Babbitt, Irving

Babbitt, Irving

▪ American critic
born Aug. 2, 1865, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
died July 15, 1933, Cambridge, Mass.

      American critic and teacher, leader of the movement in literary criticism known as the “New Humanism,” or Neohumanism (New Humanism).

      Babbitt was educated at Harvard University and at the Sorbonne in Paris and taught French and comparative literature at Harvard from 1894 until his death.

      A vigorous teacher, lecturer, and essayist, Babbitt was the unrestrained foe of Romanticism and its offshoots, Realism and Naturalism; instead, he championed the classical virtues of restraint and moderation. His early followers included T.S. Eliot and George Santayana, who later criticized him; his major opponent was H.L. Mencken.

      Babbitt extended his views beyond literary criticism: Literature and the American College (1908) opposes vocationalism in education and calls for a return to the study of classical literatures; The New Laokoön (1910) deplores the confusion in the arts created by Romanticism; Rousseau and Romanticism (1919) criticizes the effects of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's thought in the 20th century; Democracy and Leadership (1924) studies social and political problems; On Being Creative (1932) compares the Romantic concept of spontaneity adversely with classic theories of imitation.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Babbitt,Irving — Babbitt, Irving. 1865 1933. American humanist and scholar whose New Humanism movement sought to revive interest in classical virtues in literary criticism. * * * …   Universalium

  • Irving Babbitt — (August 2, 1865 ndash; July 15, 1933) was an American academic and literary critic, noted for his founding role in a movement that became known as the New Humanism, a significant influence on literary discussion and conservative thought in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Babbitt — est un terme pouvant désigner: Babbitt, roman de Sinclair Lewis, publié en 1922 Babbitt, film réalisé en 1924 à partir du roman Babbitt, film réalisé en 1934 à partir du roman Sommaire 1 Patronyme 2 Toponyme …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Babbitt — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Art Babbitt (Arthur Harold Babitsky; 1907–1992), US amerikanischer Animator Bruce Babbitt (* 1938), US amerikanischer Politiker Clinton Babbitt (1831–1907), US amerikanischer Politiker Dinah Babbitt… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Babbitt — may refer to: Fiction*Babbitt (novel) is a 1922 novel by Sinclair Lewis.:*It is also the title of the two films based on the novel, Babbitt (1924 film) and Babbitt (1934 film) * Babbit is the family name of the title character of Runny Babbit , a …   Wikipedia

  • Irving Babbitt — (1865 – 1933) fue un académico estadounidense y crítico literario, notable por haber fundado un movimiento conocido como el Nuevo Humanismo, con una influencia significativa en la discusión literaria y el pensamiento conservador en el período que …   Wikipedia Español

  • Babbitt — I. noun Etymology: George F. Babbitt, character in the novel Babbitt (1922) by Sinclair Lewis Date: 1923 a person and especially a business or professional man who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle class standards • Babbittry noun •… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Babbitt — I Babbitt   [ bæbɪt, nach der Titelfigur des gleichnamigen Romans von S. Lewis] der, s/ s, geschäftstüchtiger, aber engstirniger (nordamerikanischer) Spießer, Durchschnittsmensch. II Babbitt   [ bæbɪt],    1) Irving, amerikanischer Kritiker, *… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Babbitt — /bab it/, n. 1. Irving, 1865 1933, U.S. educator and critic. 2. Milton Byron, born 1916, U.S. composer. 3. (italics) a novel (1922) by Sinclair Lewis. 4. (often l.c.) a self satisfied person who conforms readily to conventional, middle class… …   Universalium

  • Babbitt — Bab•bitt [[t]ˈbæb ɪt[/t]] n. 1) big Irving, 1865–1933, U.S. educator and critic 2) big Milton Byron, born 1916, U.S. composer 3) (often l.c.) a self satisfied person who conforms to conventional middle class ideals, esp. of material success: from …   From formal English to slang

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