Kwame Anthony Appiah's Article : What Is The Point Of College

Superior Essays
There’s always two sides to everything. In the Article “What is the point of college”, it discusses how when it comes to university, there are two visions: Utility and Utopia. Utopia came from John Stuart Mill and he calls it “experiment on living”. This means it centers on getting student ready for the real world. In addition, Utility came from Kwame Anthony Appiah, and mentions how it focuses on the usefulness of college. They’re very different and lead to different metrics of success. In order to be successful in school, it’s imperative to balance yourself between the two visions.They both explain a great deal about college. Although they both have different aims, they have one goal similar. The goal of both of these is to be successful in university. Utility focuses on a materialist view such as grades; on the other hand, Utopia focuses on being a better person. Some examples of utopia consist of knowledge development and personal development. Because Utility and Utopia both focus on different perspectives on being successful, one could be used more than the other. Utility should be essential in the school environment because to be successful; therefore, the students need to focus on the materialist view, so they could have a good career. College sets the students up for a brighter future. However, it could cost money to attend college. According to the article “What is the point of college?”, Kwame Anthony Appiah states that “As college grows more expensive, plenty

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    In Freeman Hrabowski’s article, Colleges Prepare People for Life, he writes about the argument of whether or not college is the right option. He begins the article by stating that many opposing articles criticize colleges for being too expensive and causing students to take on debt. Colleges are also criticized for not preparing students well enough for the workforce. Hrabowski then writes about the contrasted view of many educators and economists. Many educators and economists display evidence that a college degree is the only way to get some of the high paying jobs.…

    • 250 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In ‘The case against college” by Linda Lee she argues that everyone should not attend college and college is not for everyone. America seems to put the weight of college on every high school student making them feel assure that college is the only way to find a high paying job. Thus, pushing them into the halls of knowledge wither they are self-prepared or not. Like Lee’s son, many are in the same situation even though their children are bright enough to attend college they are not addressing college for the educational purposes. Many follow peers to hanging out, drink, and skip class putting education on the back burner.…

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    College is a big obstacle for students coming out of high school. College is such an obstacle because not everyone has enough financial support to go through college. Adam Davidson discusses in his article, Is College Tuition Really That High? , that the average student does not receive enough financial aid. Education is one of the most efficient way to become successful and to learn more about the world they live in. College proves difficult for many, but getting a stable job is the goal of life, and an education is necessary most of the time.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In college, students are expected to be responsible and to keep up with their work/due dates of assignments. If one feels as though they are not responsible enough to be on their own and go off to college, then yes of course college would not be worth the cost. They would be wasting money especially if they are receiving financial aid, that money could go to some other student whom is more dedicate to being responsible and getting their work done. Although, there is an alternative to someone who wants to go to college and get an education but does not want to pay the high costs that big colleges and universities charge, community college. Many people have their own opinion towards whether college may or may not be worth the costs.…

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Every student has a different reason for why they choose to attend college. In “What is the Point of College?” written by Kwame Anthony Appiah, he identifies two psychological ideologies of why students attend college, which he calls “Utopia U” and “Utility U.” . Students will either psychologically go to a Utopian University or Utility University, though it all depends on their reasoning to why they are attending college. If one attends a Utopia UniveristyUniversity it would mean they are going for their personal investment, and if they attend a Utility University they are going as a financial investment. While attending college, it is vital to use these two reasoning, Utopia and Utility U as motivation to get your degree.…

    • 1168 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    College: Worth the Cost? It’s crazy to think that where a person goes in life depends on what they do when they are teenagers and in their young twenties. Getting a good education is an important part of a person’s life, especially if they want to make a lot of money.…

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    One of the most controversial topics about college is, whether it is worth the cost. Although some college graduates face unemployment despite their degree as well as the high amount of college debt, many others believe that college is a great investment. College is a major milestone in the future of a student's career. With a college degree, most people attain higher chances of employment; this is shown to have big benefits in many fields.…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Today, all high schools prepare their students to achieve one major goal: to attend college so they can have a successful life. There are reasons why people should attend college, but college is not worth all your time and effort. College isn’t worth it because there are other jobs that pay emplo yees well without a college degree, there are better options for education, and it’s too expensive. College isn’t worth it because there are other careers that offer the same or higher salary even if you don’t have a college degree.…

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Every parents dream is for their kids to be successful, they want a child who had fun, stayed safe, and hopefully pursuited a college education so that their future would be bright. A college education and their degrees give college students and graduates a better opportunity to get a job and set up a career path. Now imagine, a world where everyone has a college education. The thing that made a college education and degree worth anything is that not everyone has one, it’s like diamonds. The reason diamonds are valuable is they are rare, which means there is also a low supply and high demand therefore rising the price.…

    • 1148 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Attending college is something everyone should consider. However, college is not for everyone. Some individuals should look into learning a trade such as become an electrician or a pipefitter. Attaining a college degree or learning a trade will give one opportunities to get a job with a decent salary which in turn will help one achieve financial stability. There are no guarantees in life.…

    • 2219 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To what extent should public college education be free? Education plays an extremely large role in American contemporary society; parents put their kids education before almost anything. However, when education starts to cost parents a small fortune, they start to reconsider if it’s really worth it. Although it is extremely important for people to be educated, it would be an impossible feat to have everyone go to college free; however it is imperative to make education free until college.…

    • 1083 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    College in today’s society is seen as a lifestyle, experience, and a necessity. Millions upon millions of students are crushed by the false reality being spewed off by television on how life will be after high school. Young impressionable minds are brainwashed into believing that college isn’t the path to success, but instead it is luck. These young minds start to believe that they will become rich and famous while avoiding the dues of student loans. This false reality leads these students to view college in a negative light when in fact a college education is what could be setting them apart from their ideal lifestyle.…

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When millions of students are attending postsecondary schools, whether that be community colleges, four-year universities, or graduate schools, it is reasonable to ask for justification of a student 's education. In “Live and Learn: Why we have college,” the author, Louis Menand, proposes several answers to the question of what is the return of higher education. Menand, a university professor, was asked by one of his students, “why did we have to buy this book?” (74). This question was asking Menard to “justify the return on investment in a college education,” and led him to develop three theories, each one being a view a person could hold on the value of collegiate education (74).…

    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    College Education Worth the Cost Whether college education is worth the cost being is a heated discussion topic. Some individuals think that college’s tuition fee is too expensive. Most graduates are not able to find a job with their degrees when they are graduated from university. People also think that college education is not worth the money because some students have to pay back in loans after they graduate.…

    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Why is College Tuition so expensive? Students in our current society are given a basic outline for success in life. Graduate high school, receive a degree from a college or university, and get a job. This basic outline for success has become a very obeyed command. However, more students than ever before are forced to submit to the institution of higher learning.…

    • 1086 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays