The correct answer is 2. F.R. Leavis because F.R. Leavis founded the literary journal Scrutiny in 1932.
Scrutiny was a highly influential British literary magazine that published works related to literary criticism and English literature. Leavis, a prominent literary critic and scholar, played a central role in shaping the journal's direction, which focused on the close reading of texts and the analysis of literature in a rigorous, somewhat formal academic manner.
Here’s a brief overview of the other individuals mentioned:
I.A. Richards was a key figure in the development of literary criticism, particularly with his work on practical criticism and the theory of "emotive meaning," but he did not found Scrutiny.
Cleanth Brooks was an American critic associated with the New Criticism movement, which influenced literary studies significantly, but he was not involved in founding Scrutiny.
John Crowe Ransom was another central figure in the New Criticism school, and although he was an important critic and poet, he was not the founder of Scrutiny.
Thus, the correct answer is F.R. Leavis.