Quevedo brings together a number of philosophical traditions in the Suenos. One chapter of the thesis examines Quevedo's use of Epicurean dream theory as well as the larger ramifications of the dream setting for the satires. Another chapter analyzes the exact nature of Quevedo's sceptical views and their classical sources with emphasis on the content of El mundo por de dentro. Included is a discussion of the moral philosophy presented in the Suenos, deriving primarily from Stoic sources. In each case, Quevedo reconciles these classical influences with Christian doctrine, leading to a discussion in the thesis as to the exact nature of his Christian beliefs as they are expressed in the Suenos , i.e., whether Quevedo was indeed an existentialist and nihilist as many have labeled him.

The thesis attempts to establish the moral and social ideal behind the satirical denunciations of humanity in the Suenos of Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas by examining the philosophical content of the works as well as their satirical sources and models. By placing the Suenos within the context of Quevedo's extant writings, such as Espana defendida and Politica de Dios, along with the context provided by his classical, medieval, and Renaissance influences, a clearer understanding emerges with regard to the types of social reforms and ideals underlying Quevedo's satire.

Traditionally, critics have considered the Menippean satire of Lucian to be the primary classical model for Quevedo's satire. This thesis takes issue with that view, proposing instead a substantial influence from the satires of Juvenal, and to a lesser extent, the Commedia of Dante, both of which are discussed in separate chapters. Juvenal's political views, as Quevedo discusses them in his Defensa de Epicuro and Virtud militante, are much more compatible with Quevedo's own Counter-reformation views, and serve to indicate the political and social ideals implied in the Suenos.