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The Educational Ideas of Irving Babbitt Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 1974 The ducE ational Ideas of Irving Babbitt: Critical Humanism and American Higher Education Joseph Aldo Barney Loyola University Chicago Recommended Citation Barney, Joseph Aldo, "The ducaE tional Ideas of Irving Babbitt: Critical Humanism and American Higher Education" (1974). Dissertations. Paper 1363. http://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/1363 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1974 Joseph Aldo Barney The Educational Ideas of Irving Babbitt: Critical Humanism and .American Higher Education by Joseph Aldo Barney A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Loyola University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy February 1974 VITA Joseph Aldo Barney was born January 11, 1940 in the city of Chicago. He attended Our Lady Help of Christians Grammar School, Sto Mel High School and, in 1967, received the degree of Bachelor of Science from Loyola University of Chicago. During the period 1967 to present, Mr. Barney continued his studies at Loyola University, earning the degree of Master of Education in 1970 and the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1974. Mr. Barney's occupational pursuits have centered about university administration and teachingo He was employed by Loyola University of Chicago from 1961 to 1973 in various administrative capacities. In addition, he has taught undergraduate courses in the History of American Education since 1970. Currently, Mr. Barney is Assistant Executive Director of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schoolso Mr. Barney is married to the former Grace Rita Robinson. They have three childreno ii ACKNOWLEDG11ENTS I am sincerely indebted to my major professor, Dr. Gerald Lee Gutek, 1.7hose patience, understanding, and guidance belied many of the anxieties of this writer. Dr. Gutek's mastery of the field of Historical Foundations enabled him to constructively criticize this work and assist in bringing it to fruition. To Doctors Rosemary Donatelli and John Wozniak goes very special thanks for their valuable assistance as members of this dissertation committee. This writer wishes further to acknowledge with gratitude the valuable assistance rendered by Loyola University in providing him with a leave of absence to complete this dissertation. Without this opportunity to innnerse myself totally in this endeavor and the generous support made available through the Arthur J. Scli.rnitt Foundation, this study would have been difficult if not impossible to accomplish. Lastly, a very special thank you is due to my wife and children. With­ out their total support and understanding, not only would this dissertation have remained unwritten, but my entire graduate career would not have been a reality. To Grace, Ginger, Beth and John, a very special thank you. iii PREFACE The intent of this work is to focus attention on the significant part played by man's values in Virtually every endeavor of life. We seek here to portray the notion that 11 how 11 one acts or reacts to a situation is determined primarily by his own philosophy of life and its culmination, one's values. It is posited that most philosophies underscoring educational decision making today may be reduced to either positions of tradition or utility. And, it is felt that the key to America's future growth and with it, its educational institutions, lies in the proper mediation of problems. That is, in the proper mediation of tradition versus utility. Since this writer contends that schools are reflective of society and do not exist or operate in a vacuum, it is suggested that our institutions must, by necessity, precariously seek a balance between the past, present, and future as they attempt to preserve, codify, and transmit the culture of which they are a part. This dissertation, then, seeks to view history as a conflict between traditional values and utilitarian values. And, within this milieu to examine the role of the school as a participant in the change that results from this conflict. The methodology used to achieve this goal will be non-empirical. And, the documentary sources utilized most extensively in this work will be those of Irving Babbitt--published works and manuscripts. iv v The selection of Irving Babbitt and his philosophy of critical humanism provides us with a philosophical rationale for viewing the dichotomy that exists between tradition and utility. Further, it is asserted that Babbitt's educational position, while basically traditional in approach, can be modified and serve as a vehicle for the successful mediation of problems confronting society and education. In the unfolding of the above stated treatise, the reader will find that considerable space is devoted to providing an adequate historical explana­ tion of the role of humanism in its evolution and as a mechanism for mediation. Further, we have sought to provide a basic understanding of Babbitt's own life­ style as well as the philosophical perspective from which he seeks to view the basic problem of tradition versus utility. The ensuing pages will also depict the modification of Babbitt's educational position by one of his major disciples, Norman Foerster. Foerster, it would seem, is more eclectic in his attempt to provide an educational cur­ riculum aimed at mediating the extremes of tradition and utility. Much of the exposition found in the last two chapters of this dissertation reflect this writer's own position and his interpretation of Babbitt's philosophy of critical humanism within the context of societal change and the problems emanating therefrom. The intent, therefore, of this dissertation is to provide a rationale for sane change based on a sound philosophical perspective. And, through the vi implementation of this rationale to, hopefully, provide a valid basis for the future of education as it seeks to discharge its societal responsibility of preserving, codifying, and transmitting the cultural heritage. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page VITA ••••••• . ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii PREFACE iv Chapter I. AN HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF HUMANISM 1 Classical Humanism in Antiquity The Christian Element in Classical Humanism The Renaissance--A Fusion of Rational and Superrational H1,1II1anism The Enlightenment and Humanism II. IRVING BABBITT: THE MAN 29 III. IRVING BABBITT'S VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE 59 IV. CRITICAL HUMANISM AND ROMANTIC NATURALISM--THE EDUCATIONAL POSITIONS OF BABBITT AND ROUSSEAU 105 V. NORMAN FOERSTER'S IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL IDEAS OF IRVING BABBITT . 157 VI. HUMANISM IN AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION: A CONTEMPORARY VIEW . 194 VII. CRITICAL HUMANISM AND THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION 222 APPENDIX A 238 APPENDIX B 239 BIBLIOGRAPHY 240 vii CHAPTER I A HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF HUMANISM Classical Humanism in Antiquity The dissertation that follows seeks to examine the humanism that was advocated by Irving Babbitt (1865-1933), who was a distinguished professor of classical languages and French literature at Harvard University. To establish a framework for examining Babbitt's humanism, it is necessary to establish an historical context for his theory of education. Like humanists throughout the ages, Babbitt was concerned with answers to some basic questions about man and the human condition. What exists in man that makes him distinct from other animals? Is man unique? What is man's relationship to God and the Universe? The answers to these questions have concerned the creative genius of prominent scholars from the days of ancient Greece to modern times. The answers to these questions are, to say the least, crucial to one's understanding of humanism. That the humanism espoused by Irving Babbitt is a culmination of historical epochs cannot be argued. Few movements in history were created by individuals. Movements, such as humanism, result from the ebb and flow of historical circumstances happening within cultural epochs. History deals with the impact of these circumstances on people and their reactions to them. To understand modern humanism, one must understand the historical evolution and 1 2 impact of classical humanism. The historical overview which follows is intended to be an adequate background for examining the humanism espoused by Irving Babbitt. History is replete with examples of primitive societies seeking to educate their future generations in the noble traditions of the past. Primitive and, in most cases, agrarian societies seek to preserve, codify, and transmit their cultural heritage to future generations. These societies allow for little change in what must be tranb'Tllitted, for in most cases the survival of the culture is contingent upon the accurate transmission of the past. Education in traditional societies definitely fosters the status guo. In fact, there is little room for any ideology that might tend to frustrate the permeation of the past. As societies move from an agrarian way of life and become more techno­ logical, there is created within the society an internal conflict that, on the one hand, dictates a continuance and preservation of past traditions; while on the other
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