he scene. What mysticism destroys is, in a
sense, its only legitimate expression. The Life of Reason, in so far as
it is life, contains the mystic's primordial assurances, and his
rudimentary joys; but in so far as it is rational it has discovered what
those assurances rest on, in what direction they may be trusted to
support action and thought; and it has given those joys distinction and
connexion, turning a dumb momentary ecstasy into a many-coloured and
natural happiness.

*** End of Volume Three ***

REASON IN ART

Volume Four of "The Life of Reason"

GEORGE SANTAYANA

he gar noy enhergeia zohe

This Dover edition, first published in 1982, is an unabridged
republication of volume four of _The Life of Reason; or The Phases of
Human Progress_, originally published by Charles Scribner's Sons, N.Y.,
in 1905.

CONTENTS

REASON IN ART

CHAPTER I

THE BASIS OF ART IN INSTINCT AND EXPERIENCE

Man affects his environment, sometimes to good purpose.--Art is plastic
instinct conscious of its aims.--It is automatic.--So are the ideas it
expresses.--We are said to control whatever obeys us.--Utility is a
result.--The useful naturally stable.--Intelligence is docility.--Art is
reason propagating itself.--Beauty an incident in rational art,
inseparable from the others. Pages 3-17

CHAPTER II

RATIONALITY OF INDUSTRIAL ART

Utility is ultimately ideal.--Work wasted and chances missed.--Ideals
must be interpreted, not prescribed.--The aim of industry is to live
well.--Some arts, but no men, are slaves by nature.--Servile arts may
grow spontaneous or their products may be renounced.--Art starts from
two potentialities: its material and its problem.--Each must be definite
and congruous with the other.--A sophism exposed.--Industry prepares
matter for the liberal arts.--Each partakes of the other. Pages 18-33

CHAPTER III

EMERGENCE OF FINE ART

Art is spontaneous action made stable by success.--It combines utility
and automatism.--Automatism fundamental and irresponsible.--It is tamed
by contact with the world.--The dance.--Functions of gesture.--Automatic
music. Pages 34-43

CHAPTER IV

MUSIC

Music is a world apart.--It justifies itself.--It is vital and
transient.--Its physical affinities.--Physiology of music.--Limits of
musical sensibility.--The value of music is relative to them.--Wonders
of musical structure.--Its inherent emotions.--In growing specific they
remain un