Irving Babbitt, an influential American critic and scholar, explored the intersections of literature, philosophy, and culture with depth and insight. His seminal works on humanism and the moral imagination challenged prevailing intellectual trends, shaping the course of literary criticism in the early 20th century.
"If we are to have such a discipline we must have standards, and to get our standards under existing conditions we must have criticism."
"A remarkable feature of the humanitarian movement, on both its sentimental and utilitarian sides, has been its preoccupation with the lot of the masses."
"The democratic idealist is prone to make light of the whole question of standards and leadership because of his unbounded faith in the plain people."
"Inasmuch as society cannot go on without discipline of some kind, men were constrained, in the absence of any other form of discipline, to turn to discipline of the military type."
"If quantitatively the American achievement is impressive, qualitatively it is somewhat less satisfying."
"Perhaps as good a classification as any of the main types is that of the three lusts distinguished by traditional Christianity - the lust of knowledge, the lust of sensation, and the lust of power."
"The papacy again, representing the traditional unity of European civilization, has also shown itself unable to limit effectively the push of nationalism."
"For behind all imperialism is ultimately the imperialistic individual, just as behind all peace is ultimately the peaceful individual."
"The industrial revolution has tended to produce everywhere great urban masses that seem to be increasingly careless of ethical standards."
"We must not, however, be like the leaders of the great romantic revolt who, in their eagerness to get rid of the husk of convention, disregarded also the humane aspiration."
"Robespierre, however, was not the type of leader finally destined to emerge from the Revolution."
"Yet Aristotle's excellence of substance, so far from being associated with the grand style, is associated with something that at times comes perilously near jargon."