decadencia del analfabetismo (1933), the paper explains Bergamín’s conception of play and childhood as inexhaustible sources of the imaginative and ludic reason.