"The industrial revolution has tended to produce everywhere great urban masses that seem to be increasingly careless of ethical standards"

Irving Babbitt's quote, "The industrial revolution has tended to produce everywhere great urban masses that seem to be increasingly careless of ethical standards", functions as an important assessment of the social and ethical ramifications produced by the fast urbanization and industrialization of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Babbitt, a prominent critic of modernity, suggests that the commercial transformation, while catalyzing unprecedented financial and technological development, also led to substantial cultural and ethical shifts that warrant scrutiny.

The expression "terrific city masses" refers to the growing populations in industrial cities, driven by the pledge of employment and prosperity. This migration from rural to city settings produced largely populated areas where standard social structures and moral frameworks were frequently interrupted or overlooked. As individuals entered into these huge, impersonal city agglomerations, the close-knit neighborhood ties and shared worths that normally supported ethical behavior started to erode.

Babbitt mentions that this transition led to a perceived decrease in ethical requirements. The aggressive competitors fundamental in industrial industrialism may have promoted a focus on individual gain and product success at the expenditure of communal well-being and moral responsibility. Urban environments, with their privacy, could add to a sense of isolation or detachment, deteriorating the influence of recognized values and social practices.

Additionally, Babbitt's review lines up with wider issues of the time regarding the dehumanizing aspects of industrialization. The mechanization of labor and the rise of factory systems frequently caused workers ending up being mere cogs in a huge industrial maker, possibly alienating them from the fruits of their labor and decreasing their sense of personal firm and accountability.

In summary, Babbitt's assertion challenges us to think about the more comprehensive implications of industrial development. While technological developments and financial growth are considerable, they must not overshadow the growing of ethical neighborhoods. His point of view welcomes continuous discussion about stabilizing development with moral stability, an obstacle that remains appropriate today.