George Santayana

Oaths are the fossils of piety. ↗

— George Santayana

#oaths #piety

Oxford, the paradise of dead philosophies. ↗

— George Santayana

#oxford #paradise #philosophies

Parents lend children their experience and a vicarious memory; children endow their parents with a vicarious immortality. ↗

— George Santayana

#endow #experience #immortality #lend #memory

Philosophers are very severe towards other philosophers because they expect too much. ↗

— George Santayana

#expect #much #other #philosophers #severe

Prayer, among sane people, has never superseded practical efforts to secure the desired end. ↗

— George Santayana

#desired #efforts #end #never #people

Religion in its humility restores man to his only dignity, the courage to live by grace. ↗

— George Santayana

#dignity #grace #his #humility #live

That fear first created the gods is perhaps as true as anything so brief could be on so great a subject. ↗

— George Santayana

#brief #could #created #fear #first

The body is an instrument, the mind its function, the witness and reward of its operation. ↗

— George Santayana

#function #instrument #mind #operation #reward

The degree in which a poet's imagination dominates reality is, in the end, the exact measure of his importance and dignity. ↗

— George Santayana

#dignity #dominates #end #exact #exact measure

The existence of any evil anywhere at any time absolutely ruins a total optimism. ↗

— George Santayana

#any #anywhere #evil #existence #optimism