{"product_id":"the-life-of-reason-9781573922104","title":"The Life of Reason","description":"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGEORGE SANTAYANA\u003c\/b\u003e was born in Madrid, Spain, on December 16, 1863. When his parents were separated nine years later, in 1872, his mother took him to Boston, Massachusetts, where he attended the prestigious Boston Latin School and Harvard Col-lege. Upon graduation from Harvard in 1886, Santayana spent two years studying in Berlin, but he returned to the United States to pursue a doctorate in philosophy at Harvard, where he studied under William James. After earning his degree, Santayana joined the university faculty. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In 1912, however, the philosopher received a legacy from his mother's estate which allowed him to retire from teaching. He traveled to Europe, spending time first in England and Paris and later settling in Rome. He remained there until his death on September 26, 1952. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A poet and literary critic as well as a philosopher, Santayana made significant contributions to aesthetics, primarily through the publication of his earliest major work in this area, \u003ci\u003eThe Sense \u003c\/i\u003eof Beauty (1896), which focuses on the imaginative life of humanity rather than on the underlying structures of reality or on humankind's methods of grasping reality. This theme is continued and expanded upon in Santayana's most famous work, \u003ci\u003eThe Life of Reason \u003c\/i\u003e(5 vols., 1905-1906). Santayana retained a naturalistic approach in. all his writing, hold-ing that everything ideal has a natural basis and that everything natural has an ideal development. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Santayana's other works include Skepticism \u003ci\u003eand Animal Faith \u003c\/i\u003e(1923) and the \u003ci\u003eRealms of Being \u003c\/i\u003e(4 vols., 1927-1940), as well as his critically acclaimed novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Last Puritan \u003c\/i\u003e(1935), and his autobiography, \u003ci\u003ePersons and Places \u003c\/i\u003e(3 vols., 1944-1953).\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Prometheus Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50515818348818,"sku":"9781573922104","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e8cd3e46-b3dd-4a03-a71d-333e0018d458.jpg?v=1731012768","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-life-of-reason-9781573922104","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}