The noble lie and corruption of good intentions

In The Republic, Plato introduced the notion of the “noble lie”, a myth invented by rulers for their citizens in an effort to ensure social harmony and justice.

According to Plato, a philosopher king might lie for the sake of the common good; he might convince his subjects that they belong naturally to various classes within a structured society. This may sound quite benign; a lie meant not for the ruler’s own benefit but for the peace of the many. After all, what can be nobler than lying to protect the innocent, prevent panic or ensure order.

Because a noble lie is not simply a lie; it is a craft. Like any craft, it involves skill, practice, and an increasingly broad list of rationalisations. A simple, “necessary” falsehood gives birth to a string of other falsehoods necessitated by the original one. The path from virtuous deceit to utter ruin is a short one.

The structure of a noble lie

In modern day epistemology, a government hides economic figures in an attempt to prevent a panic, a doctor keeps a diagnosis of a fatal disease hidden because of hope, and a leader lies about evidence to support the necessity of an offensive. In every case, the liar assumes he is working for the sake of the deceived. He presents the lie as an act of mercy; he bears it on his own shoulders so that others might be spared.

Also read: The sounds of silence in age of ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ extremism

A noble liar always assumes he knows best; he can foresee more clearly what will come of things; he understands more deeply what people really require. It is inherently an argument against self-determination. People, in their ignorance, may well act against the interests of the liar, so the liar will make the choices for them.

The craftsmanship of self-deception

The true nobility of a noble lie is not in deceiving others but in deceiving oneself. For the lie to remain noble, the liar must first believe he is being moral. He can never truly be seen, either by himself or others, as a manipulator or a coward. He must rationalise it as an act of protection or sacrifice.

To achieve this requires a complex structure of rationalisations, such as “they aren’t ready for the truth”, “it’s not the right time”, “the ends justify the means”. These are not cynical excuses, but genuinely held beliefs, which make the noble lie all the more dangerous. A cynic can be reasoned with and may tire of his charade, but the self-righteous liar truly believes in his own goodness and fails to see his own reflection as it stares back at him in the fractured mirror.

The erosion inevitable

No lie stays put. This is the great rule of deception. Today’s lie will need propping up tomorrow; the covered-up economic facts must be succeeded by doctored growth statistics, the hid den medical diagnoses by faked consent forms and manufactured family discussions, the manufactured war intel by subsequent cover-ups, by whistle-blower purges, by endlessly thick file drawers stuffed with denial, classified with every subsequent layer added the stakes climb higher, discover at any point now, becomes not merely embarrassing but devastating, and the liar’s focus shifts from protecting others to protecting the lie and protecting one’s own status as noble.

The burden of truth:  the lightness of knowing

What is the alternative? Brutality, surely not. It is possible to state difficult truths kindly, possible to manage information prudently without creating it out of whole cloth, and there is timing, and tact, and realisation that adults are due the dignity of making decisions with the best information they can access-even if those decisions are unappealing.

Truth, by definition, does not require maintenance. Truth can be defended, debated, and refined. Truth does not crumble under scrutiny; truth grows stronger. A society based on truth, instead of noble lies, may be more chaotic, more slow, and more contentious. But a society based on truth is robust; it does not need a class of philosopher-kings supporting it, nor does it need to infantilise its citizens.

The noble lie is an art, that’s true, an art of self-justification, manipulation and gradually escalating delusion. However, it is a craft that leads to nothing but sandcastles. With each new generation comes the same realisation; that well-intentioned lies are lies just the same. That they estrange us from reality. That they erode the trust on which all society and all relationships depends to last more than a few seasons.

There is nothing noble in deception. There is nothing more than the comfort it can bring, before the brutal and prolonged cold of facing the truth again. We are required, it seems, for disaster, just three elements: one lie, one good intention, and the ignorance that honesty is always the kinder solution.

The article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Business Recorder or its owners.