Selfishness in German philosophy

Author's name: George Santayana Publication: National Center for Translation Year of publication: 2025 Literary classification: Philosophy and Thought Overview of the book: "Selfishness in German Philosophy" and "Diderot and the Encyclopedic Movement" are the latest editions from the National Center for Translation. Within the framework of the Ministry of Culture's plan to raise awareness through translating various knowledge, the Arabic edition of the book "Selfishness in German Philosophy" by George Santayana, translated from English by Karam Abousahl, has recently been published by the National Center for Translation, headed by Professor Dr. Karma Sami. In this book, Santayana explores the concept of selfishness in the philosophy of German thinkers such as Goethe, Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and others. He goes on to say that these philosophers were preoccupied with the idea of the self and its relation to the world, and that this preoccupation led them to develop complex and sometimes contradictory theories about subjectivity, consciousness, and freedom. Santayana sees selfishness as a self-portrait of German thought. Therefore, he discusses the pathetic state that German philosophy has planted in its people’s souls. He refutes—using the idea of selfishness as an analytical tool—the transcendental German philosophy, and finds it to be a false philosophy that only represents a perspective immersed in its own particularity. The book examines the historical and cultural context in which the idea of selfishness emerged, as well as its influence on subsequent philosophical movements such as existentialism and phenomenology. Santayana’s analysis is characterized by rigor and ease of understanding, making the book a valuable resource for philosophy students, practitioners, and those interested in the history of ideas in general. The Arabic edition of the book "Diderot and the Encyclopedic Movement" by John Morley, translated from English by Karam Abbas, has also been published. This book provides a comprehensive detailed view of the culture and literature movement in the period before the French Revolution. The author takes "Diderot" and his philosophy as a connecting point to link figures, events, and details that paint a complete picture of a whole century of thought, culture, and literature in modern European history. "Diderot" was the dynamo of the encyclopedic movement that gathered a elite of thinkers, scientists, and philosophers to write articles and studies on various aspects of human knowledge. The movement included prominent names such as Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, and others, whom the book discusses in detail regarding their relationship with Diderot, who played the major role in supervising the project, contributing writings, preparing articles, and editing them. The book also includes an analysis of the philosophical movement in Europe through the intertwining of Diderot’s ideas with those of other philosophers such as Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, and others. It features critical analytical presentations of Diderot’s texts beyond his articles in the Encyclopédie; it discusses several of his books, including: "Philosophical Ideas," "The Sufficiency of Natural Religion," and "The Tour of the Skeptic." It also covers some stories and novels such as "The Nun" and "Jack the Believer in Fate," as well as his philosophical and literary works like "Letter on the Blind to Serve the Sighted." The book dedicates a full chapter to Diderot’s theory of drama and theater, offering a critical perspective on the plays "The Natural Son" and "The Head of the Family," and also dedicates a chapter to his most important work, "Ramo’s Nephew," along with analysis of some other secondary works.