Very few of the early Italian humanists were really humane. Irving Babbitt More Quotes by Irving Babbitt More Quotes From Irving Babbitt If a man went simply by what he saw, he might be tempted to affirm that the essence of democracy is melodrama. Irving Babbitt democracy essence men The true humanist maintains a just balance between sympathy and selection. Irving Babbitt balance humanist sympathy If quantitatively the American achievement is impressive, qualitatively it is somewhat less satisfying. Irving Babbitt satisfying impressive achievement If we are to have such a discipline we must have standards, and to get our standards under existing conditions we must have criticism. Irving Babbitt standards discipline criticism Democracy is now going forth on a crusade against imperialism. Irving Babbitt imperialism democracy crusades The industrial revolution has tended to produce everywhere great urban masses that seem to be increasingly careless of ethical standards. Irving Babbitt urban ethical-standards revolution 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. Irving Babbitt achieve failure important We may affirm, then, that the main drift of the later Renaissance was away from a humanism that favored a free expansion toward a humanism that was in the highest degree disciplinary and selective. Irving Babbitt renaissance expansion degrees Act strenuously, would appear to be our faith, and right thinking will take care of itself. Irving Babbitt take-care care thinking 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. Irving Babbitt humility self needs The human mind, if it is to keep its sanity, must maintain the nicest balance between unity and plurality. Irving Babbitt unity balance mind The humanitarian lays stress almost solely upon breadth of knowledge and sympathy. Irving Babbitt humanitarian stress sympathy 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. Irving Babbitt style substance excellence 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. Irving Babbitt three lust christianity Robespierre, however, was not the type of leader finally destined to emerge from the Revolution. Irving Babbitt type revolution leader
