Matthew Arnold was a 19th century British poet and cultural critic. In his work Culture and Anarchy, he defines culture as the study of perfection - a harmonious perfection that develops all sides of humanity. Arnold believes culture brings about a perfection in which both beauty and intelligence are present, uniting "the two noblest things" - sweetness and light. He connects these ideas of sweetness and light to the Greek words "aphros" and "euphuia". For Arnold, culture is not about having or resting, but about growing and becoming perfect.

1. Name: Brijal Oza
Roll no.: 23
M.A. SEM – 2, Year: 2015-2017
Paper: 6, The Victorian Literature
Email ID: brijaloza1994@gmail.com
Submitted to: Dept. of English
M.K. Bhav. Uni.

2. PRESENTATION TOPIC
Concept of “Culture” in
Culture and Anarchy

3. :ABOUT MATTHEW ARNOLD:
 Poet of Victorian period.
 British poet, cultural critic
and novelist
 Famous in genres like
poetry, literary social and
religious criticism.

4. SIMPLE CONCEPT OF CULTURE
 Art, customs, lifestyles, background, habits – characterized particular
society and nation.
 Not static, but changeable.
 Study of social and moral perfection.
 It has nothing to do with religion or god, but sometimes they are
part of culture.
 It is a music, literature, paintings, theatre and film etc.
 Very important function to fulfill the mankind.

5. Arnold’s views:
 Culture and Anarchy is the pioneer work for cultural
studies.
 Arnold’s views published in his essay ‘Culture and
Anarchy’ about culture, anarchy, three classes of
society, Hebraism and Hellenism.
 According to Arnold, “Culture is properly described as
the love of perfection; it is a study of perfection.

6. CULTURE: AS A STUDY IN
PERFECTION
 Arnold believes that culture is the study of perfection. Because
he adds that, “to conceive of true human perfection as a
harmonious perfection as a general perfection, developing all sides
of our humanity”.
 Culture is not just about to see and learn but it is also about to
make it prevail the moral, social and beneficent character of
culture becomes manifest.

7.  Not a having and a resting, but a growing and a becoming, is
the character of perfection.
 Perfection of culture is not possible while the individual
remains isolated.
 Thus, the notion of perfection as culture brings us to
conceive it: 1) A harmonious perfection
2) A perfection in which the character of beauty
and intelligence are both present which unites- “the two noblest
things” which are: “Sweetness” and “Light”.

8. IDEA OF “SWEETNESS AND
LIGHT”
 Arnold connects his idea of sweetness and light explained
with culture and explain with the Greek words:
 “Aphuia” and “Euphuia”
Because of that central idea, the first chapter is
called, “Sweetness” and “Light”.
Which is about the introduction of the culture.

9. CONCLUSION
So, at the end we can say that in “Culture and
Anarchy”….Arnold articulated a theory of culture that
continues to influence thinking about the value of the
humanities in higher education and he defined culture in
idealist terms.