  In this paper we propose an approach to homotopical algebra where the basic
ingredient is a category with two classes of distinguished morphisms: strong
and weak equivalences. These data determine the cofibrant objects by an
extension property analogous to the classical lifting property of projective
modules. We define a Cartan-Eilenberg category as a category with strong and
weak equivalences such that there is an equivalence between its localization
with respect to weak equivalences and the localised category of cofibrant
objets with respect to strong equivalences. This equivalence allows us to
extend the classical theory of derived additive functors to this non additive
setting. The main examples include Quillen model categories and functor
categories with a triple, in the last case we find examples in which the class
of strong equivalences is not determined by a homotopy relation. Among other
applications, we prove the existence of filtered minimal models for \emph{cdg}
algebras over a zero-characteristic field and we formulate an acyclic models
theorem for non additive functors.
