Noble Lying

Abstract

s ear the end of Book III of the Republic, in the midst of a long discussion about the best way of educating the tulers of the imaginary city, Socrates claims that in order for a just exist, it will have be founded on a gennaion pseudos, a lie or falsehood. This lie will be used to persuade, in the best case, even the rulers, but if not them, the rest of the city that the citizens are earth-born siblings, and that the political role of each was chosen by a paternalistic god prior their birth (41 3c). 1 The noble lie is just one of many famous images, myths, and stories used by Socrates in the Republic, and the role of such literary references in a which ostensibly bars literature and poetry from its midst has often been analyzed.2 These interpretations, however, tend see the noble lie primarily in light of its role in the founding of the city. In contrast, I argue that this lie has a much larger role in Socrates' overall project, especially when interpreted in light of its strange subtext. This project, articulated explicitly at the beginning of Book II, is give an account of justice what it means, what it might look like, and why it is good, even pleasurable, for its own sake (358b). It is a compelling project and an enduring question: how is justice not mere whim, or angry vengeance, or inequality cloaked in the guise of fairness, or utilitarian calculation for the sake of peace? How can justice resolve or lessen the tensions and resentments of political life? By Book III, there is a partial, and very problematic answer: justice seems require a lie about the origins of citizens, and only by means of