To Think Anew: Arnold, the Literary, and Social Justice

Abstract

Contemporary attempts to assess the role of literary studies in the academic curriculum, especially ones aimed at linking academic study to efforts at achieving social justice, have an ally in Matthew Arnold. Although often branded a conservative, Arnold reveals in his essays a liberal view of democratic society and literature’s role in promoting solutions to social problems. Seeing the challenges as well as the benefits of the democracy emerging as the dominant form of government and society in the West, Arnold advocates caution in tackling issues, however, recommending patient study of social issues prior to engaging in reform. He views culture not as an élite, detached experience, but as an ongoing process that adapts and responds to changing social conditions. Literature can help us interact and respond to our experiences and assist us in developing new kinds of relationships. Similarly criticism, while not directly useful in resolving injustices and inequalities, can help us see challenges clearly and urge us to resist the temptation for immediate reactions. Careful study of literature has the potential to aid the work of social reformers who think freely and creatively.