SOURCE: “Arnold and the Pragmatists: Culture as Democracy,” in Communications with the Future: Matthew Arnold in Dialogue, University of Michigan Press, 1997, pp. 139-74.

In the following essay, Stone claims that despite Arnold's largely unfavorable view of American culture, he appealed to American intellectuals and that his philosophy has been an inspiration for many American pragmatists, including John Dewey and William James.

I am more and more convinced that the world tends to become more comfortable for the mass, and more uncomfortable for those of any natural gift or distinction—and it is as well perhaps that it should be so—for hitherto the gifted have astonished and delighted the world, but not trained or inspired or in any real way changed it—and the world might do worse than to dismiss too high pretentions, and settle down on what it can see and handle and appreciate.

Arnold to...