Joseph Wood Krutch
Joseph Wood Krutch
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Joseph Wood Krutch was born on November 12, 1893, in Spokane, Washington. He is commonly known as Joe Krutch.
Birth and Death Dates
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Krutch was born on November 12, 1893, and passed away on May 22, 1970.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Joseph Wood Krutch was an American author, critic, and philosopher. He is best known for his writings on literature, philosophy, and the human condition.
Early Life and Background
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Krutch grew up in a family that valued education and intellectual pursuits. His father, Joseph Henry Krutch, was a physician, and his mother, Alice Wood Krutch, was a homemaker. The family moved to California when Krutch was young, where he developed a deep appreciation for the natural world.
Krutch attended Stanford University, where he studied philosophy and literature. He graduated in 1914 and went on to earn his Master's degree from Stanford in 1915. After serving in World War I as an ambulance driver, Krutch began his writing career as a critic and essayist.
Major Accomplishments
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Krutch is best known for his influential book _The Great Chain of Being_ (1929), which explores the concept of the chain of being and its impact on Western philosophy. He also wrote extensively on literature, including books on Shakespeare and Hawthorne. Krutch's writings often grappled with the intersection of philosophy, literature, and human experience.
Notable Works or Actions
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Some of Krutch's notable works include:
_The Modern Temper_ (1929), a collection of essays that explore the impact of modernity on human society.
_The Measure of Man_ (1954), a book that examines the concept of humanity and our place in the universe.
* _Men, Books, and Mountains_ (1962), a memoir that reflects on Krutch's life as a writer and thinker.
Impact and Legacy
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Krutch's writings have had a lasting impact on American literary and philosophical thought. His emphasis on the interconnectedness of human experience and the natural world continues to influence contemporary thinkers. As a critic, Krutch was known for his incisive and insightful reviews of literature, which helped shape the tastes of readers across the United States.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Krutch's writings are widely quoted and remembered because they offer profound insights into the human condition. His ability to synthesize philosophy, literature, and personal experience has made him a beloved figure in American letters. As a writer, Krutch continues to inspire readers with his erudition, wit, and passion for understanding the complexities of human existence.
Quotes by Joseph Wood Krutch
Joseph Wood Krutch's insights on:
Cats seem to go on a principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want.
Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many different ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia.
As machines get to be more and more like men, men will come to be more like machines.
To be individually righteous is the first of all duties, come what may to ones self, to one’s country, to society, and to civilization itself.
Not to have known – as most men have not – either the mountain or the desert is not to have known one’s self. Not to have known one’s self is to have known no one.
Any euphemism ceases to be euphemistic after a time and the true meaning begins to show through. It’s a losing game, but we keep on trying.
Up up and quit your books’ is not an adjuration commonly thought advisable in universities but there are occasions – as for instance, when studying Wordsworth when it might be advisable.
Anxiety and distress, interrupted occasionally by pleasure, is the normal course of man’s existence.