Kyle Sheehan

FYS 100 Section 50 – Social Utopias

Dr. Watts

November 10, 2015

Question: What makes the Amish approach to life more utopian than that of the rest of society?

The Amish approach to life can be compared to few others. Amish living can best be described as a fundamental, simplistic, Christian way of interacting with others in a communal setting. The article “One Day in the Life of an Amish Woman” gives a firsthand glimpse into the structure and behavior of the Amish. The woman gives a narrative about her daily encounters with her family and other members of the Amish Community. She argues that the Amish views and approach are superior in the raising of children as well as dressing (One day in the life an Amish Woman p 2,3). The Amish are more similar to More’s view of a utopia due to their emphasis on equality and division of labor as well as their focus on the raising and etiquette of their children for efficiency.

The Amish settlements make an effort to foster two utopian ideals, harmony and equality (p2 line37). They attempt to attain these attributes by establishing rules for the community. One member of the settlement is forbidden from suing another so as to create less issues between the members (p2 line39). The idea of equality is presented in the Amish approach to labor. Being a primarily agricultural based society, the Amish put a very large emphasis on hard and tedious work. The Amish achieve this equality by the equal division of labor and responsibility between men and women. The woman explains that the “women keep the house and the men work the farms” (p3). As soon as the children are able, they also help out with the tasks designated for their sex (p3).

The woman argues that the “discipline observed in an Amish family would put the average American youngster to the blush” (p4). This is due to the respect that children give to their parents as well as all elders within the community. She shows this through the simple dialogue between a father and son. When the father, Jake, asks his son, Joe, to retrieve some water for their guest, Joe does it without any retort. There was “no disrespect in familiar assent, no lack of reverence for the parental authority” found in the rest of society (p3). This creates, in theory, a more well behaved, efficient community. This efficiency is key to any attempt at a utopian society. Once the children become strong enough or of age, they are put into employment so that they too, can benefit the community (p3).

The strong emphasis the Amish put on equality and efficiency parallels the values of any ideal utopian society. The Amish approach to life, although not utopian in entirety, displays significantly more similarities to a utopian society than that of the rest of America. Their simplistic way of life allows them to behave and act primarily as a community.

Works Cited

“One Day in the Life of an Amish Woman.” The Independent … Devoted to the Consideration of Politics, Social and Economic Tendencies,, 1903. Accessed November 10, 2015. ProQuest.