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Katarzyna Kremplewska’s George Santayana’s Political Hermeneutics (Brill, 2022) is a comprehensive study of Santayana’s political philosophy as found in Dominations and Powers (1951) and dispersed throughout his other works. Managing necessity and harmonizing diversity, negative anthropology, an Apollonian individualism and naturalistic humanism, are only a few of the interpretative categories used to elucidate the dense, ambiguous and ironic ruminations of Santayana and reveal their timeliness. Discussion of other thinkers—from Plato to Ricoeur—brings to light the essentially dialogical character of his work.

Daniel Pinkas, Daniel Moreno, and José Beltrán have published Recently Discovered Letters of George Santayana/Cartas recién descubiertas de George Santayana, which includes letters to Charles A. Loeser and to Albert von Westenholz. This edition gives both the original English language letters and Moreno’s Spanish translations. The letters, spanning fifty years in two centuries, document two important friendships in Santayana’s life beginning in his student days and continuing until his retirement in Europe. The letters offer details about Santayana’s travels, insightful comments about events of the day, and philosophical reflections; and they are a delight to read.

RECENTLY DISCOVERED LETTERS OF GEORGE SANTAYANA/CARTAS RECIÉN DESCUBIERTAS DE GEORGE SANTAYANA
DANIEL PINKAS, ED.; Traducción y notas de Daniel Moreno / Translated by Daniel Moreno; Presentación de José Beltrán / Prologue by José Beltrán: Introducción a cargo de Daniel Pinkas / And with an Introduction by Daniel Pinkas
(Biblioteca Javier Coy D’Éstudis Nord-Americans, 180, Universitat de València, 2021, 378 pp.)
ISBN: 978-84-9134-905-1

Ruth Derham’s Bertrand’s Brother: The Marriages, Morals and Misdemeanours of Frank, 2nd Earl Russell (Amberley Publishing, 2021) recounts the life of the close friend of Santayana’s youth Frank Russell. Santayana’s autobiography, Persons and Places (1944, 1945, and 1953) PDF EPUB, was an important source for understanding the life of Frank; and Derham’s engaging book, in turn, provides enlightening personal and cultural context for understanding Santayana’s life and his friendships with both Frank and his brother.

Herman J. Saatkamp’s A Life of Scholarship with Santayana: Essays and Reflections (Brill, 2021) collects nearly fifty years of research by the eminent Santayana scholar and founder of the Santayana Edition. Saatkamp’s work contributes to an understanding of Santayana and applies the sensibilities gained from that scholarship to a broader range of significant topics. The essays cover Santayana’s philosophy, scholarly editing, genetics, and the future of philosophy. The book champions an important American philosopher and exemplifies Saatkamp’s life of scholarship and reflection.

Read the searchable PDF of George Santayana’s Three Philosophical Poets: Lucretius, Dante, Goethe (1910).