Irving Babbitt quotes

The humanities need to be defended today against the encroachments of physical science, as they once needed to be against the encroachment of theology.

For behind all imperialism is ultimately the imperialistic individual, just as behind all peace is ultimately the peaceful individual.

A person who has sympathy for mankind in the lump, faith in its future progress, and desire to serve the great cause of this progress, should be called not a humanist, but a humanitarian, and his creed may be designated as humanitarianism.

To harmonize the One with the Many, this is indeed a difficult adjustment, perhaps the most difficult of all, and so important, withal, that nations have perished from their failure to achieve it.

Act strenuously, would appear to be our faith, and right thinking will take care of itself.

The humanitarian lays stress almost solely upon breadth of knowledge and sympathy.

The industrial revolution has tended to produce everywhere great urban masses that seem to be increasingly careless of ethical standards.

The true humanist maintains a just balance between sympathy and selection.

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.

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.