If we truly lived in a republic, would a teacher or doctor get more respect than a "normal" citizen? After all, isn't the work that a citizen engaged in more important than the work of a teacher or a doctor? (Though not as important as the work of a priest or bishop.) One should show respect to a teacher or medic for his learning, but is the [social] status of a teacher or medic necessarily higher than that of a true citizen? (Admittedly the social status of a teacher is rather low in the United States, unless he is a teacher at a university.)

Since we do not typically accord a citizen with more respect than a doctor, what does this say about our political form, or our understanding of citizenship and its responsibilities?

(It is the case that in certain polities where many are citizens, Aristotle says that their participation in government should be limited to selecting others for office. But would this imply that their work is not important, or less dignified than that of a teacher of grammar or a medic?)