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  • Essay / Noble Lies and Ethical Dilemmas: Plato's Philosophy Explored

    In this essay, I will discuss the notion of the noble lie in Plato's Republic. The meaning of a noble lie is the distinction that is made between a true lie and a lie in words to maintain harmony throughout society. This lie gives rise to the idea of ​​imitation because it leads to a misunderstanding of information that is not necessarily true. Ultimately, lying is unethical, but if it benefits society, it is a noble lie. Plato wants to divide this city of individuals into three different sections. These sections would include caretakers, helpers and producers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay To begin with, the guardians are the elite of the city and rule over all other individuals. The auxiliaries, on the other hand, would be known as the middle class because they do their best to protect and preserve the individuals they live with. Finally, producers are the individuals who make up the lower class. Plato then goes on to explain how Socrates will choose who becomes the teller of these “noble lies.” It was then that Socrates said to Glaucon: “Well, as I have just said, we must find out which of them are best able to safeguard within themselves the conviction that they must always do what they do. 'they believe it is best for the city. We must supervise them from childhood and give them tasks in which a person will be most likely to forget such a belief or be deceived by it. And we must select those who remember and are difficult to deceive, and reject the rest (Republic 413d). Just before this statement, Socrates explains that all this deception of the truth comes from the idea of ​​witchcraft and that is why they must take a close look at who they choose to be this teller of noble lies. Socrates goes on to explain how this individual must show compassion for the city without falling into the trap of witchcraft, as this would result in a major downfall of the city itself. Socrates explains this by talking about how they will choose among the guardians "the sort of men who, from our observations, seem to be most inclined, throughout their lives, to do what they believe to be advantageous for the city, and the most reluctant to do the opposite (Republic 412th). This statement clearly shows what Plato means by finding someone to speak the “noble lie” and set the standards for the city in which he lives. While this might have seemed like a good idea in Plato's time, I personally don't think it would do it. be acceptable in today's society. Many people now have strong beliefs and are unwilling to change or adapt to help society thrive. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay On top of that, it almost seems like individuals now get upset over the smallest things and form assumptions that aren't necessarily true. This is why this idea of ​​a noble lie may not work better in today's society, knowing how individuals now deal with societal problems..