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The Neo-Humanistic Criticism of Irving Babbitt

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The Neo-Humanistic Criticism of Irving Babbitt Fort Hays State University FHSU Scholars Repository Master's Theses Graduate School Summer 1945 The Neo-Humanistic Criticism Of Irving Babbitt. Carrie Baier McCord Fort Hays Kansas State College Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/theses Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation McCord, Carrie Baier, "The Neo-Humanistic Criticism Of Irving Babbitt." (1945). Master's Theses. 380. https://scholars.fhsu.edu/theses/380 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at FHSU Scholars Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of FHSU Scholars Repository. 'THE NID - I-IUMANIST IC CRITI CISM OF I RVING BABBITT being A thesis presented t o t he Graduate Faculty of the Fort Hays Kansas St ate College in partial fulfilL~ent of the r equi rements for the Degree of Master of Science by Carrie Baier -McCoid, B. F. A. Universi t y of Neb aska c_ I,1 . ApprovedM £. m MarProf essor ~ --. PREFACE Many influent ial treat i ses have been written in the· fiE;Jld of literary eriticism •. I t was the wri ter ' s _. pr i vilege during -las t year to make a st udy of the opinions of s ome of·the past mas ter~ in this a.rt, but t he course t hat was pur sued include d no .cr.·i tioa.l essays of the present or of t he very r ecent past . Modern writing has phmged in to such a ~iyersi ty of modes tha~ the term "chaotic" is frequently applied t o it. Such mult ipl i ci ty and co~pl e xity o~ form, st yle, an d ideas have evolved that it i s particul ar l y gr at- ifying to fin d on e willing, capabl e , an d opinionated enough t o decide by car eful judgment whether a t hing is good or bad. Such a person elevates himself to a pos i t ion of leaqer and critic. Irving Babbitt has di stinguished hi msel f uniquel y in thi s capacit y. He has presented most signif icant i s sues en d has accomplished l asting resul t s with his i de as f or the readjustment of a theory of "true" classicism. He has also at t acke d vigorously certain types of roman- ticism and the deterministic t heo~i es of naturali sm . The theories and crit icism of this author may be studi ed through two approache s . A reading of his books and essays, which are copious an d diversifie d, gi ves t o t h e careful reader a first- han d introduction t o hi s i deas. He has influenced the t h inkin g of many literary men . From t hem, bot h his oppon en ts and hi s pro- ponents, on e may further .st udy hi s t h eories . Much reading f r om bo th of these sources has been don e by the wri t er , and the method used in arriving at conclusions has be en l argel y on e of comparisons . 11 The plan tor preeentation or the material is muoh tho aame·. Aaide from eomparleona , the writer hae felt that a. gen erous amount ot quoting was neceaeary, 1D o~d~r that the reader may beoome better aoqudnted Yd tb Irving Babbl'bt thl'cugb the. medium of hie <n10. worde. The nature ot the investigation carried out makes it advisable to present the re.aults b7 oh,O.pte.l"il 11 eaob more or lesa a unH, 1n its.elf. The whole. ia an atltGpt to afford t he rHders a fairly complete an~ detailed picture of the or1Uoal theories ad the in.tluenoe of the man• tea.oner• and author• Mr. Babbitt. And now '.but one task remain a to be done t to expr68$ m.y appreciation for the b.e.lp 10 generously giYen me . The time aoecrded the prep•ration ot thh v.ork would have been insu.ffieiant had it not been ror the prompt ea.d courteous aid given mt by ~ . Streeter, t,ur li.l>rarbn . I thank Dr . Al'bel"taon, who in the begbming aaaw-sd me that "one ia ne'Yer too old to le&m;" imd D.r . Reed, who doubted it, and the.reby preaentod a challenge. Dr . t ieet is $11 inspir:mg teacher, hi._ vast under'ttQn.ding and ability in. the field of litere:ture la enY1able. Then must be omitted, in any 11at ot acknowledgments, many who .. ae·&iatanoe hae, ha.d a part for which no wr1 ter oould etfeotual1y thank them. There a.re also tnoae t-o whom word• aoem inadequate 'bo oonvey the admiration and reepeot on~ teels tor them. Suah a one ia tr. Mo Ginnia, regf'rded by 1me man,y wnom she h.aa taught •• a. bril liant sohol ar. The writer ii gratetul to her for her very 1ub1tant1al aeaiataa.oe . .111 soui-ce ot l nterest in the Subjoot • • • • • • • • • -. • • 1 Other Studies of Babbitt•s Theory end Oriti.ohm • • • • • ii Method ot t i:rveetiga:t1on • • • , • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11 Plan .of ?resenting htfflal • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11 The Neo-Hull$niatio Group or Sohool. qr Movement •• • • l Origin. and EiiJtory of the Word ~umani •• • • • • • • • 1 • • • • • • • • • • • " e lI • TD Lt FE AN D C.Un:l OF UMN G BABBITT • • • • .. • • • • 11 !fie Jami ly • • .• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11 m.a ·marly Lite ud Ed-ucatta. • • • • • • • .. • • e • 11 . • • • • 14 ms Appear.an oe • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17 Bis WFitinge • •. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 18 SO]tffi OF II S BOOKS NJ 01'MER Wit m OS • • • • • • • • • l9 11 ff ;aeico~ • • • • • • • • • •. • • • • • • • , • 27 . ... • • ----Rou,nau -and ------B.oma.nti.citlll . • • ..... 19 iv Dlmoor-.oy teaderahi.E, • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 44 Freno~ Literatur'e • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 45 8 Bi.11Um1em• ls say 11:t .te·tlni t ion" • • • • • • • • • 47 S!_ Being; _C r-e~ti ve Othe_r E~aa;ye • • • • • • • • • • 47 the Oo.o t dent • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 46 - · . IV. A SUMMARY OF :um G JABBI'.1'1'' s ?{ EO• IUMANI sn C TBEORT AN · Clll Tl Cl SU • • • • • • • • •. , •. • • • • • • • 52 A• Applied to Mm as l n d1v1d'1&1 •• • • • • 54 I '.' • • • • ~· A~pli~d. to Man in Sooiety . • • • • • • • • • • • • 66 Aa A?plie.d_to Re l i i icm • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 60 Aa Applied to Li~erature. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 65 . 0 • • • • 78 Opiniont ot Some Opponents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 78 Opinime ot Hh Assoei-o.tes and Di. soiplee • • • • • • • 81 Eetbaatt of the Value of lhlo.,.llumaiatio Cr!. tioism • • 87 Bl BU OGRAPH'f • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 92 Chapter I It is dif:fioul.t to detem a whethe t'o ®.ll' t o: .eo• htio ph1loso~~ end 1ta exponento & t'liove.uient,· a school. or a up. T so far as the word •uov t• ta euggestivo ot mo e o leu oont1nu1ty or dovelopmant, it le e tltndioap to apply th -term ill oonnootion with hum nhm. It haG been stat4,d thnt 1·t is pr~- ma ture to do eo . ln eo tu a the term • eohool' suggest, & tr&1d ot thouisht and ite adb~rent $1 th~ applioation. is prol!>ably aeoept - &ble wi1m r oterGee to h al \-ir.1'l ~•ive eonu~t..ticm,, but 1t ooa re'feal ti a·uggestion of persons b dod tC?&ether m a oonrnon cauee. For 'this reason· the writer f eel th t the wol"d • group• 1s preferable t o the otl e'r tenu. is paper has t or its objeot!ve tho pruenta'bion and coneidoration ot only one trom the N eo- Humanistio oup. lt humanism oou~d bt expl inod 1n simple terms, most people ·would eocept it. Aa is well Jm~· . ,, the tenn •numi:mist• e us d, f'il"et 1n liluropeen oountriee b the Renaiseanoe period to reter to tme typt, ot schol ar Who ns prot1oient ln Latin and Greek; and was 1no 11ned to pr efer th humanity ot Qlaedcal wr1 tare to t ed to hlm the exceas ot divinity in the medievals. The 1'l'Ord derives trom Gr eek thoutl>ht 1 1ta e.tymology implies diaerimiiaati on end judg- ment. So compl ex a. term as humsn1 oannot be adequately • xpl•tned or intelligibly pµt i nto a detin1t1on or a br ief aooount. <:ae oannot f rame a olear-out , preciae, and briet explanation, er a \Te find eut.flx whioh d ote · q01aeth1ng not . aey to define. It is us d 1n some oc pare.Mvely ei ;ple tel'u such as •Amerio iam• or 1p triotillll' bu tor the moat part it has been the writor1s xperienoe • d 18 ' , • 1&toniem•, or ' b havloria • ' Suoh a word it5 'humanism.' JAu1a roier has stdda l .By det1ni t1on , there h redly nothing; new abou't it, notb.ing in fact which the man in the street does n.ot t . e for gr ted as the innedia:te date. of omadouimess. It merely asHrts that there is suoh thing e ttman u f:IUOh." In tho early pad of his book; L .ts2aturo ~erioon Colleg , • B ib1 tt h&.S writ~an I ihti term h~ilsm b oont'uSht?d th b n,., hume.nistie , humanito.rie.u, cd hum-an1t&F1en.1tn1. Stm»m.1811, eo•a t'rem the Latin (humac.UI, h\ln.\Bnitns) fro wnioh aU. the 'IOFds of the group a.re derived. 5 ln the profaoe to this volume we readt For hie und•r et-,41.ne; ot the word Babbitt goes 'baok te a 1t11d7 made by 11.
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