Irving Babbitt
Irving Babbitt was an influential American academic and literary critic born in Dayton, Ohio, who became a prominent figure in the field of comparative literature. After initially teaching classics and romance languages at various institutions, he returned to Harvard University in 1894 as a French professor, where he played a pivotal role in introducing the study of comparative literature. Babbitt was a key advocate of New Humanism, a movement that emphasized moderation and restraint by drawing on classical literary traditions. This philosophy attracted both supporters and critics; notable detractors included Ernest Hemingway, H. L. Mencken, and Sinclair Lewis. Throughout his career, Babbitt authored several significant works, including "Literature and the American College" and "The Masters of Modern French Criticism." Although the New Humanism movement's popularity waned after his death, Babbitt's legacy endures, as evidenced by Harvard's establishment of the Irving Babbitt Professor of Comparative Literature and the National Humanities Institute's Irving Babbitt Project. His contributions to literature and education continue to be recognized and studied within academic circles.
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Subject Terms
Irving Babbitt
Critic
- Born: August 2, 1865
- Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio
- Died: July 15, 1933
- Place of death: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Biography
Irving Babbitt was born in Dayton, Ohio. As a young child his and his family frequently moved. When Babbitt was eleven years old, the family settled in Madisonville, Ohio; they later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Babbitt entered Harvard University in 1885. After graduation, he accepted a position teaching classics at the College of Montana. After teaching for two years, he went to study in France at the École Pratique des Hautes- Études. He returned to the United States and earned a master’s degree at Harvard. Babbitt briefly taught romance languages at Williams College, but returned to Harvard in 1894 as a French professor. While at Harvard, Babbitt was credited with introducing the study of comparative literature.
Babbitt was closely associated with a movement called New Humanism, which advocated a doctrine of moderation and restraint by looking to classical traditions and literature for inspiration. Babbitt and his New Humanism movement were criticized by such notables as Ernest Hemingway, H. L. Mencken, and Sinclair Lewis, among others. Followers of the New Humanism movement included G. R. Elliot, Norman Foerster, and Frank Jewitt. After Babbitt’s death, the popularity of the New Humanism movement faded.
Babbitt wrote several books during his lifetime including: Literature and the American College, The Masters of Modern French Criticism, and On Being Creative. He was posthumously honored by Harvard University. In 1960, the university created the position of the Irving Babbitt Professor of Comparative Literature. The National Humanities Institute runs a program titled the Irving Babbitt Project.