Culture and Anarchy · Chapter
Chapter III explained
Arnold critiques the Liberal push to legalize marriage to a deceased wife's sister, arguing that true freedom lies not in 'doing as one likes' but in serving one's best self and pursuing perfection.
What happens
Arnold critiques the Liberal push to legalize marriage to a deceased wife's sister, arguing that true freedom lies not in 'doing as one likes' but in serving one's best self and pursuing perfection. He contrasts the rigid Hebraism of figures like Mr. Chambers with a Hellenic sensitivity to finer feelings, and warns against reducing human relations to mechanical rules or biblical literalism.
Themes in this chapter
Hebraism vs. Hellenism
Arnold contrasts the rigid Hebraic literalism of Mr. Chambers with the Hellenic sensitivity to reason and finer feelings, exemplified by Bishop Wilson.
Critique of Liberalism and 'Doing as One Likes'
Arnold attacks the Liberal maxim 'Liberty is the law of human life,' arguing that true freedom is service to one's best self, not unchecked personal action.
Perfection and Self-Development
The chapter emphasizes cultivating delicacy of perception and harmonizing impulses under the idea of a perfected humanity.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
The voice of the chapter, arguing for culture and perfection over mere liberty.
- Philistine
Described as having a defect in delicacy of perception; the target of Arnold's critique.
- Mr. Chambers
Introduced the bill to marry a deceased wife's sister, citing God's law (Leviticus) as not forbidding it.
- Bishop Wilson
Quoted for his Hellenizing insight that Christian duties are founded on reason, not arbitrary divine command.
- St. Paul
Mentioned as an example of fruitful Hellenising within Hebraism.
- Mr. Hepworth Dixon
Called the 'Colenso of love and marriage'; promotes American discoveries in the Bible favoring liberty.
- Brother Noyes
Mentioned as one who goes to St. Paul and the New Testament for discoveries favorable to liberty.
- Solomon
Cited as the wisest king of the Hebrews who had many wives and concubines, illustrating Semitic polygamy.
Key passages
“the only perfect freedom is, as our religion says, a service; not a service to any stock maxim, but an elevation of our best self, and a harmonising in subordination to this, and to the idea of a perfected humanity, all the multitudinous, turbulent, and blind impulses of our ordinary selves.”
True freedom is not doing whatever one wants, but serving one's highest self and bringing all chaotic desires into harmony with the ideal of a perfected humanity.
Arnold's central argument against the Liberal notion of liberty.
“Christian duties are founded on reason, not on the sovereign authority of God commanding what he pleases; God cannot command us what is not fit to be believed or done, all his commands being founded in the necessities of our nature.”
Christian obligations are based on reason and human nature, not on arbitrary divine commands; God's commands are always suited to our needs.
Bishop Wilson's Hellenic insight, used by Arnold to counter rigid Hebraism.
“who, that is not manacled and hoodwinked by his Hebraism, can believe that, as to love and marriage, our reason and the necessities of our humanity have their true, sufficient, and divine law expressed for them by the voice of any Oriental and polygamous nation like the Hebrews?”
Only someone blinded by Hebraism would think that the laws of love and marriage are adequately expressed by an ancient polygamous Semitic people.
Arnold's critique of relying on Hebrew scriptures for modern marital ethics.
