POL200Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Collective Consciousness, Noble Lie, Meritocracy
Hive mind within framework of thought experiment
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Guardians: 1. group rules city --> not all, but all will be soldiers that fight for city,
guardians are philosophers or auxiliaries
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Nature: terrible (hurricanes) or aggressiveness of individuals --> natural impulses
that we don't want to embrace
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Nature: good, standard, ideal
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Everyone wants their children to succeed
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How do you tell who will do well / fail/
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For own good
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Using falsehoods to lie to people --> no one actually wants to know what
government does (doctor and ruler can use)
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Truth loving nature of humanity cannot be upheld in political life
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Useful falsehood, ideology to justify hierarchy
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Born into same birth --> brothers and sisters
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Gold : soul of rulers
1.
Silver: auxiliaries
2.
Iron / bronze : producers
3.
More intelligent will rise to become rulers - wise are less capable to go
down --> basis of natural talents
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Everyone should accept the rule of the wise / best
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Each new generation tests - mobility, meritocracy
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Promote common good --> not take form weak / give strong
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Can only be established and maintained by deceiving
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Want truth
1.
Meritocracy
2.
Treated fairly - no adult knows enough to govern more
3.
Can't have all three at once --> need trade-offs
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Guardians / warriors
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Exploited?
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Live in commons - no luxuries
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Warriors get nothing out of city ?
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Noble lie
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Communism in a sense --> meant to prevail among upper class
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Materialistic standards define human happiness
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Subject to laws, order
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Making city happy, not individual members
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420b: would be as happy as possible can (Socrates)
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City is willing to sacrifice individual for city --> hive mentality
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Eyes have to be proportional, need to fit in with face's other features -->
each group needs happiness without interfering in natural role for each
individual
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Analogy: painting --> don't make eyes so beautiful they don't look like eyes,
don't give guardians something that would take away from ruling
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Individuals become good for the individual through socialization
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No explanation of nature
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421c: Adeimantus accepts --> nature must provide happiness
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Happiness
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If it has been correctly founded / has virtues
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Wisdom
1.
City has been established
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Lecture 1.6: Plato's
Republic
, Books 4-5
October 20, 2016
5:45 PM
LECTURE Page 16
Document Summary
Guardians: 1. group rules city --> not all, but all will be soldiers that fight for city, guardians are philosophers or auxiliaries. Nature: terrible (hurricanes) or aggressiveness of individuals --> natural impulses that we don"t want to embrace. How do you tell who will do well / fail/ Using falsehoods to lie to people --> no one actually wants to know what government does (doctor and ruler can use) Truth loving nature of humanity cannot be upheld in political life. Born into same birth --> brothers and sisters. More intelligent will rise to become rulers - wise are less capable to go down --> basis of natural talents. Everyone should accept the rule of the wise / best. Promote common good --> not take form weak / give strong. Can only be established and maintained by deceiving. Treated fairly - no adult knows enough to govern more. Can"t have all three at once --> need trade-offs.
