1863-1952, American Philosopher, Poet
A conception not reducible to the small change of daily experience is like a currency not exchangeable for articles of consumption; it is not a symbol, but a fraud.
George Santayana – [Theory]
A man is morally free when, in full possession of his living humanity, he judges the world, and judges other men, with uncompromising sincerity.
George Santayana – [Freedom]
A man's feet must be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world.
George Santayana – [Patriotism]
Advertising is the modern substitute for argument; its function is to make the worse appear the better.
George Santayana – [Advertising]
All thought is naught but a footnote to Plato.
George Santayana – [Thoughts and Thinking]
Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it.
George Santayana – [Proverbs]
America is a young country with an old mentality.
George Santayana – [America]
Beauty as we feel it is something indescribable; what it is or what it means can never be said.
George Santayana – [Beauty]
Boston is a moral and intellectual nursery always busy applying first principals to trifles.
George Santayana – [Cities and City Life]
By nature's kindly disposition most questions which it is beyond a man's power to answer do not occur to him at all.
George Santayana – [Questions]
Chaos is a name for any order that produces confusion in our minds.
George Santayana – [Chaos]
Character is the basis of happiness and happiness the sanction of character.
George Santayana – [Character]
Emotion is primarily about nothing and much of it remains about nothing to the end.
George Santayana – [Emotions]
Fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim.
George Santayana – [Fanatics and Fanaticism]
Fashion is something barbarous, for it produces innovation without reason and imitation without benefit.
George Santayana – [Fashion]
Friendship is almost always the union of a part of one mind with the part of another; people are friends in spots.
George Santayana – [Friends and Friendship]
Fun is a good thing but only when it spoils nothing better.
George Santayana – [Fun]
Habit is stronger than reason.
George Santayana – [Habit]
Happiness is the only sanction of life; where happiness fails, existence remains a mad and lamentable experience.
George Santayana – [Happiness]
History is always written wrong, and so always needs to be rewritten.
George Santayana – [History and Historians]