This is most apparently a lie, as we grow and enter schooling of higher levels we learn that society and the real world are not so forgiving. This lie is not intended to deceive, its intent is to save face, and prevent children from gaining a negative prospective about the origins of our country: A negative impression that we will have a chance to open-mindedly accept in later more mature adolescent education. .
Some people exist for the purpose to learn, expand their horizons, and alter the future for the good of all; others however (such as Columbus as we unfortunately find out) go out into the world with one goal, to achieve for themselves no matter what the cost to the other individuals involved. Unfortunately that is the major premise that allows our country to flourish today. Through the oppression, fear, and desire for domination that our society imposes upon the world we all become part of a lie. This lie we may be able to accept but for the world is seen as an unfair and very real problem. The latter example is of a lie intended to pathologically deceive. Through the diligence of our government, mass media, and educational institutions it is a lie that is all but preserved; keeping most of society unaware of what it is our country does and must do to survive.
Truth and lies as you have just seen can be very much the same. One persons (or countries) truth is another's lie. Truth is necessarily defined as the factual being of an argument, the realized knowledge of what is correct, or the actual state or existence of things. Bill makes the argument that the idea of a noble lie is totally bogus, he feels that the ideal city Socrates creates is so full of lies that not even the philosopher could preserve the truth. A noble lie is defined as a lie that in certain cases can be found to be useful and not hateful. How though can this be true? If you are going to create a society, one that is supposed to be the epitome of prosperity and success, how can you build its foundations on lies? The Callipolis is what Plato calls his so-called perfect city or Utopia.
