In his lectures on the concept of the modern, M. Arnold articulates criteria that make a literature and generally a body of writing "eternally interesting."

He passionately defends the classical period from the attacks it faced and continues to face to this day.

A key shaper of modern critical theory and humanistic education, he directly connects the modern with the philosophy of history and cultures, the educational and ecclesiastical policies of reforms, the relationships between conservatism and liberalism, and the prevailing atmosphere of the era and culture.