Philistinism In England And America :: essays research papers

Comments on Matthew Arnolds &quotPhilistinism in England and the States&quot&9In his essay, &quotPhilistinism in England and America,&quot Matthew Arnold examines the ancient ideas of Plato in the context of a twentieth century, capitalistic society. As he agrees with almost all of what Plato had to say, he also admits that he is outdated, and that some of his teachings cannot be applied to us, living in an industrial great power such as the United States. Still, though, Arnold defends the ancient philosopher. Education as a route to mental and physical righteousness is always a keen idea, whether it is in modern America or Ancient Greece. I protest with this, and it is here that I must contest the writings of Plato, as soundly as the essay by Arnold, for he is definitely a healthful backer of the ancient ideals.&9In Platos mind, the mensurate of an education is to clear ones mind of impure thought, tot up it to a higher lever than at the start, and attain a current level of righteousness. This may have been a good idea 2300 geezerhood ago, but to twenty-four hours, I see it as very limiting and impractical. In his time, only the rich aristocrats went to school. Its purpose was not for the students to l gain skills or ideas that would help them later in demeanor, but to expand their minds, thus reservation them into better people. There was no need for them to learn any art skills. Back then, if you came from a rich family, you were rich. Working at simple jobs was for the peasants and slaves. Today, life is different. Our society is completely unlike that of the ancient Greeks. We have no coterie system limiting the wealth and prominence of any citizen, we have no slavery to handle all the manual labor, our army is proportionately little and much less honored, and religion is a part of ones private life, not a dominating public force as it was to the Ancient Greeks. Most people today have a regular, day to day job, whether it b e in an office, store, factory, or anywhere else. We have to earn our wealth by working, not inheritance. That is why most people go to school today. &9I am attending NYU so that I can get a job later in life. I study chemistry and engineering, in the hopes that I can shape a chemical engineer.