Who said “Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the…”?

Verified

Matthew Arnold. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLiterature and Dogma (1873), Preface

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the world, and thus with the history of the human spirit.”
VerifiedLiterature and Dogma (1873), Preface · evidenceCulture

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Literature and Dogma (1873), Preface.

APA

Arnold, M. (n.d.). Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the world, and thus with the history of the human spirit. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/12290-culture-the-acquainting-ourselves-with-the-best-that/

MLA

Arnold, Matthew. “Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the world, and thus with the history of the human spirit.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/12290-culture-the-acquainting-ourselves-with-the-best-that/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Arnold, Matthew. “Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the world, and thus with the history of the human spirit.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/12290-culture-the-acquainting-ourselves-with-the-best-that/.