Christopher Behrens The Nobility of a Lie Frederick Nietzsche once wrote that the “untruth‚ [or lie]‚ is a condition of life.”At least in terms of creating a stable society‚ Socrates would seem to agree. In The Republic‚ Socrates points out that civilization is most prone to instability when founded on what he calls a“noble lie.”The lie which‚ despite its falsehood‚ serves for the good of society. His noble lie can be broken into two parts: a justification on why the lie applies to all of a society’s members
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As with all other topics discussed in "The Republic of Plato‚" the section in which he discusses the myths of the metals or the "noble lie" is layered with questioning and potential symbolism‚ possible contradiction‚ and a significant measure of allusion. In Chapter X of "The Republic‚" Plato presents "The Selection of Rulers: The Guardians’ Manner of Living." In it‚ he discusses the necessities of education as they apply to the appropriate selection of and reparation for the community’s leaders
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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
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According to Plato the role of a central government is to determine where a person belongs or should be positioned society. This belief seems to stem from the ideals of communism or socialism‚ but Plato’s ideas have many departures from those schools of thought. In Plato’s Republic labor is organized by a government run education system that identifies the best roles for each citizen. He compliments his theory of government rule with his theory of justice. Plato argues that justice occurs only
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Only a fully formed human being with a capacity for reason can understand the Noble Lie and be persuaded by it." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Yes‚ I agree with this statement in the sense that a reasonable human being should always work towards exploring his own mind as opposed to thinking through other people’s mind. For example‚ Thrasymachus justifies this statement when he says‚ “What folly. Socrates‚ has taken possession of you all? And why‚ sillybillies‚ do you knock under to
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Justice of “The Republic” In his book “the Republic”‚ Plato tried to build up an ideal society. He divided the ideal society into three classes: rulers‚ guardians‚ and workers. As long as each class of people lived harmonious and did their responsibilities‚ the society would become stable and prosperous. How did make people live with harmony? Obviously‚ the core issue of “the republic” is justice. Justice is a proper‚ harmonious relationship among the people in the three classes. Plato suggested that
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Sub areas of philosophy Metaphysics – what is? Epistemology – what can I know? Ethics – what ought to be? Logic- what is good reasoning? Plato Student of Socrates There are no recorded teaching of Socrates Plato three different periods- early middle and late Middle- what is ethics and what is morality? Morality- give back to what is due. Is morality the following of a rule or is it something more involved? Do you really achieve obedience by punishing? Thrasymuchas- morality is
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February 2012 The Republic Art has always been controversial in a society because of the many different ways the artist tends to express themselves. Plato‚ who helped lay the foundation for western culture‚ saw the problems in art over 2‚000 years ago. Plato’s The Republic is a series of books that discusses the republic that Plato is trying to create. In each book Plato touches on different topics dealing with the art‚ that he feels effect society then. Today‚ some of the points that Plato argue can still
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Socrates describes a perfect city in Plato’s The Republic. Many questions are asked in the book‚ such as “What is an ideal city?” Or‚ “What is justice?” And‚ “Is justice in the city possible?” Socrates tries to find the real meaning of the word justice. He starts with justice within a single person‚ and then he tries to take that concept and apply it to the city. Then‚ to figure out the perfect city‚ he goes back to the single person to find justice there. He shows that the perfect city needs the
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The Republic of Plato Before I started reading Plato’s the Republic‚ I was loathe to admit that reading those philosophy books were gonna really change how I view myself. It was totally a waste of time to read these vague and complicated books. As I went on reading the republic‚ I saw many similar things that still existed in our society. In the book‚ Plato prescribes severe dictates concerning the cultural life of the city. He rules out all poverty‚ with the exception of hymns to the gods and
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