Irving Babbitt

Irving Babbitt was an American academic and literary critic, noted for his founding role in a movement that became known as the New Humanism, a significant influence on literary discussion and conservative thought in the period between 1910 and 1930. He was a cultural critic in the tradition of Matthew Arnold and a consistent opponent of romanticism, as represented by the writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Politically he can, without serious distortion, be called a follower of Aristotle and Edmund Burke. He was an advocate of classical humanism but also offered an ecumenical defense of religion. His humanism implied a broad knowledge of various moral and religious traditions. His book Democracy and Leadership (1924) is regarded as a classic text of political conservatism. Babbitt is regarded as a major influence over American cultural and political conservatism.

2 August 1865

Born on the same birth date (2 August 1865): John Radecki

Born on the same birth day (2 August): Alain Giresse • Alan Whicker • Bertha Lutz • Caleb Carr • Dietrich of Anhalt-Dessau • Fernando Couto • Geoffrey Dutton • Giampaolo Pazzini • Huston Street • Istifan al-Duwayhi • James Street (American football) • Jussi Adler-Olsen • Louis Pauwels • Margaret Lawrence (actress) • Mary Hamman • Mary-Louise Parker • Nell Irvin Painter • Simone Manuel

Born in the same month (August 1865): Alexander Glazunov • Arthur James Arnot • Bernard Tancred • Charles G. Dawes • Ferdinand I of Romania • Guido Castelnuovo • Isobel Lilian Gloag • James Henry Breasted • John Radecki • Julia Marlowe • Mary Gilmore • Mikao Usui