Social Conflicts and Social Policy in the Philosophy of Irving Babbitt

This article examines the political and philosophical legacy of the American conservative thinker Irving Babbitt (1865–1933), his approach to social conflicts and social policy. Irving Babbitt taught history of literature at Harvard, and his philosophy was built on the idea of emulating the best examples of self-discipline of the past. According to Babbitt, self-restraint by the strong strengthens the ethical union that underlies social relations. Self-restraint of the powerful strengthened the ethical union that serves as foundation for social relations. Without self-restraint according to role models, human aspirations become limitless, leading to conflict. To overcome the social conflicts created by the competitive market, it was necessary to develop education, educate the elites with examples of virtue, and teach them self-restraint and fairness, so that other members of society would follow their example and achieve social peace. The problem of inequality is solved by equalizing desires, not property. Babbitt’s ideas can be useful for adapting modern social policy systems to new challenges and preventing social conflicts.