I am writing a book about philosophy and therefore, am spending a lot of time with philosophers. One thing I have learned is that the early Greek philosophers had some ideas that are still current today. For instance, Leucippus (5th century BC) is usually credited with having the idea of atomism. His student, Democritus, took the idea and systematized it into a philosophical school. Atomism is the theory that all material objects are composed of very small, invisible, and indestructible particles called atoms. The name comes from the Greek word atomos meaning uncuttable or indivisible. They were considered by Democritus to be the building blocks of the universe. That theory is still around but, of course, it has been updated because of technology that makes the atoms visible and divisible. He was right – atoms do exist.
Another idea that is still relevant today comes from Plato (c.429-347 BC). It is also relevant to my two previous posts, which is what prompted this one. Aristotle (384-322 BC) is usually credited with being the founder of political science, but only because he was the first philosopher to actually use the term. His teacher and colleague, Plato had much to say about political systems and organizations but never used the term political science. Aristotle pointed to the time of Plato as the time philosophers diverted their attention to political science (Parts of Animals 652 a 25)
Only one of his political ideas will be presented here because of its link with my two previous posts about lies and in particular political lies. The word political comes from the Greek politikos meaning pertaining to the polis, a Greek self-governing city-state. Plato’s Republic contains most of his political theories about how to best govern the city-state. To the point, in his Republic (Book II 382b-c), he distinguishes between what he calls a true falsehood and a falsehood in words, commonly called the true lie and the verbal lie. The true lie is told out of ignorance when someone does not know the truth but speaks anyway. The verbal lie is known by the teller not to be true but the falsehood is more useful to get the desired result. For Plato, the desired result should always be what is good for the polis, which requires a good ruler to know what is good—a tall order. How is the verbal lie useful? Plato says it is useful against one’s enemies and it is useful when believing a lie will prevent a friend from doing something harmful to themselves or others. He also says it is useful for political purposes. He adds, “By making a falsehood as much like the truth as we can, don’t we also make it useful?” (382a-d).
In the Republic, Plato divides his Greek polis into three levels, constituting the ideal society. At the top are the guardians out of which the philosopher-king is selected. The next level is the auxiliaries or soldiers who defend the polis. The lowest class are the producers, the farmers, and craftsmen i.e. the workers. (Sounding familiar?) In Book III, he devises a useful lie to convince the public that his three levels of society are real. The rulers should tell the people that humans are made of the minerals of the earth. Some are made of gold, some silver, and some bronze. The gold humans are the purest and most valuable and must be the guardians or rulers. The silver humans have some value and must be the soldiers. The bronze-made humans are the workers, farmers, and craftsmen. Then he says the gold must only reproduce with gold, silver with silver, and bronze with bronze. Any mix is impure. He compares it with breeding dogs and horses. The rulers must always come from gold–gold parents. Here we have Communism, Hitler, and Eugenics (selected breeding) in seed form. Plato was full of ideas.
Two of his quotes emphasize the point.
How then would we devise one of those useful falsehoods we were talking about a while ago, one noble falsehood that would, in the best case, persuade even the rulers, but if that is not possible, then the others in the city? (Book III 414c)
I mean that it looks as though rulers will have to make considerable use of falsehood and deception for the benefit of those they rule. And we said that all such falsehoods are useful as a form of drug (Book IV 459d).
The connection with previous posts is the connection between politics and lies. Political science was founded by someone whose politics advocated telling lies to the public to get what you want. Most politicians today have studied or read Political science. If not, they are certainly practicing Political Science, a science rooted in telling political lies, and most have become masters of the art of the political lie. I guess you could say politicians come by dishonesty honestly.
Many centuries before Plato, God put the stop to political lies i.e. the useful or noble ones. The ninth of the Ten Commandments prohibits bearing false witness. All the way through the Bible to Revelation 21 where it says, “…all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone,” telling lies is an abomination to God. Even tough politicians operate in it; they will not be tried by the Court of Public Opinion. All the more reason to pray for our politicians.