Plato's 'The Ring Of Gyges'

Plato’s “The Ring of Gyges” tells the story of a shepherd named Gyges who came upon a mystical gold ring when an earthquake split up the ground and revealed a dead body wearing that ring. He found out that it could turn him invisible when worn in a certain manner and used it to seduce the queen, kill the king, and take over the kingdom. Then, Plato explains that if a righteous man and an unrighteous one both had such rings, the righteous man would be compelled to also do unrightful things for his advantage and if such a person did not do that, he or she would be both commended and ridiculed by society.
If I possessed a magic ring that could turn me invisible, I surely would act differently in some aspects of my life, but I would still stick …show more content…
Other people who have the amount of courage I wish I had would do whatever they want to do. They would steal what they want and need since it is in our human nature to want to rebel against something. It gives us the adrenaline rush we all like to experience at a lower cost since no one would be able to accuse an unseeable person – a ghost, a non-existent person – for stealing, or anything for that matter. There would not be any evidence that could prove they are guilty. Therefore, there is no longer any reason to act legally, morally, or justly, except for their own conscience. They would know whether what they are doing is right or wrong, and they have to battle with that before they can act against their conscience. This inner voice is what is standing in their way. Some people have the ability to cope with themselves after doing something against their principles while some do not. There is also the thought that their action could hurt others in the process. This also comes into factor when they consider and calculate whether their wants and needs are of greater importance to them than others’ well-being. If they think their benefit is greater than others’ losses, they will do what they plan to do, and if they can live with themselves knowing they have done wrong and give away their sense of integrity, then there is nothing else that is keeping them from doing