plato's - the noble lie

[Noway]

ok so not really into philosophy too much but came across this and though it

was interesting

In "The Republic," Plato described a city whose inhabitant were

organized into categories: The Rulers, Auxiliaries, Farmers, etc. The

Rulers, he said, would be chosen from the military elite (called

Guardians) because they were good at shepherding and caring for the

interest of the community. The Auxiliaries would be Guardians in

training.

The Rulers, Plato said, must tell the people of the city “The Noble

Lie“--that the categories of Rules, Auxiliaries, Farmers, etc. was not

due to circumstances within the people's control, upbringing, or

education, but because of God's intervention. God, the Lie went, had

put gold, silver, and iron into each person’s soul, and those metals

determined where a person's station was in life was.

The Rulers told the people of the city that if their own children were

found with bronze or iron in their soul, the child would drop down the

ranks accordingly. And if a farmer’s child was born with gold in his

soul, he would rise up to the Guardian level. The Rulers also said,

people had different metals in their bloodstream, and therefore could

not intermarry.

The Lie is necessary, Plato argues, in order to keep a stable social

structure. In Plato’s mind, The Noble Lie is a religious lie that’s

fed to the masses to keep them under control and happy with their

situation in life.

Plato did not believe most people were smart enough to look after

their own and society’s best interest. The few smart people of the

world needed to lead the rest of the flock, Plato said. And The Noble

Lie had to continue.

[Guest daviie]

For his time, and his society, brilliant. Admix it with his Symposium would be perfect. Could even work now.

[Boojum]

Hmmm, sounds like trying to justify elitism, a rigid class system with no intermingling and a government based on stratocracy with some bizarre lie that verges on eugenics to me. But I'm drunk again.

Edited May 24, 2008 by Boojum

[jak]

Hi Noway

The Greek philosophers were always coming up with "ideal" states of governance or whathaveyou. They were always getting together a band of followers and going off to found a city somewhere, based on their philosophical rules. Invariably they all failed, excepting the ones that realised sooner rather than later it was all a load of b*****s and abandoned the philosophy - and just got on with life.

Best Wishes - John

Edited June 13, 2008 by jak

[Guest]

The Lie is necessary, Plato argues, in order to keep a stable social

structure. In Plato’s mind, The Noble Lie is a religious lie that’s

fed to the masses to keep them under control and happy with their

situation in life.

Plato did not believe most people were smart enough to look after

their own and society’s best interest. The few smart people of the

world needed to lead the rest of the flock, Plato said. And The Noble

Lie had to continue.

Is democracy our noble lie?

peacetribe

Edited October 16, 2009 by stickybackplastic