Irving Babbitt: Scholar and Critic

This chapter examines the multifaceted personality of Irving Babbitt, a Harvard academic known for his combative intellect and insights on educational reform. It highlights his intellectual friendship with Paul Elmer Moore, their contrasting views on Romanticism, and critiques of the new humanism movement through literary works. The discussion underscores Babbitt's influence on the evolution of the English literary canon and the broader implications for humanism, revealing the complexities of literary critique and societal values.