“Utopia” vs. “the Republic”: Education

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“Utopia” vs. “The Republic”: Education Thomas More’s “Utopia” and Plato’s “Republic” present two different utopian societies. One specific aspect of these societies where this is shown is the education system presented in both societies. The functions of education within Thomas More’s “Utopia”, versus Plato’s “Republic” are similar in that education is emphasized as a means to advance their societies. These are different in many ways, such as with differences in the openness to innovation in education, which has access to education, education by class and views in the way education affects citizens. In Thomas More’s “Utopia”, all citizens within the society are educated and continue their education. The purpose of education within “Utopia” is to mold the values and ideals of the citizens within the society. This educational system is used by the people largely in their free time, in unison with their manual labor responsibilities. It also supplements labor by teaching citizens about agriculture, which plays a fundamental role in More’s society. Public lectures are often held first thing in the morning. Though lectures are not mandatory to be attended by citizens, there is a large turnout. Utopians see education as something to be enjoyed, as a necessity within their society, and a right to all people. They also think of it as being important in bettering the characteristics of their citizens. An example of this is when More states: “For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them.”(More) This shows More’s beliefs that without education, a societies citizens will turn to corruption and crime. More emphasizes education as a means to

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