Henry Levinson speaks about the Spanish-born American philosopher of religion George Santayana (1863-1952), who said, “Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness.” Those that cannot remember the past are condemned to fulfill it. How best should we interpret Santayana’s admonition about progress and history? What is the contemporary cultural importance of Santayana’s religious thinking?
At the time of this interview, Levinson, a Fellow at the National Humanities Center, was professor of religion at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
