Irving Babbitt
A fierce intellectual who championed discipline and humanistic restraint against the rising tide of romantic self-expression.
1865–1933 (age 68)·American journalist·Birthday: August 2·The Gilded Age
Biography
Irving Babbitt stood as a granite pillar of dissent in early 20th-century American thought. A Harvard professor of French literature, he launched a forceful critique he called the New Humanism, directly attacking the sentimental excesses of Romanticism that he traced back to Rousseau. Babbitt argued for a return to classical moderation, ethical will, and a standard of taste rooted in tradition, positioning himself against both modernist literary trends and progressive educational theories. While his ideas were controversial and often labeled reactionary, they influenced a generation of critics and conservative thinkers, including his student T.S. Eliot. His work remains a touchstone for debates about the role of tradition, morality, and discipline in education and culture.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Irving was born in 1865, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Irving Was Born
The biggest hits of 1865
Irving's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1865Born
President: Andrew Johnson
1870Started school
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1878Became a teenager
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1881Could drive
President: Chester A. Arthur
1883Could vote
President: Chester A. Arthur
1886Turned 21
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1895Turned 30
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1905Turned 40
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Turned 50
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 60
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1933Died at 68
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
Key Achievements
- Founded the intellectual movement known as New Humanism, outlined in his book 'Rousseau and Romanticism' (1919).
- Was a long-tenured and influential professor of French literature at Harvard University.
- His critique of romanticism and modern education influenced major literary figures, including T.S. Eliot.
- Wrote 'Literature and the American College' (1908), a key text arguing for classical humanism in education.
- His debates with progressive thinker John Dewey highlighted a major philosophical divide in early 20th-century America.
Did You Know?
He was the father of the poet and translator Edward Babbitt.
Despite his profound influence, he never earned a Ph.D.
He was a staunch opponent of scholar and critic H.L. Mencken, representing opposite poles of American thought.
His work is considered a foundational influence on American literary conservatism.
“The true humanist maintains a just balance between sympathy and selection.”
