The Rise of English

Essay | Terry Eagleton
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Arnold’s View of the Role of Literature as a Substitute for Religion

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Discuss Eagleton’s assessment of Arnold’s view of the role of literature as a substitute for religion.

Terry Eagleton (1943-present) discusses Matthew Arnold’s view on literature as a substitute for religion in his essay “The Rise of English” (1983). Eagleton critically examines how Arnold saw literature as taking on the role that religion once held in society. As science and industry grew, Arnold proposed that literature could offer moral and cultural guidance in a changing world.

Decline of Religion and the Rise of Literature: Eagleton notes that Arnold’s views emerged when religious authority weakened. The rise of science and technology led to a spiritual crisis as people began to lose faith in religious doctrines. This shift allowed literature to become a new moral authority in a society searching for direction. The following quotation supports this point.

Like religion, literature works primarily by emotion and experience, and so was admirably well-

fitted to carry through the ideological task which religion left off.

Critique of Arnold’s Idealism: While acknowledging Arnold’s influence, Eagleton critiques his view as overly idealistic. He argues that Arnold’s reliance on literature as a moral substitute overlooks the complexities of social class and political conflict. Eagleton suggests that this idealistic vision of literature simplifies the real challenges of addressing inequality and social tensions.

Literature as a Moral Force: Arnold believed that literature could provide the ethical and cultural values that religion once offered. Eagleton highlights how Arnold viewed literature as a means to “pursue our total perfection.” This belief positioned literature as a moral force capable of shaping character and promoting social harmony in an increasingly secular society. The following quotation is enough to support the point.

Egnlish is constructed as a subject to carry this ideological burden from the Victorian period onwards.

In short, Eagleton highlights Arnold’s idea that literature replaced religion as faith declined. Arnold saw literature as a moral guide. However, Eagleton argues that it fails to address deeper social problems.

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Terry Eagleton
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from The Rise of English