The Metametaphors of Plato's Republic

7/27/2019 The Metametaphors of Plato's Republic

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Simon Ayzman

A Just Order: Social and Political Thought

Professor Darren Staloff

September 21, 2012

The Metametaphors of PlatosRepublic

The philosophical formulations in PlatosRepublic adhere to a very methodical interplay

between the construction, destruction, and elaboration of arguments on the part of Socrates. The

compelling nature of his principles, however, stems emphatically from the inextricable link

between the content of Socrates ideas and the form in which he presents them. His metaphors

and analogies serve not merely to illustrate particular concepts in specific contexts, but to

function as microcosms for his overarching project to educate the group of men around him.

Carefully intertwining the prospects of the noble lie and the divided line with an ironic attempt to

bring the interlocutors out of the cave, Plato builds the arguments of Socrates in frameworks

consistent with the very images he refers to, and as a result, the author effectively develops a

plotline that refers to and strengthens itself through the subtly metaphysical ideas contained

within.

One of the important concepts that Socrates indicates as necessary in the creation of the

just cityand thus, the just manis that of the noble lie. He maintains that propagating these

lies, such as thepopulaces mutual origin from the earth and the myth of the metals, is essential

in creating and preserving unity within the city. This seems true enough at the initial stage of

Socrates construction because aligning the people with such a fabrication would be good for

making them care more for the city and one another (415d). In reality, however, the entire


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concept of the noble lie is closely interconnected with Socrates elucidation of the divided line.

In scaling up the ladder from images to objects to mathematics to forms, the overarching main

distinction that he makes is between that which is seen and that which is intellectedthe

opinable and the knowable respectively. The lies he tells with his myths seek to build a

landscape with which knowledge can be realized, but Socrates does so by supposing that he

will leave out quite a bit...but all the same, insofar as its possible at [the] present, [he will]

not leave anything out willingly (509c). The nature of his argument tactic is to provide

comprehension on the highest level possible at the current moment through his spectators

present position in the divided line. In effect, his lies represent some distorted version of the

forms as they appear in the lower stages of understanding; the lower one is on the line, the

further from true knowledge they find themselves.However, the nobility of Socrates half-truths

and unfilled gaps derive from the fact that they do still characterize some portion of the objective

truth, and if one arrange[s the segments] in a proportion, and believe[s] that as the segments to

which they correspond participate in truth, so they participate in clarity (511e ). Thus, while this

method of progressive education may undoubtedly use noble lies, it still has the potential for

intellection by allowing one to comprehend the forms at the pinnacle of knowledge.

Moreover, the noble lie has significance beyond just its role as an indistinct, incomplete

reflection of the truth. Once the foundations of Socrates myths have been set, for example, he

can extrapolate upon his concepts of bronze, silver, and gold souls, and reach a greater

understanding of such characters and how they will engage the city. It soon becomes apparent,

however, that Socrates outline of the just city faces some opposition from the other thinkers,

because in fact, they have implicitly accepted his premises, the noble lies themselves. The


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internalization of the myths followed by an evermore-elevated discussion is a crucial element in

Platos advancement of the philosophical doctrines in the text, for it indicates development on

the level of the individual as well. Indeed, the true literary success is how this forward motion

metaphysically parallels progression through the divided line; the beginnings of Socratess

arguments actually resemble the initial formation of the just city itselfwith Socrates referring

to fabricated metaphors as a means of pseudo-explanation.

In particular, one noteworthy instance of such a configuration is when Socrates argues in

favor of the philosopher-king as the just ruler, despite the protests that philosophers are either too

vicious or too disconnected from society to be any good for the people. As usual, he begins with

an image, this time describing the disjointed relationship between the shipowner, the sailors, and

the true pilot. What is interesting, however, is that even though the sailors ferociously vie for

power, the ship still sails because of the pilots direction. This draws an interesting connection to

the very beginning of the Republic when the sophists arrest Socrates and begin the discussion

about justice; while the pseudo-intellectual men put forth their own philosophical rationales,

Socrates is the only one who genuinely seeks to peruse their various concepts for the

construction of a greater philosophical sense of justice. Socrates is thus still steering the ship, and

is trying to guide the other sailors into his rhythm as well. The other prominent example of

Platos metametaphorical structure occurs immediately after Socrates demarcation of how the

elements of the divided line must be arranged. In virtually the next few lines after this concept is

established, Plato cleverly has his philosopher protagonist introduce the metaphor of the cave,

which is an image in and of itself (514a). In fact, Socrates actually uses the word image in

setting the context, which seems to be an ironic, but nonetheless intentional reference. Plato is


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once again pushing the reader and the interlocutors across a microcosmic rendition of the divided

line, all while attempting to explain the concept at the same time.

The incredible precision within Platos combination of content and form is apparent in

the many metaphors and analogies he designs to bolster the arguments of the Republic. This

ever-noticeable connection illustrates a method of argumentation that drives home the point of

learning on multiple levels of visible and intellectable knowledge. And while the concept of

extolling comprehension through images may initially seem like a lie, the individuals

progression through the divided line indeed shows the noble and self-correcting mechanisms that

the lie actually has. Platos intellectual frameworks effectually serve a multi-fortifying purpose;

not only do they encourage enlightenment by allowing freedom from a metaphorical cave, they

metaphysically reiterate themselves in the very real context of discussion.

Works Cited

Plato.The Republic of Plato. Trans. Allan David Bloom. [New York]: Basic, 1991. Print.

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The Metametaphors of Plato's Republic