This was the final project for a philosophy class I took which covered The Republic. The teacher wanted us to lay out our ideal society in some form other than a report so mine is a fake anthropologist's description of a perfect society which he recently encountered.
The underlying foundation on which this utopia of intellect was devised is the principle that proper education and upbringing is the key to unlocking the potential of future generations. With this goal in mind, Eumetis's legendary founder Tate set out to devise an education system that would allow children to critically analyze and interpret the events of their daily lives, making them unknowingly add to their own educations with every passing thought. Eumetis's education system starts teaching children at the age of four with lesson plans similar to those of private schools in the United States or Britain, but also includes a heavy emphasis on music appreciation and performance. At the age of six the children continue their educations, but with an added emphasis on physical art and reading and writing skills. At this age children are taught to read with allegories which promote learning and free thought as well as the basic moral principles which parents are indebted to teach to children at home.
Moral values are taught to the children both at home and in early schooling with these allegories, and every child must pass a test of situations in which morals are examined (sort of like a Choose-Your-Own Allegory) in order to complete their basic education. Children who do not pass this test are psychologically examined and asked why they responded as they did. The psychologist may then pass the child upon completing the evaluations, or send the child to be re-educated in moral values and made to re-take the test.
One allegory that is children learn when learning to read is about a city that thought it was so smart, that they kicked out all the craftsmen and laborers. The citizens of this imaginary city are industrious and invent many new and wonderful things, but they quickly run out of food and clothes. When winter comes around, they have nobody to build the efficient new power plants they designed, and nobody to run the old ones which were at least satisfactory enough to provide light and heat. The moral of this story is that all cities are built from the ground up, and when the workers on the bottom are removed, those on the top will fall with them.
Another allegory that is taught at the same age teaches them not to cheat or take credit for another's work. The story is about a child who completes his education by copying the work of others and eventually earns a well-respected position in the field of nuclear physics with his colleague who was unknowingly cheated off of. Once day when his colleague is out, a major meltdown occurs and the cheater is unable to do anything to stop it, causing the deaths of thousands of people. The moral of this story is that every position comes with responsibility, and it is dangerous to everyone for an individual to have responsibilities for which they are not qualified.
At the age of seven the Eumetis educational system begins to differ from those of “civilized” societies. Basic math is introduced to the children and a heavy emphasis is placed on reading and writing skills both in school and at home, culminating in the a majority children's ability to read at an advanced level by the end of the year. At eight years old children are taught critical analysis and interpretation of literature and strongly encouraged to view the music and art they have learned until then with the same techniques. Throughout the whole year of which a child is nine, he will learn very little of what is considered practical knowledge. Instead he will learn to question all the knowledge he has and will learn through the use of logic and rationality, in addition to rhetoric so he can better communicate. By the age of ten, Eumetian children are able to reason and debate rationally better than the majority of American college students.
From the age of 10 until 16, education of music, art, and literature decreases, that of critical analysis and logic remain constant, and more and more emphasis is placed on math, sciences, geometry, geography, and physics each year. At 16 children must pass both a standardized education test, and perform satisfactory on a ethics exam to graduate. Upon graduation children are free to decide whether they will continue their formal education in specific areas, or take up a trade as a profession in order to benefit the community. While heavy emphasis is placed on education and intellect in all of Eumetian society, many children who enjoy using their hands for art and music in school become fine craftsmen, able to turn even the simplest of commodities in to art. Those that choose to be craftsmen train for an additional four to ten years under masters of the craft before they are considered true craftsmen. At this point they are accepted in to the guild of their chosen profession and given the same social status as members of academic guilds.
Those that chose to continue their formal education find themselves introduced to the world's greatest community of scholars and teachers. Until the age of 20 they undergo general academic training in a wide variety of fields in order to determine which path to follow. In some cases, especially gifted individuals may be asked by a guild to study mainly in their field of expertise, and the four year period is lessened. Once a particular field is chosen, individuals study in this field an additional five to 20 years depending on their level of intelligence and educational goals. After this time they are considered official members of an academic guild. In Eumetian society a member of a guild is considered an expert in their field and holds high social status. One step above guild members, however, are the masters of the guild whose job it is to manage the affairs of the entire guild and represent them in the senate. These masters are generally very experience in their trade since they have practiced it so long. They take on the responsibilities of the guild in addition to their regular duties as a practitioner of the skill. Each guild is entitled to make its own laws regarding the election of guild masters, but many appoint masters or hold elections within the guild.
One step on the social ladder above guild masters are those that no longer practice their profession, but teach it to the apprentices. These very experienced teachers are relieved of the responsibilities of practicing their craft so that they may devote all of their time to their students' education. Teachers are given such high status because they pass on not only the standard practices of the profession, but also first-hand accounts of real world experiences. Teachers have very little actual power in the Eumetian society, but they are highly respected for passing on their knowledge to the next generation.
One unusual aspect of society which keeps everyone productive is the lower social status that entertainer have compared to craftsmen and laborers. Musicians, actors, writers, artists, and prostitutes (which are legal but not in very high demand) all have their own guilds and are represented in the senate, but they have less social status than those of equal standing in other guilds because they do not feed any necessary aspect of the society, but rather its appetites. Masters of entertainment are considered on the same level as regular members of labor or professional guilds, and teachers of entertainment are equal to masters of other guilds. This does not mean, however, that entertainers are not appreciated or in low demand in Eumetis. During my excursion to the island I was fortunate enough to witness and help coordinate Eumetis's first ever cultural celebration, during which original representations of cultural art, music, and literature was displayed and the Guild of Culinary Delights made over 6,000 different dishes from around the world. The festival was such a success that it was extended for a full week instead of its planned 3 days, and morale and work ethic of the entire society was greatly increased for weeks after.
The Eumetian senate is possibly the most fascinating demonstration of politics that exists. Senate is held once a month to decide how best to spend the taxes and occasionally, when knew knowledge is discovered, discusses the creation of a new guild. Each guild chooses two Masters to represent them in the senate, which is often a massive debate between multiple groups of guilds. Each guild is allowed to make a proposal for how money should be spent, and since all are trained in rhetoric and rational thought at a young age, these debates never devolve to name-calling or petty arguments but remain focused on the important issues. Senate also lasts multiple days and in such cases a board of Judicators from the Guild of Seekers for Truth and Penitence volunteers to mediate the debate from an unbiased perspective.
The Guild of Seekers for Truth and Penitence are the entire criminal justice system of Eumetis. The penitentiary system of Eumetis is one devoted to reform, rather than retribution., giving them practically no repeat offenders. Offenders are made to see the psychological or physical pain their actions have caused their victims and their friends and families. They are made to attend both personal psychologists and group therapy with those who were harmed by their crimes. If an offender commits more than one violent crime, he is marooned on a neighboring island and given no provisions. Offenders who commit three non-violent crimes are brought to a nearby society and left there to live however they chose so long as they do not return to Eumetis. These people generally mix with the more advanced modern societies and perform very capably.
The Guild of Seekers for Truth and Penitence are responsible for processing the trial of those accused of crimes and for taking care of those convicted. After being apprehended by the guards, criminals are given over to the Seekers for holding, and two Seekers are randomly selected to compose a case for, and three against the accused, including compiling a list of witnesses. Before this, other Seekers who specialize in the collection and analysis of crime scene data compile factual reports on materials found on the crime scene, which can be used by the Seekers representing the defense and the prosecution. The prosecution opens the court when all the evidence has been compiled, and argues to a panel of seven randomly selected Judicators, who then have blind vote to determine the outcome. If the defendant has been found guilty, he is given back over to the Seekers who then schedule his reformation process or perform his exiling.
Personal life in Eumetian society is vastly different from any other that exists on Earth. Upon reaching adulthood and graduating “basic” education at the age of 16, each Eumetian is required to donate a sample of their sperm or eggs to the state's genetics department. At this time each citizen who completes the basic education is granted basic rights which protect their freedom of expression and rights which concern fair trials. After this they are free to engage in whatever personal relationships they chose, whether for pleasure or reproductive purposes. This includes homosexuality and mutli-partner relationships, which can become legally binding marriages. All sexual relationships, heterosexual,homosexual, and multiparty most be consented to by all involved and all must have reached adulthood. Marriages and divorces are another minor duty of the Judicators, and therefore marriage is an institution solely of the state which may pass no judgment on marriage save that a party involved does not agree.
A family would consist of groups of people bound by marriage and their offspring. Partners could have as many children as they want so long as they can provide for those children. Adoption is strongly suggested and is one of the reasons donations of sperm and eggs are required. Barring unforeseen accidents, there are no children without parents, so when partners decide to adopt they may ask to use their own donated samples, or specify a set of skills which they would like their child to have. Samples are then chosen, with the donors' permission, to genetically predetermine the child to the specified skill. Once the donors give their permission for the samples to be used, they have no say in any aspect of how the child is raised, but they may receive information about important events in the child's life (career choice, marriages, etc) if they wish.
Partners who divorce must make arrangements for their children upon divorcing and are still required to provide for these children until they reach adulthood. These children may be raised by any parent involved in the marriage (arrangements made upon divorce) or if the child has reached a significant level of training and shows proficiency in a particular set of skills, a guild may ask to adopt the child and raise it as a guild member of that particular trade if the parents agree. Children raised by a guild are not required to choose that trade as their profession, but are strongly encouraged to and given slightly higher social status among the members of the guild for being raised among them. The guild may withdraw their invitation if the child does not prove to be talented in their trade, but must still raise the child until it comes of age.
Genetic samples are also used by the state to maintain a base of genetically superior laborers. The Guild of Genetic Craftsmanship which handles all donated samples of sperm and eggs, breeds children based on a family history of physical strength and dexterity, work ethic, and minimal criminal activity. Laborers are educated in the same way as regular children until they reach adulthood at 16. At this time they are taken out of classes and instructed in various fields of labor including mining, farming, animal training, grounds keeping, guardian training, and other basic aspects which society requires. Guild laborers are given the same social status as craftsmen or academic guild members, and can even be revered as heroes. Mos notably among these is Luz Rouh, the Eumetian miner who lead a successful expedition in to a volcano on a neighboring island to create forge within the crater where metal can be worked in lava by master blacksmiths. Since the making of the the Vulcan Forge, Eumetis has seen a dramatic rise in its labor force as many non-genetically altered children chose to provide labor rather than continue their educations.
Since a high regard is placed on the collection and creation of knowledge in Eumetis, many members of certain guilds chose to travel the world and collect and add to knowledge pertaining to their field in other societies. In doing this they can gain understanding of things that they would otherwise never have learned on remote Eumetis. They also collect as many scholarly and literary works as they can find regarding their area of expertise. When they return to Eumetis they add these to the massive library which is the heart of the Eumetian society. Many also write their own scholarly articles or journals which are also added to the library. It is the job of the guild's teachers to remain up to date with the knowledge brought from outside Eumetis and synthesize this information in to their teachings. This lust for higher learning and the continual development of intelligence breeds a constant friendly competition between all individuals in Eumetian society. They attempt to out-do one another at all times, but very rarely does this turn in to actual feuds between individuals or guilds.
Since Eumetis is the largest island in a relatively small chain of volcanic islands, they make use of the other islands to test their constantly developing intelligence. One of the medium sized islands is used entirely by the Guild of Aeronautics and Astrophysics (a rapidly growing guild) to build, test, and pilot their creations. Another smaller island is used by the Guild of Genetic Craftsmanship to breed livestock and plant life for maximum production. On this island there are fruit trees which are hundreds of years old and have the fruits of other trees spliced in to the branches. The famous 175 year old pomegranate tree which the Eumetian people call Perseperum produces apples, oranges, lemons, pears, plums, and cherries, in addition to massive quantities of pomegranates each season. A very small island is a chemist's amusement park where imported chemicals are combined in endless combinations to create new polymers built for strength and light weight. Even the volcano in which Vulcan Forge was made has been chiseled and sculpted to resemble a massive living flame when viewed from afar.
If anywhere in the world can be said to be a true paradise it is the island of Eumetis. Here is a society which exists peacefully and reasonably to makes advancing in all fields of learning so that everyone may benefit from the discoveries made. Any scholar's dream would be to be accepted in to Eumetian society and revered as an equal among these intellectual giants. If they had been instilled with the values of possessions and power they could likely develop weapons which would easily compensate for their small numbers, but they among the most peaceful and friendly of people. Throughout my long career I can honestly say that I have never felt the need to retire from field work until spending time among the Eumetians. This article should double as my resignation from the field of cultural anthropology as the world knows it, as I have chosen to gratefully accept the position of honorary teacher of anthropology in the recently developed Guild of the Endeavors of Humanity. I publish this last article to the so-called civilized world only so you know that there exists a society which defies all contemporary social models in the interests of intellectual freedom for the advancement of the human species.
