The Ethics of Detachment in Santayana's Philosophy (repost)
Michael Brodrick, "The Ethics of Detachment in Santayana's Philosophy"
English | 2015 | ISBN-10: 1137472472 | 184 pages | PDF | 2 MB
English | 2015 | ISBN-10: 1137472472 | 184 pages | PDF | 2 MB
German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer wrote in 1818 that true happiness is impossible without inner peace. Around a hundred years later, after studying Schopenhauer, American philosopher George Santayana explained in detail how we can achieve inner peace through a special activity he called 'spirituality'. While Santayana's theory of spirituality is not well known today, it holds great promise for improving our lives. A form of momentary detachment from ideals and values, spirituality frees us to enjoy what there is, without judging it. Brodrick clarifies and completes Santayana's account of spirituality, while suggesting how spirituality can relieve human suffering, enrich our daily lives, and even make us better human beings. The finitude of the world and our own finitude mean that nothing in this life will ever be perfect, but spirituality reveals that, in a sense, everything is good enough as it is.