How then could we devise one of those useful falsehoods we were talking about a while ago, one noble falsehood that would, in the best case, persuade even the rulers, but if that’s not possible, then the others in the city?
—Socrates in The Republic of Plato (source)
Fellow Philosophers,
Today we’re going to round out our conversation on Nietzsche, his book Thus Spoke Zarathustra, and the evolution of literalism and allegory as a vehicle for both instruction and propaganda.
If today had a clear theme, it would be to illuminate the long struggle between literalism and allegoricalism in religious, political, and societal stories.
The key difference between literal instruction and allegorical teachings is the reader.
In the former, the reader must necessarily believe that the story being told is both literally and absolutely true. In the latter, the truth of the tale is not dependent upon its historic accuracy, but rather its ability to teach, enlighten, and inform.
For example, Plato’s al…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Pocket Philosopher to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.