Noble Lies and Ethical Dilemmas: Plato's Philosophy Explored

Introduction

In this essay, I am going to discuss the notion of the noble lie in Plato’s Republic. The significance of a noble lie is the distinction made between a true lie and a lie in just words to maintain harmony throughout society. This lie brings about the idea of imitation as it leads to misunderstanding information that is not necessarily true. Ultimately, lying is unethical, but if it benefits society, it is considered a noble lie. Plato seeks to divide this city of individuals into three different sections: guardians, auxiliaries, and producers (Plato, 1992).

The Structure of Society

To start off, the guardians are the elite of the city and rule over all other individuals. The auxiliaries, on the other hand, are known as the middle class as they strive to protect and preserve the individuals with whom they live. Lastly, the producers are the individuals that make up the lower class. This division illustrates Plato's vision of an organized society where each class has its own specific role and responsibility.

The Role of Storytellers

Plato then goes on to discuss how Socrates will choose who becomes the storyteller of these “noble lies.” This is when Socrates said to Glaucon, "Well then, as I was just saying, we must discover which of them are best at safeguarding within themselves the conviction that they must always do what they believe to be best for the city. We must watch them right from childhood, and set them tasks in which a person would be most likely to forget such a conviction or be deceived out of it. And we must select the ones who remember and are difficult to deceive, and reject the others" (Plato, 1992, p. 413d). Right before this statement, Socrates talks about how all of this deception of the truth comes from the idea of sorcery, which is why they need to look closely at who they choose to be this teller of noble lies.

Qualities of the Guardians

Socrates goes on further to discuss how this individual must show compassion for the city while not falling for sorcery, as this would lead to a major downfall in the city itself. Socrates further explains this by talking about how they will choose among the guardians "the sort of men who seem on the basis of our observation to be most inclined, throughout their entire lives, to do what they believe to be advantageous for the city, and most unwilling to do the opposite" (Plato, 1992, p. 412e). This statement clearly shows what Plato means by finding someone to express the “noble lie” to set the standards of the city in which he lives. These individuals must demonstrate wisdom, courage, and self-discipline to uphold the values of the city.

Modern Reflections

Although this may have seemed like a good idea in Plato’s time, I personally do not feel that this would be acceptable in today’s society. So many individuals now have strong beliefs that they stand for and are not willing to change or adjust to help society prosper. Additionally, the rapid spread of information in the digital age makes it difficult to maintain a singular narrative, as people have access to various sources and perspectives.

Conclusion

On top of this, it almost seems as if individuals are now getting upset about the smallest things and forming assumptions that are not necessarily true. That is why this idea of a noble lie may not work best in today’s society, given how individuals are currently dealing with societal problems. The dynamics of modern society demand transparency and authenticity, which challenges the feasibility of implementing a noble lie in contemporary governance.

References:

• Plato. (1992). The Republic (G. M. A. Grube, Trans.). Hackett Publishing Company.