PLATO’S MYTH OF THE “NOBLE LIE” VIS-À-VIS SAINT AUGUSTINE’S IDEAL OF A STATESMAN
In this study, we show how, in the bid of fostering harmony and cohesion in the ideal city presented in his Republic, the ancient Greek philosopher Plato invented the so-called myth of the Noble Lie. It aims at convincing people of their common origin in order to ignite in them the desire to love and defend their common city but also to make them accept the division of society into classes. We then compare Plato’s vision of the political community to Augustine’s ideal of a Statesman to expose what the Bishop of Hippo consider as the criteria for ruling the earthly city with the heart fixed on the eternal promises. In a last step, we took a critical look at the situation of the politics in Nigeria after 60 years of independence, to indicate that most politicians do not even use the Noble Lie, but rather go for the “Ignoble” one to satisfy their greed, to the detriment of the people they are meant to serve.
Keywords: augustine’s, ideal, lie”, myth, plato’s, saint, statesman, vis-à-vis, “noble