From the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: George Santayana was an influential 20th century American thinker whose philosophy connected a rich diversity of historical perspectives, culminating in a unique and unrivaled form of materialism, one recommending a bold reconciliation of spirit and nature. Santayana was also a poet, and he wrote a work of fiction, The Last Puritan, that was a Book of the Month Club selection in 1936, the same year he adorned the cover of Time magazine. Though he spent his formative intellectual life in America and ultimately is best categorized philosophically in that tradition, Santayana spent the better part of his life and publishing career in Europe. He spent his early childhood in his birth-country of Spain and throughout his expansive travels and residencies never relinquished his native citizenship. Displaying in both composition and criticism a prodigious literary imagination, Santayana’s writings appealed to a wide audience, and he remains to this
George Santayana was a philosopher, poet, critic of culture and literature, and best-selling novelist. Though he wrote in English and is considered an American philosopher, he retained his Spanish citizenship throughout his life. His philosophical works are undergoing a renascence of interests. Hilary Putnam notes: “Santayana was a towering figure in the great period of American philosophy. If there has been less attention paid to Santayana’s philosophy than to that of Royce or Peirce, this is in large part because his philosophical mood and philosophical intuitions were actually ahead of his time. In many ways, he anticipated some of the dominant trends in American philosophy of the present period. It is extremely valuable to have a satisfactory edition of all of his work.” Why Is George Santayana Important to Us Today? Santayana presents a remarkable synthesis of European and American thought. His Hispanic heritage, shaded by his sense of being an outsider in America, captures much o