Plato’s innovative use of myths as a tool for political philosophy did not end with him; it created a powerful legacy. To understand the development of Western political thought, it’s important to see how later thinkers used Plato’s mythic tradition, adapting his methods of allegorical storytelling to address the political problems of their own times. From Renaissance humanists to Enlightenment philosophers, the Platonic strategy of using foundational myths to shape political communities has been a recurring and influential theme.
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🏝️ Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’ as a Platonic Myth
One of the clearest inheritors of Plato’s mythic tradition is Sir Thomas More. His famous work, ‘Utopia’, is deeply influenced by Plato’s ‘Republic’. More presents his ideal society not as a philosophical blueprint, but through the narrative of a traveler who has visited the mysterious island of Utopia. Like Plato’s myths, More’s story functions as a political fable. It uses the fictional account of a perfect, communist society to critique the social and economic injustices of his own 16th-century England. The narrative form makes his radical critique more accessible and less direct than a straightforward political treatise.
📜 Francis Bacon and the Myth of the New Atlantis
Francis Bacon, a key figure in the scientific revolution, also turned to the mythic form in his work ‘New Atlantis’. In this unfinished tale, sailors discover a utopian island called Bensalem, which is home to a scientific institution called Salomon’s House. Bacon’s myth is a powerful allegory for his vision of a society dedicated to scientific progress and the pursuit of knowledge for the betterment of humankind. Like Plato, Bacon uses a fictional narrative to present a powerful vision of an ideal society, but his ideal is founded on scientific inquiry rather than philosophical justice.
Rousseau and the Founding Myths of the General Will
Centuries later, Jean-Jacques Rousseau revived the idea of the political founder, or ‘Legislator,’ who must use non-rational means to persuade a people to accept a new set of laws. Rousseau argued that to transform individuals into a cohesive political body united by a ‘general will,’ the Legislator must appeal to a higher, divine authority. This often involves creating foundational national myths that give the laws a sacred character. In this, Rousseau directly echoes Plato’s idea that a political community requires a shared, persuasive narrative to ensure its stability and unity, demonstrating the enduring power of Plato’s mythic tradition in political thought.
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Keum, Tae-Yeoun. Plato and the Mythic Tradition in Political Thought. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2020.
More Topics
- How to Interpret the Myth of Er in Plato’s Republic
- How to Understand the Myth of Atlantis as a Political Allegory
- How to Understand Plato’s Use of Myths in Political Philosophy
- How to Analyze the ‘Noble Lie’ in Plato’s Republic
- Hannah Arendt: Who Asked You to Believe?
- Was Hannah Arendt a 20th-Century Genius?
- Giorgio Agamben – On Architect and Dwelling
