A Balance of Culture

I found Raymond’s Williams’ chapter “Two Literary Critics” in his Culture and Society really helpful in trying to understand the meaning of culture and how it fits into our society. In this chapter, he examines the works of I.A. Richards and F. R. Leavis and their theories as to the nature and creation of culture. Both critics debated the effect of “bad art” and how it must be overcome by culture. Richard’s overall viewpoint is that art and literature provide the means with which society can redeem its culture (247). Leavis’ viewpoint seems a bit more arrogant. For Leavis, culture is “a positive body of achievements and habits, to precisely express a mode of living superior to that being brought about by the ‘progress of civilization’” (254).

Throughout most of the excerpt we read of Culture and Society, Williams summarizes contrasts other theorists’ viewpoints without offering much of his own opinion. I found one section where he does give his own opinion in contrast to Leavis’ quite compelling.

“What is true, I would argue, is that a number of new kinds of unsatisfying work have come into existence; a number of new kinds of cheap entertainment; and a number of new kinds of social division. Against these must be set a number of new kinds of satisfying work; certain evident improvements, and new opportunities, in education; certain important new kinds of social organization. Between all these and other factors, the balance has to be more finely drawn than the myth allows.” (261)

I found Williams’ opinion here to be refreshing. While he does bemoan the existence of lowbrow culture and its effects on society, his proposed cure is entirely constructive. Instead of simply complaining about the existence of what he calls “unsatisfying work” and “cheap entertainment,” he suggests the enhanced creation of highbrow culture. Instead of attempting to destroy what he feels is inferior, he attempts to create a better balance by raising the bar of highbrow culture and inundating our society with “evident improvements” that will, in his mind, create a more balanced and enriched society.