Conference paper
“NOBLE LIE” AND ITS ROLE IN POLITICS
Henning Ottmann
; Geschwister-Scholl-Institut fuer Politische Wissenschaft, Muenchen, Deutschland
Abstract
In his State Plato allowed his philosopher-kings the “noble lie”, the “lie” that benefits the person lied to, akin to the “medical lie” used by a physician to his patient’s benefit. This text, using Plato as its starting point, looks into the role of the “noble lies” in today’s politics. It turns out that such lies occur in today’s democratic societies. Also, the “noble lies” are held responsible for stifling democratic publics and the loss of political trust.
Keywords
antiquity; democracy; Plato; noble lie; politics
Hrčak ID:
23078
URI
Publication date:
22.3.2004.
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