The Idea of a Noble Lie Presented by Plato - Essay Example

Noble Lies It would not be a mistake to point out that living in a society should be considered to be an irreplaceable prerequisite for the development of the inner potential of a human. Indeed, if it had not been for the social environment, a considerable number of abilities which are thought to be characteristic to human race would not have emerged. Indeed, the very ability to generate verbal interaction was developed primarily because people felt the necessity to communicate about different matters. However, it must be noted that the society might be constructed on different foundations. As of now, there is no one single theory that is able to explain the emergence of it with absolute accuracy. That is why the nature of the society is opened for discussion to a certain extent. This paper will prove that the idea of Noble Lie as it was presented by Plato is acceptable in a society. To begin with, it would be rather important to provide a broad perspective on this concept. Thus, it suggested that “a Noble Lie is a myth or untruth (often, but not invariably, of a religious nature) knowingly told by the elite to maintain social harmony. A noble lie may indeed benefit all parties to a degree, yet it is different from a white lie in that a white lie does not cause (much) discomfort if uncovered, where is a Noble Lie might be of such nature that its revelation might land a killing blow to the public identity” (Haywood, 2011, 49). As one can clearly see, there are several important implications that this definition holds. First of all, a Noble Lie is rooted in fiction; secondly, at least one party that is involved distributes this lie knowingly; thirdly, its mere purpose is to benefit the society; finally, the nature of the Noble Lie is inseparably connected to existence of the society. Another point that should be mentioned is that in the original text about the Noble Lie there were two parts about it. The researchers point out that “the first part seems to be intended to unite the city, the second part can only serve to maintain its division, for it makes sacred the class distinctions within the city, even to extent of diving families” (Fendt & Rozema, 1998, 60). Indeed, this shows that the concept of Noble Lie is rooted in the idea that a stratified society is the only effective way of organization of the social environment. Having analyzed the background of the notion in question, it would be advantageous to turn to the benefits that implementation of it holds for the society. First of all, one should acknowledge that the general idea behind introducing a Noble Lie is to help the society achieve a more prosperous and stable state. The researchers point out the following: “what makes it noble or nobly born (gennaion) is (a) that it represents symbolically some part of the truth and (b) that its effect is salutary, not just from the standpoint of the city’s needs but also (though perhaps only partially) from the standpoint of the individual” (Cooper, 2008, 79). This means that all the parties that are involved in the interaction will benefit if the society adheres to the Noble Lie. Another point that should be noted is that the above mentioned idea is closely connected to respective the civil order and by no means is intended to ruin it. Indeed, it is obvious that “Plato’s ‘noble lie’, despite its pro-Spartan and authoritarian overtones, is represented in terms which draw on Athenian popular morality and civic mythology” (Hesk, 2000, 5). One can hardly disagree with that the ancient Athens is a model that the entire democratic world is referring to at the moment. In other words, if the concept in question was designed in the times when democracy flourished, it is surely a beneficial one. What is more important is that contrary to the common belief, the idea of Noble Lie does not have to do anything with the process of deceiving. For example, it is supposed that “the ‘noble lie’, an oft-misinterpreted part of Plato’s Republic, is not there to give rulers license to deceive their populations to take them to war” (Labuschagne, 2009, 54). Indeed, the very term that is used to name this concept might distract people from its original meaning. In other words, if the social life is based on the Noble Lie, it does not mean that the whole process of living in society is affected by something negative. As a matter of fact, this kind of attitude might be explained by the following idea: “the very notion of public lying of any sort does not sit well with most modern political ideologies, and especially not the prevailing liberal democratic ones where a condition of complete transparency has tended to form the limiting ideal of public discourse” (Huar, 2007, 114). It is true that in the modern world, truth is considered to be the highest value and lie is condemned; however, people should not be slaves of their limited outlook and be afraid of world that might stand for something different than a one dimensional category might imply. This means the society might benefit from this idea, but is too afraid to try it. In order to understand that the mechanism of how the Noble Lie is able to have a positive influence on the society, one should put emphasis on the reason why people in the society need this kind of lie. On the one hand, the benefits of such practice might be explained by the following rhetorical question: “Isn’t the telling of myths (even noble ones) in a postmodern context akin to the paradox of trying to hide something from oneself?” (Rue, 1994, 283). Indeed, myths are thought to have been composed because people wanted to hide their lack of power of the environment and by inventing deities they felt some power of the situation. If the Noble Lie is regarded as a variation of a myth, then that mechanism of its adoption in the social life is easily understood. On the other hand, “the basic premise to the Noble Lie is that there are desires that threaten to undermine the order of society if they are left alone and therefore need to be addressed… [and] one must persuade these people [the population] to strive towards what is good; [so] the Noble Lie is simply the instrument of such persuasion” (Barney, 2012, 131). This shows one of the most important concepts about the social life in general: the social order should be defended against certain individuals who perform destructive actions, such as crimes. That is why law enforcement or introduction of the Noble Lie might be considered to be effective tools that keep the social environment stable. Finally, the analyzing of the concept in question might benefit from analysis of the opposite points of view. Thus, Karl Popper, one of the fiercest opponents of the Noble Lie, attacks the very name of it: “’lordy lie’ is at least as literal as ‘noble lie’, but it avoids the associations which the term ‘noble lie’ might suggest, and which are in no way warranted by the situation, viz. a lie by which a man nobly takes something upon himself which endangers him… thus, the translation ‘noble lie’ is just one of the typical attempts to idealizing Plato” (Popper, 1966, 587). Indeed, the figure of Plato is considered to be legendary in the realm of philosophy, but it does not act as a screen which does not allow a person to see the grandeur of his idea. It is true that the notion of the Noble Lie does not resemble the personal sacrifice that was mentioned by Popper, but that is not the function that it is supposed to serve: the word noble is this case refers to a greater sacrifice that is done for the greater good. In addition to that, some scholars also object to the second part of this myth, namely the forced stratification. For example, it is argued that “[Leo Strauss] does not deny that there are natural inequalities, but he does not identify these in any way with the existing class system” (Zuckert & Zuckert, 2006, 131). However, if one considers the idea of stratification to be the reflection of the natural inequalities, the conflict is resolved. As one can easily see based on the evidence which was provided in the paragraphs above, the idea of the Noble lie has a positive influence on the society and, therefore, should be introduced in the social lie. Among several reasons that prove the validity of such approach, one should put emphasis on the following: the human nature possesses both constructive as well as destructive potential and the concept of the Noble Lie may be used to direct the destructive energy into constructive direction, ensuring that the population will be able to enjoy the stable and prosperous social life which is the greatest good in this case. References Barney, R. (2012). Plato and the divided self. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cooper, L. (2008). Eros in Plato, Rousseau, and Nietzsche the politics of infinity. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press. Fendt, G., & Rozema, D. (1998). Platonic errors: Plato, a kind of poet. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. Haywood, R. (2011). The End of Human Space. New York: Haywood. Hesk, J. (2000). Deception and democracy in classical Athens. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Huard, R. (2007). Platos political philosophy: The cave. New York: Algora. Labuschagne, B. (2009). Religion, politics and law philosophical reflections on the sources of normative order in society. Leiden: Brill. Popper, K. (1966). The open society and its enemies, ([5th ed.). Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. Rue, L. (1994). By the grace of guile: The role of deception in natural history and human affairs. New York: Oxford University Press. Zuckert, C., & Zuckert, M. (2006). The truth about Leo Strauss political philosophy and American democracy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Read More