LCT 04: VICTORIAN THEORY OF CULTURE AND CRITICISM

1. Matthew Arnold’s definition of culture in Culture and Anarchy (1869)

Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) was an English poet and cultural critic
who worked as an inspector of schools. He has been characterized as a sage
writer, a type of writer who chastises and instructs the reader on contemporary
social issues. He was also an inspector of schools for 35 years, and supported
the concept of state-regulated secondary education.
In 1869 he collected his periodical essays in the book Culture and Anarchy:
An Essay in Political and Social Criticism. This piece of writing
established his High Victorian cultural agenda which remained dominant in debate from the 1860s
until the 1950s.
a. Arnold’s definition of culture
According to Arnold, culture is a study of perfection. He thought that culture seeks
to do away with classes; to make the best that has been thought and known in the world current
everywhere; to make all men live in an atmosphere of sweetness and light. To his mind, culture
is the best which has been thought and said. Culture is the only force that has the effect
to fix what is happening in society. Thus, culture has influence on society and encourages actions
of help, beneficence, the desire for stopping human error, human misery, clearing confusion.
Its aspiration is to leave the world better and happier than before.
Culture is similar to religion as they both search for perfection and try to answer
what human perfection consists of. However, culture uses human experience, art, science,
poetry, philosophy, history, and religion to answer the question of human perfection. Religion
states that the kingdom of God Is within you, and the same does culture (it places human
perfection internally). However, culture goes beyond religion because it involves
a growing number of fields. Whereas, religion focuses only on the individual and is generally
conceived by us. Perfection is seen by culture as a harmonious expansion of all the powers
which make the beauty and worth of human nature.
The aim of culture is to find the human ideal through endless growth, wisdom, and beauty.
To grow and become is the character of perfection, according to culture. Thus, culture teaches
us to concentrate on internal rather than external values. However, it is crucial not to remain
isolated. Humans need a social life to be able to grow and expand.
b. the opposition of culture and material civilization
Culture, in Arnold’s definition, is about seeking perfection and improving internal, elusive
values. It is concerned with self-improvement, looking for the best aspects of the world.
It also employs intellectual and spiritual growth. As a result of developing culture, a person
might achieve greatness.
Material civilization, on the other hand, is the greatest danger to culture. It turns people’s
attention from spirituality and internal values and promotes wealth and material
possession. Arnold is primarily concerned with the middle class, who often becomes rich
without improving their internal and intellectual lives.
 c. the concept of “philistines”
Greatness is a spiritual condition worthy to excite love, interest, and admiration. If people excite
love, interest, and admiration, then they possess greatness.
The opposition to greatness are the philistines, connected with the current of anti-
intellectualism. Philistines state that greatness can be proven only by being rich and having
general wealth. They focus only on becoming rich externally. Philistines deprecate art
and beauty, spirituality and intellect. They are narrow-minded and hostile to the life
of the mind, and their materialistic worldview and tastes indicate indifference to cultural and
aesthetic values. Culture saves people from becoming philistines and clears
their mindsets.
d. the role of culture in social life
Culture aims to make people’s lives
better and happier than before. Matthew Arnold saw culture as the search

Humans should follow cultural values for perfection. It associated it with the best

in order to make the world a better place. values of humanity. However, he saw a great

Although culture allows people to find danger in materialism, which would be able

internal beauty and the best versions to divert people’s attention from spirituality

of themselves, individuals cannot forget and intellectuality.

about their social lives and interactions

with others. In those interactions true values and beauty are conceived, which is the purpose
of culture.
Also, culture is able to preserve the values earlier cultivated by religion. At the time
of the failure of the churches, people needed a vessel to convey the moral message and virtues.
Culture: reading, discovering beauty, and improving oneself, fit this requirement.

2. Matthew Arnold’s theory of criticism in “The Function of Criticism at the Present

Time” (1865)
Matthew Arnold wrote the essay entitled “The Function of Criticism at the Present Time”
in 1865, as a prefatory essay to his Essays in Criticism. It is one of the most influential essays written
on the role of the critic in identifying and elevating literature – even while saying,
The critical power is of lower rank than the creative.
a. definition of criticism
Arnold defines criticism as a disinterested endeavor to learn and propagate the best that
is known and thought of in the world, and thus to establish a current of fresh and
true ideas. The term “disinterest” in the view of Arnold refers to being an impartial and just
reader.
Arnold presents the views of William Wordsworth, who claimed that criticism is dangerous
and malicious criticism can do a lot of harm to good literature. He thought that scholars should
not write criticism, and even the dullest creative literature is better (because it is not harmful).
Arnold, though, recognized the importance of criticism for literature.
 b. functions of criticism
The main function of criticism is to prepare the ground for creative literature to emerge.
Critics should provide the current of fresh and interesting ideas, so that creative writers are
able to use them in their writing. Critics should spend time learning and looking for the best
human thoughts, and then commenting on them to make them popular and recognized.
Arnold claims that criticism is the basis of creative literature. There were periods in literary
history that were rich in ideas and concepts, and then good literature was written. On the other
hand, sometimes critics did not provide genuine and gripping concepts, so literature written
in those times is not so rich and excellent. Arnolds also gives an example of Dr Samuel
Johnson, who was a mediocre creative writer, but his criticism on the lives of English poets
is a great example of fantastic criticism.
c. characteristics of criticism
1) disinterestedness – a critic should not take a stance and should be objective in his criticism;
he should reject any political or practical biases
2) ability to lead toward perfection – a real critic should be able to lead away from self-
satisfaction by dwelling on the excellence itself; critics should aim to bring the best ideas
and thoughts to literature
3) ability to learn and understand – critics should be knowledgeable not only in literature
but also in other humanities
4) ability to hand on the ideas to others to convert the world – critics should concentrate
on publicizing their work and making it attractive for general readers
5) ability to prepare a suitable atmosphere for further creative genius and writing
– critics should provide fresh ideas to allow creative literature to grow

WARM-UP

Match the concepts with their definitions.

1. culture a. a harmonious expansion of powers to find beauty in human nature

2. criticism b. people who lack intellectual values and crave only for material wealth

3. philistines c. a study of perfection; ways to improve internal values and find the best

4. perfection d. an impartial activity to study and popularize the best thoughts

EXAM PRACTICE

1. How does Matthew Arnold define culture? In what ways does it differ from religion? What is
the greatest danger of culture? Why?
2. Present the concept of philistines. Describe why they are dangerous, according to Matthew
Arnold.
3. Describe functions and nature of criticism. What makes good criticism in the view of Arnold?