This document is a draft for a critical thinking essay based on Matthew Arnold's book, Culture and Anarchy. It begins with an introduction that explains Arnold's views on culture, defining it as a means to achieve harmony and improvement in society. The body paragraphs discuss key themes from the b...
Q To what extent does Arnold present culture in his book “Culture and Anarchy?”
Culture is defined as people who belong to part of a group and share the same experiences or beliefs. Mathhew
Arnold a “English poet and critic”1 explores the division between “Culture”2 and “Anarchy”3 in society during the
Victorian era. Arnold focuses on moral/ intellectual development to achieve a stable society and end social
divisions.
Arnold focuses on a range of ideas when talking about culture one of them is “sweetness and light” 4 which talks
about how moral/social development leads to an enlightened society. He believes that if the elite have the ability
to “guide society”5 then it may help society improve intellectual development of the (lower class). This implies that
the lower class don’t have access to the same resources and ideas as the elite which could create class divisions.
The lack of agreement between classes will lead to instability in society and wants to promote education into
culture to end this division. Arnold also suggests that the “study of perfection” 6 would also be useful as it would
mean individuals can study to find their own ideas and help improve their understanding of culture and help
individuals meet the ideas of society. Arnold also talks about how the three classes aristocracy, middle and working
class only focus on “material wealth”7 which means people ignore their means of learning about their culture as
they believe money is more important for individuals to survive. He believes that if people learn about culture, it
will help people work together and bring harmony/prosperity for society.
A critical evaluation made of Arnold is shown through Stuart Hall in his book, “Popular Culture, Politics and
History”8 a modernist perspective thinks that culture is not fixed in the past but always changing with time. The
impact of mass media made him aware of “political/economic” 9 factors that help explain how culture is presented.
An illustration of the contrasts between Arnold and Hall can be found through music such as Hip-Hop/Beatles in
the 1980s. It shows how society is moving away from classical literature/music. Halls modern perspective of
culture is shown through media/TV and how it challenges the “dominant class” 10 as it helps us see a wide range of
cultural beliefs in society. Whereas Arnold believes sticking to classical writing or music as this has been passed
1
Matthew Arnold Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements of English Poet
(thefamouspeople.com)
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“Culture and Anarchy” by Mathew Arnold p
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“Culture and Anarchy” by Mathew Arnold p
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“Culture and Anarchy” by Mathew Arnold p
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“Culture and Anarchy” by Mathew Arnold p
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“Culture and Anarchy” by Mathew Arnold p
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“Culture and Anarchy” by Mathew Arnold p
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“Popular Culture, Politics and History by Stuart Hall p
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“Popular Culture, Politics and History by Stuart Hall p
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“Popular Culture, Politics and History by Stuart Hall p
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