Wellek was a Czech-American powerhouse who helped establish the Comparative Literature department at Yale . His history isn't just a list of names; it’s a "doxography"—a deep dive into the actual doctrines and arguments of every major critic from Voltaire to the New Critics. 2. The Battle of "Intrinsic" vs. "Extrinsic"
You can find René Wellek A History of Modern Criticism: 1750–1950 available for digital reading and borrowing on Internet Archive
René Wellek’s History of Modern Criticism is the definitive roadmap of literary theory from the Enlightenment to the modern era. It argues that criticism evolved from following rules (Neoclassicism) to celebrating imagination (Romanticism), and finally to analyzing the text scientifically (Formalism/New Criticism). a history of modern criticism rene wellek pdf
Wellek traces the shift away from neoclassical rules toward a more organic view of literature, highlighting critics like Lessing, Schiller, Kant, and the English Romantics (Wordsworth, Coleridge).
René Wellek (1907-1997) was a Czech-American literary critic and scholar, and his eight-volume work "A History of Modern Criticism: 1750-1950" (1951-1992) is considered a monumental and influential study of literary criticism from the mid-18th century to the mid-20th century. Wellek was a Czech-American powerhouse who helped establish
Decoding the Giant: Why René Wellek’s ‘A History of Modern Criticism’ Still Matters
The series tracks the evolution of critical thought from the disintegration of neoclassical systems to the emergence of modern critical movements. The Later Eighteenth Century Volume 2: The Romantic Age Volume 3: The Age of Transition Volume 4: The Later Nineteenth Century Volume 5: English Criticism, 1900–1950 Volume 6: American Criticism, 1900–1950 The Battle of "Intrinsic" vs
The title specifies 1750–1950 . Wellek chose 1750 as a starting point to capture the transition from Neoclassicism to Romanticism, and 1950 as the endpoint (marking the rise of high theory and structuralism, which he often viewed with skepticism).
Let me know what you are focusing on for your ! A history of modern criticism: 1750-1950 : Rene Wellek
Unlike many scholars of his time who stayed in their lane, Wellek brought an "international perspective." He could weave together German, Russian, and Eastern European criticism with the same ease he discussed British and American giants. Project MUSE - A History of Modern Criticism
To understand Wellek's narrative, one must understand his perspective as a prominent figure in and Comparative Literature . Wellek rejected both pure historical determinism (reducing literature merely to its social context) and pure impressionism (criticism based solely on personal emotional responses).