Irving Babbitt Books

Irving Babbitt was an American academic and literary critic, noted for his founding role in the movement known as New Humanism. This intellectual current significantly influenced literary discussion and conservative thought between 1910 and 1930. Babbitt positioned himself as a cultural critic in the tradition of Matthew Arnold, consistently opposing romanticism, particularly as exemplified by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His humanism advocated for classical values while also offering an ecumenical defense of religion, drawing upon a broad knowledge of various moral and religious traditions.