The intellectual transformations in modern philosophy

Author's name: Jorge Santayana Translator: Riham Attia Year of publication: 2021 Number of pages: 172 About the book: Jorge Santayana was a poet, a prose writer, a seasoned philosopher, and a distinctive blend, combining the aristocracy of Mediterranean peoples and American individualism. He was a spirited soul, free and rebellious against the spirit of his era, writing in a legendary language resembling the language of the ancient pagan world, as if he were one of the wandering philosophers speaking to his students about the soul, matter, truth, and existence while walking in the Lyceum [Aristotle's school]. Philosophy has not worn a beautiful robe since the time of Plato, adorned with eloquent words and phrases enriched with wisdom, woven delicately with intelligence, and fortified by sharp criticism and astute reasoning, just as Santayana wore it in the "Age of the Poet," who opened the gates of heaven "to bring beauty to the earth." Therefore, it is very difficult not to love Santayana's style when reading him; his elegant language, poetic expressions, diverse ideas, sincere opinions, and his sharp pen that does not hesitate to criticize even the most agreeable minds if a particular idea does not convince him—all of this compels respect for this distinguished mind, which has always considered itself radically materialistic. However, his materialism means returning to nature. This book, which we present to you today, is a summary of Santayana's thought on the most prominent topics in his philosophy: human knowledge, his view of matter and existence, reason in science (which took an important part of his book "The Life of Reason"), the soul, and death. These lectures were delivered on several occasions, collected, and published in this book in 1933.