Katarzyna Kremplewska’s new book Life as Insinuation: George Santayana’s Hermeneutics of Finite Life and Human Self (SUNY Press, 2019) presents Santayana’s understanding of the self in the context of a philosophy of life. The work examines the tension between the possibility of self-integrity and the tragic character of human life. Kremplewska demonstrates a keen knowledge of Santayana’s written works that is impressive in its depth and breadth, and she is extremely conversant with the secondary literature. She places Santayana in a European context by considering his work in relation to that of Nietzsche, Bergson, and Heidegger. The book is a major contribution to Santayana scholarship.
