Matthew ^Arnold, John 'Ruskin, and the KjVlodern Temper

336 Pages·2006·23.88 MB·English

EDWARD ALEXANDER
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MatthewArnold, John Tluskin,
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and the Modern Temper
''MatthewArnold, JohnaRuskin
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and theGModern Temper
By Edward A lexander
Like many of their contemporaries, Arnold and
Ruskin faced the demand of the Victorian tem­
per that art and learning subserve practical in­
terest, and were torn between their inclinations
as artists and their obligations as citizens. If it
can be said that a man is "called" to the life of
art, to the celebration of beauty, and, through
that, to the discovery of truth, both of these
great Victorians were. But a growing concern
with social and political questions — first as
they impinged upon the creation of art, but then
for their own sakes — eventually diverted them
into new activities that marked their entry into
the public arena.
Skillfully interweaving the lives and writings
of these two eminent Victorians, Professor
Alexander clearly reveals how each grappled,
often in highly productive ways, with intellectual
and spiritual quandaries that again today beset
large numbers of people who, though deeply in­
volved in the cultural enterprise, have come to
suspect that it has been discredited by the events
of recent history. For just as it was in the Vic­
torian period, the disinterested life of the mind
is again called into question, not only by the
Philistines and Jacobins, who have always been
skeptical of its value, but also by some of those
who, until recently, have been supposed to be
both its paid practitioners and ardent advocates.
Now as in the Victorian age many writers, hav­
ing suddenly discovered that intellect is no
guarantee of sanctity, question the utility of
liberal education and scientific scholarship, and
demand thai art and learning subserve practical,
political purposes.
Although Arnold and Ruskin moved in sim­
ilar ways from art into society and politics, Rus­
kin saw no alternative to the immersion of his
(Continued on back flap)

Matthew Arnold, John Ruskin,
and the Modern Temper

^Matthew ^Arnold, John 'Ruskin,
and the KjVlodern Temper
EDWARD ALEXANDER
Ohio State University Press : Columbus
Copyright © 1973 by the Ohio State University Press
All Rights Reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA
Matthew Arnold, John Ruskin, and the modern temper.
Bibliography: p.
1. Arnold, Matthew, 1822-1888. 2. Ruskin,
John, 1819-1900. I. Title.
PR4023.A63 821" .8'09 73-9605
ISBN 0-8142-0188-1
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