The Dilemma of the Liberated

In The Dilemma of the Liberated, Gorham Munson offers a spirited defense of American Humanism for readers adrift in a modern world of broken authorities and competing beliefs. Framed as a tribute to Seward B. Collins, the book argues that Humanism is not merely a literary movement but a practical philosophy of education, politics, morals, science, and daily conduct, meant to restore order, discipline, and wisdom where modern freedom has become bewildering. Munson traces Humanism from the Renaissance, through thinkers such as Irving Babbitt, Henry Adams, T. E. Hulme, Erasmus, Luther, Pico della Mirandola, and Socrates, to show both its variety and its enduring core: the dignity of man balanced by restraint. He contrasts medieval unity with Renaissance self-discovery, then examines the clash between moderation and passion in Erasmus and Luther. At the center is the New Humanist "inner check," a deep moral awareness beyond convention or repression, calling the liberated person not to impulse but to self-knowledge, character, and inward mastery. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.