Bulletin of the Santayana Society, No. 10 Fall 1992

              Realms and Hierarchies
Santayana's ontological system, with its four realms of being, can readily suggest
a comprehensive hierarchical metaphysics. The very term "realm" is redolent of
metaphysical system and hierarchical structure. However, Santayana is careful
to scotch any such ideas, or at least tries to do so. A survey df the realms taken
separately, and taken as a collectivity, will show that hierarchy is never the main
consideration.
Santayana acknowledges that his doctrine of essences leads to an account of
knowledge which is Platonic in a partial sense. The essences are stable intermediaries
between the observer and the restless things under observation. Crucial to a good
understanding of his epistemology, however, is an awareness of a sharp divergence
from Platonism as well, in his insistence that essences are in no way substantial. It is
not the essences which are known; they are only intuited. Whether or not certain
essences are realized in the world is a contingent matter, and leaves their status within
their proper realm entirely unchanged. No distinctions among essences, based upon
intrinsic value or importance or anything else, have any reality within the realm of
essence; it is not a hierarchy, therefore, but rather a "democracy." Even the notion of
a semi-ordering based on logical inclusion gives difficulties to Santayana.
In his accounts of truth, Santayana uses language in which some have seen a
certain idealist leaning. He begins with the truth, and sometimes seems to prefer a
holistic language in dealing with that realm. Some commentators have found that this
global approach dominates his thought about truth.1 On the other hand, he also speaks
of simple truths, which arise whenever some existence exhibits a certain essence. While
this question may be open to dispute, however, it is clear that the realm of truth is not
arranged in a hierarchy. We do not have the most general scientific laws or religious
truths at the apex4of an ordering of all truths, as might have been projected. Rather it
is just a boundless collection — an ideal one — recording plain everyday facts and
occurrences. Scientists may discern that certain regularities and laws obtain here, and
they may be correct. But it is also possible that the discerned laws are only partial and
temporary, and will eventually cease to apply as matter continues to shift. The laws
might not belong to a realm of truth at all; if all is truly contingent, there may indeed
be no such universal truths. The focus of the realm of truth is on plain facts, not on
vast generalisations or divine commandments. This seems independent of whether truth
is best conceived as a single essence, or as a collection of essences. Again, no
hierarchy.
I think that something similar holds in the realm of spirit. It is true that certain
souls are inclined to spirituality, and that their lives will constitute some sort of
spiritual journey with various stages of success. Many other souls are not so inclined.
Moreover, the spiritual pilgrims will travel very different journeys over different terrain.
If there is a ladder to be climbed, each climber must start afresh on some bottom rung.
While one may reasonably speak of an ascent of spirit here, I do not find any
associated hierarchy. It is certainly true that Santayana classifies a few people as
1 In particular, Timothy Sprigge has taken this position, most recently with "How Many
Members Has the Realm of Truth?" This was read in My of 1992 to the International George
Santayana Conference at Avila in May, 1992.