Culture an anarchy by Matthew Arnold

Matthew Arnold is a poet, critic and economist as well. He was born in 1820, 24 th December and
died on 15 April,1888. He worked as an inspector of school. He presented rules for criticism and put
ideologies to guide others how to criticize. His famous works Include Dover beach, The scholar gipsy
and Culture and anarchy.

Culture anarchy is an essay in social and political criticism and is a series of Periodical essays by
Matthew Arnold. His desire is to correct the English society. Through his essays he gives the idea of
perfect state. The first chapter of culture and anarchy is sweetness and light where sweetness
means beauty and light means intelligence. Both come from Curiosity and curiosity is basically a
desire to achieve something. Both are necessary for the perfection of culture. According to Arnold
Culture is the study of perfection.

Chapter one
Sweetness and light
To find......give us.

Curiosity is the main element while talking about culture.

To sheer...... errors

Curiosity is the sheer desire that gives us intellect and also the love of neighbour and give desires for
removing human errors.

Culture......good.

If out of curiosity We want to make things perfect. So, this alternately means that love of perfection
is the origin of perfection of culture and not the curiosity. It is our moral and social responsibility To
do good for the society.

Religion says......aimality.

According to religion God is within us. It is our internal condition That makes us to work for the
betterment of the society. This rational aspect distinguishes us from animalty.

In thus.......man

If we say that sweetness and light are the characters of culture. Then we can say that culture follows
the law of poetry. Religion has worked on broader grounds for perfection and has benefited greater
mass of men so it is more important with respect to that.

The pursuit of....... and light.

When you are working for the perfection so it means that you are trying to achieve sweetness and
light. This would bring you beyond materialistic world. Culture only strives for sweetness and light.

It is not.......light.

We are never satisfied with the level of perfection. For some people sweetness and light Is not
attained until all the humanity becomes filled with perfect men. Then raw and unkindled masses are
touch with sweetness and light, It would ultimately lead to perfection.
Chapter 2
Doing as one likes
Culture is........perfection

In chapter two he is now more focused on sweetness that is beauty instead of light known as
intelligence. It is lacking in this chapter.

What I.......rule

We feel like we should do something, we go for it. Instead of thinking about its negative and positive
Results or we do not think about any rule. Due to this action this can be wrong or irregulated.

It is most........with it

A person does whatever He likes not only because Is able to do. Aristocratics like to be authoritative
and don’t want Somebody superior to them. Middle class people work, they are the representative
of trade. They work for the betterment of society. They are able to do anything and whatever they
do they are responsible for it. But apart from being Free in their choices, they are administrated by
the upper class that is aristocratic class.

Then as two our...... he likes.

The working class is providing Basic to the society. They do not have any freedom of doing the
actions which they like. An Englishman Has the right to do whatever he wants to do or whatever he
likes.

If we talk about working class of the lower class So they are the one without whom a nation cannot
exist They are the once who have no freedom of “doing as one likes” Because they are in need of
daily needs of life that is clothes, food, Shelter education and are under pressure of aristocratic. He
says if we talk about Englishman overall with respect to “doing as one likes” That is whatever they
want to do whenever they want to go, who so ever they want to threaten or snatch, they meet the
Freedom of it and this is what doing one likes and According to him these are ill- actions Because if a
person is free to do whatever he likes He will do right and wrong both so this ultimately means that
all the actions which are done out of the notion “Doing as one likes” are ill- actions.

He says perfecting Culture is perfecting oneself and his mind which means one should have light and
if one has light, he does not follow Doing as one likes and if it is too Be followed then in that One
should do what is right and not wrong Using logic or reason and this is the authority which lies within
a person Because when a person thinks before doing something anarchy will be removed and
culture will be perfected. He says that the ability to differentiate between wrong and right exists
within a person so he should not go against it and intermix the both or convert His light Into
Darkness by doing wrong.

He says that if a person has best self, we will be having faith and if he is having faith then he will be
having Authoritative principle inside him which Will guide him to do good deeds.

Chapter 3
Barbarians, philistines and populace:
The title signifies the names Given to three classes of English society That is the upper class, middle
class and lower class.

He discusses the middle class giving it designation of Palestine’s. He believes that this title suits the
middle class More than the aristocratic class because they are strong brave hard and have light and
follow light.

He says that he has given the Title of Barbarians to aristocratic class because they had their own
authority, are individualistic having more liberty and freedom, body fit, powerful, Fine complexion
and good looks.

Since most of the population of State comprising of working class That is why he has given them the
Title of popular and has not discuss it because they are the ordinary people.

He is talking about the three classes Respect to common interests because people belong to all the
three classes or humans and humans share certain characteristics that is The Middle urge as a desire
to be like aristocratic class and also has features of working class in a way that they want to do Their
tasks by themselves as a working class.

He says that in each class there is an instinct of curiosity and to become better, looking at things to
appreciate them working to prevail the will of God and resulting works for the perfection of society
and the culture.

He says in order to Perfect culture, The right source is to find our best self and after that we can
enlighten others Perfect society and culture.