Santayana’s Ghost


George Santayana

George Santayana

George Santayana was a Spanish-born (Madrid, December 16, 1863), American-educated philosopher who practiced education at Harvard University (died September 26, 1952, in Rome).  In an almost-off-hand comment in a book, he wrote the statement which is this blog’s unofficial motto:

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

(The Life of Reason, vol. 1: Reason in Common Sense)

Who or what is Santayana’s Ghost?  It’s the shade of Santayana, watching us, watching those condemned to repeat history as they repeat the bad parts over and over.  The shade smiles when a student learns a valuable lesson from history, and laughs with delight when those lessons find application to prevent further tragedies that could so easily be prevented, if policy makers only made the effort to avoid the errors of the past.

Why does the ghost haunt us?  Because he knows, as Santayana also wrote, “only the dead have seen the end of war.” (Soliloquies in England and Later Soliloquies, number 25 (1922))

This entry was posted on Friday, January 28th, 2011 at 3:30 am and is filed under History, Philosophy, Santayana's ghost. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

22 Responses to Santayana’s Ghost

  1. September 29, 1936: FDR warned Republicans would try to take away Social Security | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    May 21, 2018 at 1:30 pm

    […] that help people and make America great. It’s as if we have a haunting by Santayana‘s Ghost, on Social Security, unemployment insurance, job training, job creation and budget […]

    Like

  2. “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” Who said that? | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    February 20, 2017 at 10:55 pm

    […] I wrote about George Santayana’s observation that, “Only the dead have seen the end of war,” I didn’t realize it was a quote with controversy over the […]

    Like

  3. AdrianOrtizMD says:
    December 7, 2015 at 9:21 am

    Reblogged this on adrianortizmdblog.

    Like

  4. August 24, 79 C.E.: Vesuvius had something to say | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    August 24, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    […] Santayana’s Ghost wonders if we ever learn from history. […]

    Like

  5. Unintentional bogus history: Archduke Ferdinand assassinated! British lead assault on Damascus! | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    June 30, 2014 at 9:20 am

    […] Santayana said it:  Those who don’t remember history, yada, yada, yada. […]

    Like

  6. May 6, 1882: Race and immigration policy collide | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    May 6, 2014 at 4:12 am

    […] Can we learn from this history, for immigration reform now? Santayana’s Ghost wonders. […]

    Like

  7. Still, it’s what we know — that ain’t so — that gets us into trouble | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    September 10, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    […] Santayana’s Ghost dines with von Hayek’s Ghost tonight, and they both smile pityingly at those who ignore Krugman and claim to ridicule him while failing to even check out the accuracy of what they thought Krugman said. […]

    Like

  8. Quiz answer: Who ratted out the Republicans like this, and when? | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    September 3, 2013 at 3:00 pm

    […] history repeat itself?  George Santayana said history repeats for those who forget what happened […]

    Like

  9. Who ratted out the Republicans like this, and when? | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    September 2, 2013 at 11:12 am

    […] history repeat itself?  George Santayana said history repeats for those who forget what happened […]

    Like

  10. Taxes are “stolen?” Those who don’t know history, shouldn’t pretend to complain about taxes | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    August 24, 2013 at 1:17 am

    […] don’t much like crude political dysfunction and disinformation from people who don’t know U.S. history, and won’t defend American principles.  Am I being […]

    Like

  11. “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” Who said that? | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    April 26, 2013 at 3:05 am

    […] I wrote about George Santayana’s observation that, “Only the dead have seen the end of war,” I didn’t realize it was a quote with controversy over the […]

    Like

  12. Vivid imagination at the Anti-Defamation League | Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    March 21, 2013 at 3:15 pm

    […] Santayana’s Ghost looks on, hoping we’ll get the message, remember history, and act accordingly. […]

    Like

  13. Encore haunting by Santayana’s Ghost: FDR warns about Republican hypocrisy and sarcasm, from 1936 « Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    September 10, 2012 at 6:36 pm

    […] FDR warns about Republican hypocrisy and sarcasm, from 1936 A haunting by Santayana‘s Ghost, on Social Security, unemployment insurance, job training, job creation and budget […]

    Like

  14. Rep. Allen West: Santayana’s Ghost claims another victim « Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    April 16, 2012 at 4:41 am

    […] Santayana’s Ghost wonders whether you and I remember history correctly. […]

    Like

  15. Look back, but carefully « Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    April 1, 2012 at 5:25 pm

    […] And from our old friend, George Santayana: […]

    Like

  16. Campaign 2012: Texas State Board of Education, those who do not know history . . . « Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    March 15, 2012 at 1:57 pm

    […] sometimes if the state board races aren’t even more important than your local school board.  Santayana’s Ghost agrees with the sentiments on the TFN logo […]

    Like

  17. Promise keepers « Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    January 3, 2012 at 8:56 pm

    […] Santayana’s Ghost weeps a bit with joy, with those who know history. Share […]

    Like

  18. Can’t fire the bums to make a quality school: Principals division « Millard Fillmore's Bathtub says:
    February 8, 2011 at 5:20 am

    […] Santayana’s Ghost just dropped by to remind us, suitably the day after Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday anniversary, of the Report of the Commission on Excellence in Education, the report that saved Reagan’s presidency and got him a second term: Our nation is at risk. The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity. If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. We have, in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament. History is not kind to idlers. […]

    Like

  19. Girly says:
    January 29, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    Oh wow, that’s a beautiful quote – “only the dead have seen the end of war”. I’ll think about that all day.

    Like

  20. Watched Sarah Palin. Ouch brain. UPDATE « Decrepit Old Fool says:
    January 29, 2011 at 10:18 am

    […] …followed immediately by reflection on Santayana’s Ghost […]

    Like

  21. Tweets that mention Santayana’s Ghost « Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub -- Topsy.com says:
    January 28, 2011 at 4:46 am

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Alltop Education, Mr. Darrell. Mr. Darrell said: Who was George Santayana, and why should any history student care? Santayana's Ghost: http://t.co/JGyHU3D […]

    Like

  22. “WTF?” Palin completely misunderstands what “Sputnik Moment” means « Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub says:
    January 28, 2011 at 3:49 am

    […] Santayana’s Ghost is shaking his head in sad disbelief. […]

    Like

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