Scepticism and Animal Faith

'Scepticism and Animal Faith: Introduction to a System of Philosophy' serves as the foundational text for George Santayana’s comprehensive philosophical worldview. In this seminal work, Santayana employs a method of radical skepticism-comparable to that of Descartes-to strip away unfounded assumptions about the nature of reality and knowledge. However, unlike his predecessors, Santayana concludes that while absolute certainty is unattainable through pure reason, human life is governed by 'animal faith'-an inherent, biological necessity to believe in the existence of an external, material world.The book functions as a critical bridge between classic epistemology and Santayana’s later ontological investigations. It explores the relationship between essences-the immediate objects of thought-and the existences of the physical realm. By distinguishing between what can be known with certainty and what must be accepted for the sake of action and survival, Santayana offers a unique blend of critical realism and poetic naturalism. This work remains a vital contribution to early 20th-century thought, providing a rigorous yet accessible entry point into the complexities of metaphysical and epistemological inquiry.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.