Matthew Arnold's Hebraism in Culture and Anarchy Explained

In Matthew Arnold's influential work, Culture and Anarchy, he explores two principal forces or tendencies he identifies within human nature and society: Hellenism and Hebraism. Arnold uses these terms metaphorically to represent different ideals and approaches to life.

Understanding Hebraism According to Arnold

Matthew Arnold associated Hebraism primarily with the aspect of human nature focused on strictness of conscience, conduct, and obedience to duty. It is the impulse towards doing, following moral codes, and exercising willpower to achieve righteousness. Arnold linked it to the spirit of the Old Testament Hebrews, emphasizing law, strict discipline, and moral action.

Key characteristics Arnold attributed to Hebraism include:

• Emphasis on conduct and doing right.
• Strictness of conscience and moral discipline.
• Obedience to law and duty.
• The pursuit of salvation through action and willpower.
• A tendency towards rigidity and potentially a lack of intellectual flexibility.

Essentially, Hebraism, in Arnold's framework, represents the drive towards moral perfection and practical righteousness. It is fundamentally concerned with knowing and doing God's will or, in a secular sense, adhering to strict moral principles and codes of conduct.

Contrasting Hebraism with Hellenism

Arnold contrasts Hebraism sharply with Hellenism, which he associates with the ancient Greeks and their emphasis on seeing things as they really are, intellectual curiosity, spontaneity of consciousness, and the pursuit of beauty and knowledge. Hellenism represents the impulse towards knowing, understanding, and developing one's intellectual and aesthetic faculties.

While both forces are necessary for a complete and harmonious human development, Arnold argued that English society at the time was overly inclined towards Hebraism, leading to Philistinism (a narrow, materialistic middle-class mentality) and a lack of critical thinking and adaptability.

Analysing the Options

Let's examine the provided options in light of Arnold's definition of Hebraism:

1. Moral education: This aligns very closely with Arnold's description of Hebraism, which is fundamentally concerned with moral conduct, duty, and righteousness. The goal of Hebraism is the moral perfection of man through obedience to conscience and rule.

2. Intellectual autonomy: This concept is more aligned with Arnold's idea of Hellenism, which values independent thinking, seeing things as they are, and intellectual exploration.

3. Rational outlook: While Hebraism involves a certain kind of reasoning related to duty and conduct, a broad "rational outlook" encompassing critical inquiry and understanding the world is more characteristic of Hellenism.

4. Pragmatic attitude: Pragmatism focuses on practical consequences and usefulness. While Hebraism is concerned with practical action (doing), its primary motivation is moral and religious duty rather than mere expediency or practical utility. Hellenism, with its emphasis on seeing things as they are, might also lead to a pragmatic approach, but pragmatism isn't the core definition of either term for Arnold.

Based on Arnold's exposition in Culture and Anarchy, "Moral education" best captures the essence of what he meant by Hebraism – the focus on conduct, conscience, and strict adherence to moral and religious law.

Revision Table: Culture and Anarchy Concepts

Additional Information on Matthew Arnold's Ideas

Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) was a prominent Victorian poet and cultural critic. In Culture and Anarchy (1869), he critiques English society and argues for the importance of "culture" as a harmonizing force against the "anarchy" he observed. His famous dichotomy of Hebraism and Hellenism is central to his argument about the forces shaping human character and society.

Arnold believed that a balanced development of both Hellenism and Hebraism is crucial for individual and societal perfection. Too much Hebraism leads to narrow dogmatism and rigidity, while too much Hellenism can lead to a lack of moral fibre and direction. He argued that English society, particularly the middle class, needed more Hellenism to balance its strong Hebraic tendencies and overcome its Philistinism.

Understanding these terms is key to grasping Arnold's social and cultural criticism and his vision for a perfected society achieved through the pursuit of culture.