The Republic (414a-415d) – The Magnificent Myth
One of the more controversial passages from the dialogues of Plato is the one which is sometimes known as the
"Royal Lie" but which has also been called the "Magnificent Myth". Plato's most strident critic of modern
times, Karl Popper, viewed the story which Socrates says should be told as a founding myth of the imagined
republic as the worst kind of controlling propaganda used to ensure the general population were tricked by its
leaders into submitting to an elitist ruling clique. But we will see that the myth put forward is designed to be
accepted by all three classes of the planned republic – rulers, soldiers, and the ruled.
We must remind ourselves that the whole of the dialogue, while appearing to be a political tract, is primarily
about how the human being as a complex organism should arrange itself (with especial reference to internal
justice), with its three primary faculties (reason, anger1 and desire) all playing their proper roles in the life of
an integrated human being. In our discussion, I hope, we will consider what this passage has to say to us in
terms of this integration.
But even if we take the concept of the founding myth as political, we might ask ourselves whether this myth –
with its tale of a common mother, the Earth – might not be the very story we should be adopting in order to
bring humankind back into a fruitful relationship with the planet which bears us all.
We pick up the dialogue (in book 3) when Socrates has said that every child will be tested over a period of
early youth, to see which ones are not only intelligent, but also able to resist corruption. Those who are best in
this respect will be educated with a view to their fulfilling the role of governors, while those who are of a second
rank will become the auxiliaries to the governors and will perform the duties of the army; the rest will be the
ordinary members of the state – the craftsmen, farmers, merchants, etc. (These three classes correspond to the
three faculties of reason, anger and desire, and in this story gold, silver and iron-bronze.)
Socrates: And the man2 who in childhood, in youth, and in manhood, has been thus tried,
and has come out pure, is to be appointed governor and guardian of the state; and honours
are to be paid him whilst alive, and when dead he should receive the highest rewards of
public funeral and other memorials. And he who is not such a one is to be rejected. Of such
a kind, Glauco, as it appears to me, is to be the choice and establishment of our governors
and guardians, as in a sketch, and not accurately.
Glauco: And I am of the same opinion.
Socrates: It is not then truly most just, to call these the most complete guardians, both with
reference to enemies abroad, and to friends at home; so as that the one shall not have the
will, nor the other have the power to do any mischief? And the youth (whom we now called
guardians) will be allies and auxiliaries to the decrees of the governors.
Glauco: I imagine so.
I use the word anger here, following Thomas Taylor's translation of the word thumos: it is a difficult word to find an
exact English counterpart. It is the faculty which attempts to maintain order, and which is aroused to action
especially when order is disrupted. Some have translated it as 'spirit', 'drive' or even the 'passionate'. John Ubersax
has these interesting remarks to make about it: "It is evident from Homer and before that Greek culture attached
considerable importance to the concept of thumos. That a similar word or concept doesn't exist in modern English . .
. is terribly important. For something to be fully conscious - and, especially for it to be part of the collective, public
consciousness - we need a word or term for it. Lacking a term, the idea or thing is marginalized, without complete
access to our full intellectual and behavior repertoire. It is unintegrated into conscious psychic life. When something
so basic as thumos is not integrated, the entire organism of the psyche must as a consequence necessarily be thrown
into severe disarray." See his website at www.john-uebersax.com/plato/plato3.htm.
2 Although Socrates uses the word man here, he does make it clear later on (451c-457b) that women will be treated
in exactly the same way as men, and that they will be expected to perform the same tasks as men – including acting
as governors and auxiliaries.
1
Socrates: What now, may be the contrivance of those lies, which are made on occasion, and
of which we were lately saying that it is a most generous part, in making lies, to persuade the
governors themselves most especially; or, if not these, the rest of the state?
Glauco: What sort do you mean?
Socrates: Nothing new, but somewhat Phœnician, which has frequently happened
heretofore, as the poets tell us, and have persuaded us, but has not happened in our times,
nor do I know if ever it shall happen: to persuade one of it surely requires a subtle
persuasion.
Glauco: How like you are to one who is averse to speak!
Socrates: I shall appear to be averse with very good reason, after I tell it.
Glauco: Speak, and do not fear.
Socrates: I speak then, though I know not with what courage, and using what expressions, I
shall tell it. And I shall attempt, first of all, to persuade the governors themselves, and the
soldiers, and afterwards the rest of the state, that, whatever we educated and instructed them
in, all these particulars seemed to happen to them and to befall them as dreams; but that they
were in truth at that time formed and educated within the earth; both they themselves, and
their armour and their other utensils, being there likewise fabricated. And after they were
completely fashioned, that the earth, who is their mother, brought them forth; and now they
ought to be affected towards the country where they are, as to their mother and nurse; to
defend her, if any invade her; and to consider the rest of the citizens as being their brothers,
and sprung from their mother earth.
Glauco: It was not without reason, that some time since you was ashamed to tell this
falsehood.
Socrates: I had truly reason. But hear however the rest of the fable. All of you now in the
state are brothers (as we shall tell them in way of fable); but the God, when he formed you,
mixed gold in the formation of such of you as are able to govern; therefore are they the most
honourable. And silver, in such as are auxiliaries; and iron and brass in the husbandmen and
other handicrafts. As you are all of the same kind, you for the most part resemble one
another: and it sometimes happens, that of the gold is generated the silver, and of the silver
there is a golden descendant; and thus every different way are they generated of one another.
The God gives in charge, first of all, and chiefly to the governors, that of nothing are they to
be so good guardians, nor are they so strongly to keep watch over anything, as over their
children; to know what of those principles is mixed in their souls; and if their descendant
shall be of the brazen or iron kind, they shall by no means have compassion; but, assigning
him honour proportioned to his natural temper, they shall push him down to the craftsmen
or husbandmen. And if again any from among these shall be born of a golden or silver kind,
they shall pay them honour, and prefer them; those to the guardianship, and these to the
auxiliary rank: it being pronounced by the oracle, that the state is then to perish when iron or
brass shall have the guardianship of it. Have you now any contrivance to persuade them of
this fable?
Glauco: None, to persuade these men themselves; but I can contrive how that their sons and
posterity, and all mankind afterwards, shall believe it.
Socrates: Even this, would do well towards making them more concerned about the state,
and one another; for I almost understand what you say.