Ideas abound around us every day. They go through our heads and sometimes change our thoughts, beliefs and perception. The question is what ideas, events, or words affect us so that we do what we do and say what we say. While we understand the causes and know the effects, we have not yet fully understood the “chain.” Essentially, the real question is not “what” ideas, events, or words affected the person, but rather “why” it affected them. To understand the why, we must first understand the initial cause and effect. George Santayana's philosophies found in his essays "Intellectual Ambition" and "Intuitive Morality" were extolled by the rise of education and the evolution of literature during this era. The cause and effect may be as simple as the rise of education and other elements that led Santayana to write these essays; however, with the lack of detail, lack of evidence, and lack of answer as to why these things affected his writing, it is impossible to complete the chain of cause and effect. Basically, the causes, effects, details and evidence must first be analyzed and then organized in order to understand the question of why. In the late 1880s and early 1890s, educational reforms allowed for a more open view of education and the world, sparking creativity. and independence in schools. (America Past and Present, paraphrased) The world, especially the United States, was beginning to understand that through creativity and education beyond the core subjects, the spectrum of known knowledge would expand to the beyond imaginable regions. Curiosity spread across the United States and ultimately influenced many great people, including George Santayana. In his essay "Intellectual Ambition", Santayana means the strength of creativity and...... middle of paper ......Works CitedSantayana, George. “Intellectual ambition”. The Oxford Book of Essays. Oxford University Press. ED. John Gross. 1991. 341-342 Santayana, George. “Intuitive morality”. The Oxford Book of Essays. Oxford University Press. ED. John Gross. 1991. 342-345 Saatkamp, ​​Herman, “George Santayana.” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2010 edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). “Chapter 19: Towards an urban society, 1877-1900. » America: past and present. Ed. Michel Boezi. 8th edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 538-570 “Chapter 20: Political Realignment in the 1890s.” America: Past and Present. Ed. Michel Boezi. 8th edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 572-598 “George Santayana.” Britannica. 2005. January 17. 2006 .