Art for life's sake

During Victorian age art, literature and criticism, were considered as an expression of those ideas and ideals which ennobled, elevated and enlightened life and society. The function of literature and criticism is so improve the quality of life.
The Victorian writers and critics were divided into two groups on the issues of what exactly was the function of literature. One group was represented by Thomas Carlyle and John Ruskin, who believes in 'Art for life's sake'. The another group was represented by Pater and Oscarwilde who believed in 'Art for Art's sake'. Ruskin and Carlyle did their best to explore morality underlying art and literature. Both were aware of the threat posed by science and industrialism to religion and morality and wanted literature and criticism to counter this. They consider arts and morals as interdependent and wanted art to serve morality. According to them there could be no good art unless it had some moral to present. Ruskin consideres that art as the greatest which conveys to the reader 'the greatest number of greatest ideas'. The other group led by Pater and Wilde wanted to liberate art from the moral burdens. Matthew Arnold's view on the function of literature seems to take the middle position between these two extreme views.

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