Disinterestedness in Criticism
But criticism, real criticism, is essentially the exercise of this very quality [curiosity]. It obeys an instinct prompting it to try to know the best that is known and thought in the world, irrespectively of practice, politics, and everything of the kind; and to value knowledge and thought as they approach this best, without the intrusion of any other considerations whatever . . . The rule may be summed up in one word—disinterestedness. And how is criticism to show disinterestedness? By keeping aloof from what is called “the practical view of things”; by resolutely following the law of its own nature, which is a free play of the mind on all subjects which it touches. By steadily refusing to lend itself to any of those ulterior, political, practical considerations about ideas which plenty of people will be sure to attach to them, which perhaps ought often to be attached to them, which in this country at any rate are certain to be attached to them quite sufficiently, but which criticism has really nothing to do with. Its business is, as I have said, simply to know the best that is known and thought in the world and by making this known, to create a current of true and fresh ideas . . . It must needs be that men should act in sects and parties, that each of these sects and parties should have its organ, and should make this organ subserve the interests of its action; but it would be well, too, that there should be a criticism, not the minister of these interests, not their enemy, but absolutely and entirely independent of them. No other criticism will ever attain any real authority or make any real way towards its end—the creating a current of true and fresh ideas.
Matthew Arnold, “The Function of Criticism at the Present Time”
Translate ‘Practical View of Things’
The practical view of things makes references to the idea of acting under subjectivity, and that’s what he wants to avoid. For him, the critic should keep aloof from these considerations and reach what is called ‘disinterestedness’. If you want to be a critic, you should not feel conditioned or influenced by the ordinary things of life, such as politics, economics. All of this is related to subjectivity.
General Meaning of the Passage
The general idea of this passage concerns what a critic should do to become a great critic. Matthew Arnold is telling us that a critic should be disinterested about what happens around him, who has to keep aloof from external considerations, from the practical view of things, and political biases. His main aim is to reach critical objectivity. He is interested in criticism being objective; critical objectivity is more or less the same as not being influenced by the practical view of things.
Arnold’s Purpose for Criticism
Arnold has his own interpretation of what the word criticism means. For him, this represents the most essential part of the text. A text has to be produced in order to understand its words. The ideas of the text have to work freely. Criticism, for him, shows disinterestedness for the practical view of things. Criticism is a free play of the mind. First of all, we have to create, and before that, we have to have a critical moment where we explain these ideas. So, Arnold’s aim is to achieve a criticism which is not based on political and practical considerations. Arnold’s aim is to create a criticism which is only interested in knowing the best that is known. The critic must ignore political and practical considerations and focus attention on creating ideas.