English Literature / Unit 19 ENL 1806 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Arnold: Criticism and Touchstones
Captions available
The idea
Matthew Arnold's criticism, the course taught, defined culture as "the best which has been thought and said," spreading "sweetness and light" against the middle-class Philistines, and proposed touchstones from the world's best writing as measures of worth.
In practice
Sweetness and light; touchstones.
Where people slip
Arnold makes criticism a cure for society.
Your place on the trail
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