Top 34 Quotes by Irving Babbitt

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

Since every man desires happiness, it is evidently no small matter whether he conceives of happiness in terms of work or of enjoyment.

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.

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.

Furthermore, America suffers not only from a lack of standards, but also not infrequently from a confusion or an inversion of standards.

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

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

Tell him, on the contrary, that he needs, in the interest of his own happiness, to walk in the path of humility and self-control, and he will be indifferent, or even actively resentful.

Robespierre, however, was not the type of leader finally destined to emerge from the Revolution.