Culture and Anarchy
By
Matthew Arnold
Hello ! Readers,
Welcome to my blog. Here is my task on the essay by Matthew Arnold, Culture and Anarchy assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. I have put here some key points and my understanding of each chapters of the essay in brief. I hope you will enjoy.
Brief introduction about Matthew Arnold :-
Born : 24th December 1822
Death : 15th April 1888
Matthew Arnold was an English poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of school. He has been characterised as a sage writer, a type of writer who chastises and instructs the reader on contemporary social issues. Arnold was elected professor of poetry at Oxford in 1857. In 1865, Arnold's Essay in Criticism: First series, Essay in Criticism: Second series would not appear until November 1888. In 1866 he published Thyrsis, his elegy to clough who had died in 1861. Culture and Anarchy, Arnold's major work in social Criticism was published in 1869. Literature and Dogma , Arnold's major work in religion Criticism appeared in 1873. For further more know in his entire life what he did CLICK HERE.
☆ About his essay, " Culture and Anarchy " :-
Culture and Anarchy is a series of periodical essays by Matthew Arnold, first published in Cornhill Magazine 1867 - 68 and collected as a book in 1869. The preface was added in 1875. In it Arnold contrast culture, which he defines as, " The study of perfection " with anarchy, the prevalent mood of England's then new democracy, which lacks standards and a sense of direction. The essay is divided in following chapters :
Topics
|
Key Points
|
Understanding
|
|
|
Culture as a study in Perfection
|
In the Introduction to his essay Arnold clearly mentioned that the whole scope of the essay is to recommend culture as the great help out of our present difficulties. Culture being a pursuit of our total perfection by means of getting to know on all the matters which most concern us, " the best which has been thought and said in the world. "
|
|
|
A Study of Perfection
Sweetness and light
|
In the study of perfection Arnold's essay have shown " to conceive of true human perfection as a harmonious perfection. For Arnold Culture is connected with the ideas of Sweetness and light. He tries to explain this idea with the help of Greek words aphuia & euphuia. The euphyes is the man who tends towards Sweetness and light. The aphyes means is our Philistine.
|
|
|
Personal liberty and Anarchy
Middle class and working class
|
First Matthew Arnold said that Culture is the study and pursuit of Perfection; and Sweetness and light. Freedom of doing as one likes according to Arnold was one of those things which English thus worshipped in itself, without enough regarding the ends of which freedom is to be desired. Again Arnold gives an examples of Middle class and working class, to prove how " doing as one likes " may bring Chaos and Anarchy in society.
|
|
|
The Aristocrats with their own Individualism
The Middle Class
The working class people
|
The Aristocratic class Arnold calls the Barbarians. Who have their own personal liberty, they have their own Individualism, field sports and mainly exercise as a fashion with them.
According to Arnold the Philistines are the middle class people. Generally they are shopkeepers, worldly wise men, captains of industry busy in trade and commerce.
The working class who help the Empire builders are the Populace in Arnold's parlance. Populace wherever they engaged in running the wheels of industry.
|
|
|
The final aim of both
Renaissance and Reformation
|
The final aim of both Hebraism and Hellenism is man's perfection or salvation. So, the aim and end of both Hebraism and Hellenism is admirable. The emphasis of Hebraism is on doing more a knowing. While Hellenism means thinking clearly, seeing things in their essence and beauty. In England we find both moral and Intellectual awareness sharpened by Reformation and Renaissance.
|
|
|
Porro Unum est Necessarium in Arnold's Culture and Anarchy
Culture Diffuses Directness and light.
Malaise of the age
|
The term is a Latin title means " But one thing is necessary " One banal system of action, issuing out of the very concepts of Democrat existence is the liberal notion of doing freely as one likes. Now culture diffuses Sweetness and light and religion, fire and strength. Arnold warns us of the besetting blindness of fanaticism either in culture or religion. Arnold has come to the defence of culture and says, " No man, who knows nothing else, knows even his Bible "!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
References :-
https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2020/01/culture-and-anarchy.html
Thank you...
No comments:
Post a Comment