Arnold begins Chapter 1 by once more addressing the “disparagers of culture” (150). Arnold muses that the wide divide between the disparagers and the believers in culture (such as Arnold himself) is rooted in a misunderstanding, especially around the word curiosity. While curiosity can sometimes be idle and ineffectual, Arnold points out that it can also be “natural and laudable” (152) when nurtured within “an intelligent being” (152). He adds that curiosity can help to regulate the mind and bring greater harmony to it, which requires sustained effort.

While Arnold sees curiosity as valid, it is not exactly the essence of true culture. Rather, true culture is rooted in “the love of perfection; it is a study of perfection” (153, emphasis Arnold’s). Crucially, culture has a moral as well as intellectual dimension to it: “It moves by the force, not merely or primarily of the scientific passion for pure knowledge, but also of the moral and social passion for doing good” (153, emphasis added). Further, Arnold claims that culture is aligned with “worthy notions of reason and the will of God” (155), thereby attributing to it a spiritual dimension as well.

An important aspect of Arnold’s conception of culture is that it is primarily an inward phenomenon.