The Noble Lie In Plato's Republic

I will begin by describing the “noble lie” written in Book 3 of Plato’s Republic, not specifically the myth of the metals, but a more general idea. I will argue this lie is justifiable, even in modern, more liberal contexts than Ancient Greece. Once the noble lie is correctly defined, it is clear how one could use it in building the “Just City.” In establishing the lie it is important to differentiate the terms “myth” and “falsehood” with fiction. We must look at the noble lie as a lie not intended to deceive the people of the city, but shape it into what the just city ought to be. The Just City is the means in which Socrates brings up the form of justice, and even Socrates, though at first embarrassed by the proposition of the lie, admits
it is necessary for the foundation of justice. Socrates had issues with Hesiod and Homer’s myths. Not only where they portraying the gods wrong, but the stories were teaching the young moral truths. Myth, poetry, and art are meant only to “convey a surface look and emotional feel of human life,” when poetry is used to teach moral truth, people begin to believe they are gaining access to moral truths by the feelings they convey. Plato writes in book 10, “Are we to conclude, then, that all poets, beginning with Homer imitate images of virtue and of all the other things they write about, and have no grasp on truth? Although, as we were saying just now, a painter will make what seems to be a shoemaker to those who know as little about shoemaking as he does himself, but who look at things in terms of their colors and shapes.” He goes on to conclude, “we will say that the poet uses words and phrases to paint colored pictures of each of the crafts, even though he knows only how to imitate them; so that others like himself, who look at things in terms of words, will think he speaks extremely well about shoemaking or generalship or anything else, provided he speaks with meter, rhythm, and harmony.” The problem with conveying moral truths by poetry is that the poet cannot have full knowledge on the moral truth, and necessarily cannot give a full account on the moral truth. Instead of teaching children stories about virtues, we should teach the youth myths about the approach to discovering the moral truths. Plato is more concerned with the moral education of the children through the method of myth than the actual truth-status of the myth itself. Once the children have a formal, primary education focused on the approach to moral truths, they then can “exercise the capacity for abstract reasoning and dialectical analysis [which] may lead ultimately to the knowledge of objective ethical truth.” As Socrates puts it in 377a, “Don’t you understand that we first begin by telling stories to children?
And surely they are false on the whole, though they have some truth in them.” Plato uses the method of myth in order to convey many truths while the stories themselves are literally false. “A given statement may be false (in intention or fact) on the literal level but true (in intention or fact) on the figurative level; or it may be false in a specific case but true in general.” This distinction between fact and fictional discourse is important in outlining a general way of thinking about ethics and morality as a whole. The same is the case in the noble lie, while it is a lie in the sense that the myth of the metals is, in fact, false, the general picture of what it represents is more important. The “necessary falsehood,” as Plato puts it, is intentionally not true, but it is designed to “propagate an idea which the argument presents as true, namely that each member of the ideal state should be placed in the class for which he or she is naturally suited.” It wouldn't be too hard to picture this in our culture. Although we do not have classes, the common belief in western culture is that everyone ought to do what they are best suited
for. Plato’s primary education consists of lies, lies as myths, which are designed specifically to implant dispositions and practices that are the basis of finding truth, rather than what any one individual take to be true. This primary educational program is intended to prevent teaching ignorance in the mind. What is taught to a child in the early stages of life is instrumental to the type of woman or man they will become. It is fundamental, in Socrates’ view, that in this crucial time children are not molded to a certain set of moral views and standards, especially those of the Greek poets. No one knows exactly where the moral standards should be set, so we should instill the practices that are the basis of finding truth rather than trying to show truth. The difference between the myths of Socrates and the myths of Hesiod and Homer are not in the sense of literal meaning, fictional stories are prominent in Greek culture, but in figurative meaning. Socrates, in the Republic, never claims to completely understand the subjects debated on, as follows in Plato’s myths the main character almost never claims to be in full knowledge about the form in question. This represents “a search for knowledge of objective truth of a kind that is, for the most part, presented as not fully achieved in the dialogues.” These noble lies make the ideal state just. We must censor the poets.
The practice of philosophy and intellectual enquiry is not suited for the youth or anyone else who has not had primary education. This is because the young do not have the skills yet to analyze situations and come up with results. If the early education of the youth is built around questioning, “inevitably [that education] undermines parental and political authority, and the act of founding a city, or beginning anew, inevitably involves a sense of throwing off old ‘false’ parents, and discovering, or reinventing new and superior lines of descent.” In Book 7, Socrates compares the premature teaching of philosophy to telling an adopted child that he was adopted too early. If he is told at too young an age, before he is ready, he is less likely to honor his adoptive parents. This necessitates the correct primary education, to prepare the children for inquiry and mature
questioning. Applications of the noble lie in common culture could include revisions on primary education in order to nurture child growth in a way that does not instill values on things. Rather education of the youth would involve storytelling similar to Plato’s myths up until graduation into the next stage of education. This would be when the leaders of the school (teachers, principal, school board, etc.) deem the child fit. That way education will be viewed as a constantly adapting entity. After years go by and these children move into the academic and professional sectors, their minds will have grown to constantly search out new ideas and find truth rather than trying to show truth. Looking forward to generations ahead, a society that is more focused on finding the truth will be more innovative. The noble lie is justifiable even in modern, more liberal contexts than Ancient Greece. Once the noble lie is correctly defined, it is clear how one could use it in building the “Just City.” A city focused on striving for wisdom and knowledge would be better than one trying to enforce what they believe is right. We must look at the noble lie as a lie not intended to deceive the people of the city, but shape it into what the ideal state ought to be. After applying this noble lie to the city we begin to see the state change into something greater.