Literature And Science Matthew Arnold Analysis

On the collective path toward enlightenment, society cannot be overly reliant on any one subject. Rather, even the inspired or passionate men of science require the rationality and the imaginative powers of those men of letters. Furthermore, in the year 1885, Matthew Arnold produced an essay called “Literature and Science” that shows the necessity of literature in education and society. During his time period, the majority of the population was in pursuit of studying what life is made of, how the elements of nature interact, and how these elements move through space and time. Therefore, the multitude might have concluded that the dominant field of study was the natural sciences. In contrast, Arnold believes that the people must not falter in …show more content…
His essay, in effect, has the intention of preserving the pursuit of wisdom in literature. The general fact that he is discussing the greater role of literature in his time reflects his defence for its preservation. However, his attempt is skewed when he states the importance of only having some and not the majority passionately interested in the study of natural sciences (Arnold 1440). The more people begin to relate current knowledge with human experience, the more adept society will be. Despite the important comments that Arnold makes about the importance of literature, his conception disregards the conjunction of science and literature. In other words, the relationship between the investigative processes and its effects on human nature. Simply put, there is an even greater importance of applying the most provocative research of today to literature and vise versa. In turn, this cycle places greater emphasis on transferring contemporary ideas to elevate the multitude. Furthermore, the emphasis of education should be on transmuting thought into human conduct or liquid bronze into solid