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September 26, 1952

 

George Santayana died on September 26, 1952. This European philosopher taught at Harvard and is noted for his views of America. The following is an excerpt from a letter he did not expect to be published and is addressed to a "Mr. Brooks," who had written a volume titled "Emerson and Others."

The letter defends Emerson from the charges of pedantry in this manner:

Have you maliciously put things together so as to let the cat out of the bag? Sham sympathy, sham classicism, sham universality, all got from books and pictures [lie behind your portrayal of Emerson].

Santayana goes on to defend an American spirit which does not depend on European aestheticism. He says of America: "The good things are football, kindness, jazz bands." His comments were written on May 22, 1927.

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