Commencing the paper, Eagleton first conducted a thorough investigation on the etymological aspect on the central term “Culture”. The word “culture” 1) derived from nature 2) mean originally “husbandry” 3) is an activity/practice process 4) shifts semantically from “base” to “superstructure” and comes both 5) has Latin root of “colere” that connotates to worshipping and sacredness. One of the most important aspects of culture derived from it is the dialectical nature inside the term that points to the dialectical reproduction of society by culture. Instead of approaching the dualism between culture and nature with Derridean deconstruction, Eagleton suggests that culture contains within itself a tension of dialectics. And cultivation, also, is not only “something we do to ourselves” but also “something done to us.” He then implements this conclusion to a criticism of a rhetoric from civic class claiming culture over politics. Having themselves a strongly political view of seeing humanity as utopian and denying politics “in the name of humanity,” is therefore dangerous since this view itself is deeply political and may be used in colonial activities or defining an “ideal” human.
Eagleton then further discussed the tension between the words of “culture” and “civilization.” Culture could almost be described as something escaped semantically from the more deviated concept of civilization which falls more into the danger of imperialist accusation and sociable deviation from the spirituality in culture.
The author then post a very critical view on the post-colonialism of whom the author renders a bit “hypocritic” because the theorists won’t have to politicalize their act of sympathy due to the already done war and invasion. The pluralizing multi-culturalism seems to be inclusive, but actually it’s appreciating “everything,” including the disputable ones.