Interpretations of poetry and religion

George Santayana

Sujets

• Poetry
• Religión
• Aesthetics

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 12
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

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By SantayanaGeorge
THE REALM OF ESSENCE
THE OF MATTER
PLATONISM AND THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
DIALOGUES IN LIMBO
POEMS
SCEPTICISM AND ANIMAL FAITH
IN ENGLAND AND LATERSOLILOQUIES
CHARACTER AND OPINION IN THE
UNITED STATES
THE SENSE OF BEAUTY
REINTERPRETATIONS OF POETRY AND
LIGION
THE HERMIT OF CARMEL AND OTHER
POEMS
WINDS OF DOCTRINE
THE LIFE OF REASON : OR THE PHASES OF
HUMAN PROGRESS
I. Introduction and Reason in
Common Sense
II. Reason in
Society
III. Reason in
Religion
IV. in Art
V. inReason Science
Little Drawn from the WorksEssays
of LOGANGeorge Santayana. By
PEARSALL with the collaboraSMITH,
tion the Author.of
Charles Scribners SonsINTERPRETATIONS
RELIGIONNDPOETRY
BY
SANTAYANAGEORGE
YORKNEW
SOK88SCRIBNERCHAKLESCOPYRIGHT, BY1900,
CHARLES SCRIBNER S SONS
COPYRIGHT, BY1927,
GEORGE SANTAYANA
Printed in the United States of America
All reserved. No this boobrights part of
be in withoutmay reproduced any form
the Charles Scribner s Sonspermission ofPREFACE
THE volume is of afollowing numbercomposed
of written at various times andpapers already par
are now revised andtially printed j they gathered
in the that lead thetogether hope they may reader,
from somewhat different of to apoints approach,
idea. ideaThis is that andsingle religion poetry
are identical in and differ in theessence, merely
in which are attached to affairs.way they practical
is called when it intervenes inPoetry religion life,
and when itreligion, merely supervenes upon life,
is seen to be butnothing poetry.
It would follow from thisnaturally conception
that doctrines would do well to withdrawreligious
their to be with of fact.mattersdealingpretension
That is not the source of the con only
flicts of with science and of the vain andreligion
ofbitter controversies of sects it is also the cause
;
the of in theand incoherence religionimpurity
ofwhen it seeks its sanctions in thesoul, sphere
concern is toand that itsreality, forgets proper
of likethe ideal. For the dignity religion,express
that of and of moral liesevery ideal, prepoetry
fit ofin its ideal in its renderingcisely adequacy,Tl PREFACE
inthe and values of itslife, anticipationmeanings
of so that the excellence of is
; religionperfection
due to an idealization of whileexperience which,
makesnoble if treated asmaking religion poetry,
Its funcit false if treated as science.necessarily
tion is rather to draw from materials for anreality
of that ideal to which to conimage reality ought
inand to make usform, citizens, by anticipation,
the world we crave.
It also follows from our thatgeneral conception
has a universal and a moral function. Its
poetry
of andin therudimentary essays region fancy
idealization ofas well as its epipleasant sound,
in human are exercisessodes existence, only partial
in an art that has all time and all forexperience
its natural and all thesubject-matter possibilities
isof for its ultimate theme. As religionbeing
when it is confused withdeflected from its course
record facts or of natural so isa of laws, poetry
arrested in its if it remains an undevelopment
of without relevance to themeaning play fancy
of life. In that liesideals and purposes
As itsits elementary pleasantnesshighest power.
comes from its to the demands of theresponse ear,
so its comes from its todeepest beauty response
of the soul.the ultimate demands
This can for much commenhopetheory hardly
dation either from the of orapologists theology
is dividedfrom its critics. The mass of mankindPREFACE VU
two theiinto Sancho Panzas whoclasses, have a
sense for but no/ and the Donreality, ideals, Quix
otes with a sense for but mad. Theideals, expe
dient of facts as facts andrecognizing accepting
ideals as and this is all weideals, propose,
seems to eludealthough apparently simple enough,
the normal human of discrimination.power If,
the of shouldtherefore, champion any orthodoxy
be offended at our which would reduceconception,
his artful cosmos to an all that could beallegory,
said to his would be that ourmitigate displeasure
view is even less favourable to his thanopponents
to himself.
The liberal school that to reattempts fortify
its both theoreticligion by minimizing expression,
and seems from this of viewdevotional, point
to be andmerely impoverishing religious symbols
aims it subtracts from faithvulgarizing religious ;
that inwhich faith becomes animagination by
and idealization of human andterpretation life,
retains a stark and ofonly superfluous principle
beFor and abstract assuperstition. meagre may
it contains all thethe content of such a religion,
venom of absolute it is no less cursed
;pretensions
a controthan the more withdeveloped systems
undertone ofversial unrest and with a consequent
withIt tortures itselfandcpnstraint suspicion.
ambitionthe same circular in its mistakenproofs
and itsto enter the of escapeplane vulgar realityviii PREFACE
native element of ideas. It casts a greater blight
than would a civilized onorthodoxy any joyous
of For the exactedfreedom thought. respect by
an establishment is limited and and notexternal,
than its traditional formsgreater probably deserve,
as normal of human andfeelingexpressions apt
of moral truth. A reasonable deferencesymbols
once shown to the mind underauthority, remains,
such an and freeestablishment, inwardly happily ;
the conscience is not theintimidated, imagination
is not tied But the of a hunpreoccupationsup.
and abstract fanaticism the nomipoison libertygry
bias all and turnnally allowed, vision, philosophy
which should be the of anddelightsitself, purest
into an obsession and a burden to theconsolations,
soul. In such a form illusionspectral religious
does not cease to be illusion. cannotMythology
inbecome science reduced but itbeing bulk,by
as a to be worthcease, having.may mythology,
On the other the school ofhand, positivistio
criticism would if our is toseem, theory right,
inhave overlooked its the highestprogramme
functions of human nature. The worldenvironing
can itself to the mind the free lifejustify only by
itwhich fosters there. All observation is observa
tion of brute all is merefact, discipline repression,
until these facts and this emdigested discipline
inbodied humane become theimpulses starting-
for a creative movement of thepoint imagination,PBBFACE il
the firm basis for ideal inconstructions society,
and art. as conditions ofreligion, theseOnly
human activities can the facts of nature and his
become or imtory morally intelligible practically
In themselves are trivialportant. they incidents,
of the of their inexhaustFates, cacklingsgossip
ible To the function of man asgarrulity. regard
when these chance haveaccomplished happenings
him orbeen recorded contributed to hisby by
is to his hisaction, ignore reason,impulsive privi
shared for the rest with crealege, every living
of Nature as food and substance forture, using
his own life. This human life is not merely
animal and The best and keenestpassionate.
of it consists in that of creation andpart very gift
with all the transcengovernment which, together
dental functions of his own man hasmind, signifi
attributed to God as to his ideal.highestcantly
Not to see in this rational the andactivity purpose
standard of all life is to have left human nature
to of cerhalf unread. It is to look the removal
tain incidental obstacles in the work of reason as
to the solution of its tasks. Inpositive comparison
all the errors andwith such naturalism,apathetic
follies of are ofreligion worthy indulgent sympathy,
since an howeverthey represent effort, misguided,
the materials ofto and to use experienceinterpret
for and to measure the value ofmoral realityends,
relation to the ideal.itsbyX PREFACE
of the and theThe moral function imagination
of the theme ofnature religion form, then,poetic
amiss tothe It not befollowing pages. may
miscellaneous subannounce it as the ratherhere,
at first obscureof these might sightjects essays
of them all.the common import