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The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human ProgressGeorge Santayana

The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress

by OpenStories

Original author: George Santayana

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"The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress" by George Santayana is a five-volume philosophical work published between 1905 and 1906. This sweeping examination of human progress explores reason's role in common sense, society, religion, art, and science. Blending materialist philosophy with Aristotelian ethics, Santayana charts how humans naturally develop ideal ends. He advocates for natural aristocracy over democracy, champions love and family while lamenting industrialism's rise, and treats religion as "splendid error"—beautiful mythology that reveals profound truths about humanity.

The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress, by George Santayana. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #15000.

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62 Chapters

  1. 1.Introduction: The Subject of This Work, Its Method and Antecedents798 words
  2. 2.Chapter XII: Flux and Constancy in Human Nature7,732 words
  3. 3.Chapter I: The Birth of Reason2,981 words
  4. 4.Chapter II: First Steps and First Fluctuations3,645 words
  5. 5.Chapter III: The Discovery of Natural Objects4,684 words
  6. 6.Chapter IV: On Some Critics of This Discovery8,229 words
  7. 7.Chapter V: Nature Unified and Mind Discerned4,401 words
  8. 8.Chapter VI: Discovery of Fellow-Minds5,527 words
  9. 9.Chapter VII: Concretions in Discourse and in Existence5,357 words
  10. 10.Chapter VIII: On the Relative Value of Things and Ideas4,767 words
  11. 11.Chapter IX: How Thought Is Practical7,391 words
  12. 12.Chapter X: The Measure of Values in Reflection4,627 words
  13. 13.Chapter XI: Some Abstract Conditions of the Ideal2,895 words
  14. 14.Chapter XII: Flux and Constancy in Human Nature5,464 words
  15. 15.Book II: Reason in Society487 words
  16. 16.Chapter VII: Patriotism223 words
  17. 17.Chapter I: Love7,619 words
  18. 18.Chapter II: The Family5,883 words
  19. 19.Chapter III: Industry, Government, and War6,616 words
  20. 20.Chapter IV: The Aristocratic Ideal6,128 words
  21. 21.Chapter V: Democracy5,164 words
  22. 22.Chapter VI: Free Society5,348 words
  23. 23.Chapter VII: Patriotism5,634 words
  24. 24.Chapter VIII: Ideal Society6,141 words
  25. 25.Chapter I: How Religion May Be an Embodiment of Reason2,902 words
  26. 26.Chapter II: Rational Elements in Superstition3,135 words
  27. 27.Chapter III: Magic, Sacrifice, and Prayer5,225 words
  28. 28.Chapter IV: Mythology4,686 words
  29. 29.Chapter V: The Hebraic Tradition3,101 words
  30. 30.Chapter VI: The Christian Epic3,868 words
  31. 31.Chapter VII: Pagan Custom and Barbarian Genius Infused Into Christianity6,332 words
  1. 32.Chapter VIII: Conflict of Mythology with Moral Truth5,002 words
  2. 33.Chapter IX: The Christian Compromise7,245 words
  3. 34.Chapter X: Piety3,542 words
  4. 35.Chapter XI: Spirituality and Its Corruptions5,024 words
  5. 36.Chapter XII: Charity3,265 words
  6. 37.Chapter XIII: The Belief in a Future Life4,956 words
  7. 38.Chapter XIV: Ideal Immortality5,525 words
  8. 39.Conclusion: Sidenote: The failure of magic2,240 words
  9. 40.Chapter I: The Basis of Art in Instinct and Experience3,470 words
  10. 41.Chapter II: Rationality of Industrial Art3,819 words
  11. 42.Chapter III: Emergence of Fine Art2,367 words
  12. 43.Chapter IV: Music5,809 words
  13. 44.Chapter V: Speech and Signification4,425 words
  14. 45.Chapter VI: Poetry and Prose6,921 words
  15. 46.Chapter VII: Plastic Construction6,751 words
  16. 47.Chapter VIII: Plastic Representation5,412 words
  17. 48.Chapter IX: Justification of Art6,015 words
  18. 49.Chapter X: The Criterion of Taste5,948 words
  19. 50.Chapter XI: Art and Happiness3,843 words
  20. 51.Chapter V: Psychology573 words
  21. 52.Chapter I: Types and Aims of Science8,601 words
  22. 53.Chapter II: History7,119 words
  23. 54.Chapter III: Mechanism6,130 words
  24. 55.Chapter IV: Hesitations in Method7,792 words
  25. 56.Chapter V: Psychology9,864 words
  26. 57.Chapter VI: The Nature of Intent4,777 words
  27. 58.Chapter VII: Dialectic5,362 words
  28. 59.Chapter VIII: Prerational Morality5,467 words
  29. 60.Chapter IX: Rational Ethics6,724 words
  30. 61.Chapter X: Post-Rational Morality9,187 words
  31. 62.Chapter XI: The Validity of Science4,163 words