It takes a wonderful brain and exquisite senses to produce a few stupid ideas.
George SantayanaRead
It is a great advantage for a system of philosophy to be substantially true.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A philosophy is valuable when it aligns closely with reality and truth.
George Santayana emphasizes the importance of a philosophy being fundamentally true. A philosophy that accurately reflects the nature of reality not only provides a strong foundation for understanding the world but also serves as a guiding principle for life, offering clarity and insight into human existence.
Themes
PhilosophyTruthRealityUnderstandingAdvantage
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about ethical theories, this quote can illustrate the importance of grounding philosophy in truth.
More from George Santayana
All quotes βThe working of great institutions is mainly the result of a vast mass of routine, petty malice, self interest, carelessness and sheer mistake. Only a residual fraction is thought.
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There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval. The dark background which death supplies brings out the tender colours of life in all their purity.
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Not to believe in love is a great sign of dullness. There are some people so indirect and lumbering that they think all real affection rests on circumstantial evidence.
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To feel beauty is a better thing than to understand how we come to feel it. To have imagination and taste, to love the best, to be carried by the contemplation of nature to a vivid faith in the ideal, all this is more, a great deal more, than any science can hope to be.
George SantayanaRead
The vital straining towards an ideal, definite but latent, when it dominates a whole life, may express that ideal more fully than could the best chosen words.
George SantayanaRead
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