"But when he argues for an authoritative centre, like an Academy, in the field of literature; when he urges that representative government issues in pandering to the populace instead of the rule of right reason; when he praises the work done by an absolute monarchy in Prussia for the cause of education, his inclination seems clear. In the name of good taste or right reason he seeks an authority which will not pander to the bad taste of any class, and which must therefore presumably, be non-representative; and it is difficult to see where such an authority can be found except in a sort of absolute monarchy. Arnold would have instantly denied that he sought anything of this order; he would have treated the idea with elusive and delicate irony; and yet this is the one logical issue of his teaching."
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Academics from EnglandEssayists from EnglandRomantic poetsPoets from EnglandJournalists from England
Original Language: English
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Sources
Ernest Barker, Political Thought in England 1848 to 1914 (1915; 2nd. edn. 1928), p. 199
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Matthew_Arnold
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Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet, essayist and cultural critic. He also pursued a career as an inspector of schools.
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