The Republic by Plato - 8 - Goodness and Truth
Book Nine
Quote
"Now it can't have escaped your notice either that the usual view of goodness is that it's pleasure, while there's also a more ingenious view around, that it's knowledge."
Notes
There is something even more important for philosopher kings than morality — that is goodness.
Unlike with morality where some people are okay with having only the appearance of morality, no one is content with the mere appearance of goodness. Although, similar to morality, goodness is hard to define.
As a way of explaining what goodness is, Socrates uses an analogy with the sun and seeing. In order to see, we need more than just our eyes. We need light. The sun is, in providing that light, is responsible for sight while also being something within the visible realm that we can see. The sun is also the source of nourishment and growth.
Goodness, Socrates says, acts the same way for the intelligible realm: "When [the mind's] object is something which is lit up by the truth and reality, then it has intelligent awareness and knowledge." Goodness gives things their truth and makes it possible for people to have knowledge.
Next comes the allegory of the cave. In this allegory, people are tied down in a cave where they can only see the shadows of things cast on a wall. They only know shadows. If someone were pulled out of that situation, they'd have a painful journey coming to terms with reality, ie. the sun and its light. The people still trapped in the cave would also be hostile to that man and want him killed, since their social status comes from knowledge of the shadows.
Education, then, is really the art of orientation, turning people towards the light. It's not about implanting sight in an organ, the organ (an eye) already has sight. But it needs to be properly aligned and face the right way.
Guardians must be brought to the light of goodness and come back down to bestow it on the prisoners of the cave.
Political power should be in the hands of people who aren't enamoured of it. They won't fight over it or over it's perceived benefits since they already have the superior benefits of philosophy and knowing goodness.
Key Takeaways
What is goodness, then? It still seems a bit unclear what goodness actually is, according to Plato. It's distinct from morality which maybe has more to do with being good and with how we act. Goodness is knowledge of the truth and it is the source of true knowledge.
I wonder if goodness for Plato is connected with God, being the source of true knowledge of reality. Plato's ideas played a big role in shaping Christian ideas about God. Did he believe in God himself, or in something similar?