Out of Print--Limited Availability.
Select delivery location
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

George Santayana
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Three Philosophical Poets: Lucretius, Dante, and Goethe Paperback – February 4, 2010

by George Santayana (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 18 ratings
See all formats and editions
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    226 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Nabu Press
  4. Publication date
    February 4, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    7.44 x 0.48 x 9.69 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1143817567
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1143817564
  8. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Nabu Press (February 4, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 226 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1143817567
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1143817564
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.44 x 0.48 x 9.69 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
George Santayana

George Santayana

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
18 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A neglected classic
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2010
Verified Purchase
Whenever asked which have been my favorite books I always include Santayana's "Three Philosophical Poets. I have read it many times and am always rewarded with a deeper appreciation of great poetry in the service of thought. Unfortunately this title is rocketing into oblivion, being more out of print every year. This particular edition is an OCR capture of a Cornell Library volume and is not without some scrambled word reading mistakes, but, ne'ertheless, a literary delight.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Marcin Krol
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Santayana
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
It is one of the treasures of our culture. For unknown reasons Sanatayana is not as popular as some decades ago. It's shame.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Vincent Chen
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2019
Well researched, great thesis, linking the three monumental poets together.
Helpful
 Report
Phillip Barron
1.0 out of 5 stars No page numbers
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
Crappy reproduction of an essay. No pages numbers. No bibliographic information.
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good analysis from a perceptive writer
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2012
Verified Purchase
Lucretius is unique and Santayana shows why. I recommend switching back and forth between Lucretius and Santayana for the full experience
Helpful
 Report
Greg Nyquist
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant introduction to major philosophical traditions
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2001
This remarkable book is composed of six lectures which Santayana read at Columbia University in 1910--lectures based on a regular course he taught at Harvard College. It is extraordinary that there should ever have been university lectures of such outstanding quality. It is doubtful that we have anything to approach it today. As merely a book, "Three Philosophical Poets" is a masterpiece of style and interpretation. The three philosophical poets of the title are Lucretius, Dante, and Goethe, each of whom represents the three main sources of the major speculative systems of Western philosophy. Lucretius, the materialist, is the poet of naturalism; Dante, the Christian and Platonist, is the poet of supernaturalism; and Goethe, the romanticist, is the poet of experience and idealism.
What gives this book its special excellence is Santayana's ability to describe each of the traditions with sympathetic understanding. Although a materialist himself, Santayana does not use the book do advance any specific philosophical agenda. He does not try to score points against the speculative traditions he dislikes (e.g. romanticism, idealism), nor does he make any effort to trump the materialism that he favored or the Catholicism he admired. Instead, he seeks to uncover the special motivations and passions that lead to each tradition, showing how even the most dubious philosophical ideas have a sort of plausibility when one understands how intensely human they are. For example, the supernaturalism of Dante is ultimately an expression of the idea that things are to be understood by their uses or purposes. This, in the final analysis, is what unites Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle with the Christian tradition. The Greek naturalists, on the other hand, had a totally different view. "Nothing arises in the body in order that we may use it," insisted Lucretius, "but what arises brings forth its use." Here we have a discarding of final causes typical not merely of naturalism, but of modern science as well.
There is no better introduction to materialism-naturalism, platonism-Christianity, and romanticism-idealism. Santayana clears up scores of misconceptions which have developed regarding these traditions and shows that no philosophical vision can be entirely just to the totality of human life if it does not take into consideration at least some of the insights peculiar to each of these traditions. It does not speak well for our culture that this beautifully written work should have been allowed to fall out of print.
36 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Golgo
1.0 out of 5 stars as it is an exceedingly poor facsimile edition
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is a 'public domain' book, meaning that there are now lots of different versions floating around. I would advise not to purchase this particular edition of the book, however, as it is an exceedingly poor facsimile edition. There is a warning that it may be imperfect in the item description, but frankly I did not expect the first four pages of the Lucretius section to be missing entirely. Shop around - there are cheaper and complete editions available - and it is no doubt also available legally as a free PDF online.
4 people found this helpful
 Report