Student Question
What does Matthew Arnold criticize about the "Puritan" element in English society in "Sweetness and Light" from Culture and Anarchy? How does this relate to the "sweetness and light" promoted by men of "culture and poetry"?
Quick answer:
Matthew Arnold criticizes the Puritan element in English society for treating religion as an end in itself, leading to confusion and sacrificing broader human goodness. In "Sweetness and Light" from Culture and Anarchy, Arnold argues that true human perfection requires a blend of poetry and religion, beauty and morality, which he terms "sweetness and light." This cultural approach encompasses all aspects of human experience.
According to Matthew Arnold in the chapter “Sweetness and Light” from Culture and Anarchy, the Nonconformist or Puritan elements of society err in treating religion as an end in itself, sacrificing everything else to its demands. Let’s look at this in more detail to see what Arnold means and to explore what he thinks is the proper role of religion.
Arnold argues that Nonconformism leads to confusion, for it demands that people sacrifice everything to religious rules and practices. Arnold begins by complimenting the Nonconformists for “staunchly walking by the best light they have” and for contributing much to the nation. Yet, he continues, they fall short of perfection because of their skewed perspectives. They eliminate too much of true human goodness in their desire for religious perfection, and they thereby do not find real human perfection.
Real human perfection, Arnold asserts, is more than mere “machinery,” which he defines as anything treated as an end in itself. Real human perfection comes from culture with its union of poetry and religion, beauty and morality, sweetness and light. Culture uses every good human power to contribute to this perfection. Religion can certainly be considered part of this. In fact, Arnold believes that Christianity helps people discern and follow God’s will (which is for human perfection). Yet Christians should not discount parts of the human experience that seem to be nonreligious. Even these can be used to help human beings on the road to perfection.
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