The Ring Of Gyge In Plato's The Republic

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The Ring of Gyges, introduced in Book II of Plato’s The Republic by Glaucon, is a magical artifact that enables the bearer to turn themselves invisible at will. While not founded in historical fact; the scenario is rather a thought experiment used to explore the fundamental nature of human morality when the bearer faces no retribution for their actions. Glaucon alleges that the temptation provided by the ring is irresistible by any man, and that without consequences the bearer would disregard morality in favour of his own self-gain. However, this argument is not without criticism: Socrates provides his own counterargument in which he uses the ideal of rationality as a means to avoid the temptation of Gyges’ ring. Furthermore, Glaucon ignores the role of environment, upbringing, and circumstance in his thought experiment ― without which no one is inherently malicious. Despite the misdeeds committed by Gyges, he was not born wicked. Rather, the actions he took using the ring are the result of his own circumstance and their own experiences, rather than any broad notion of all humans being inherently villainous. As every human differs in these factors, individual response to the temptation of the ring would vary drastically ― in the same way that electricity may be used to power a hospital or fry a man, so might the ring be used for harmless jokes, to escape from attackers, or …show more content…
If humans are innately evil, then there is no good done in allowing the people freedoms, as one must be harsh and unmerciful when dealing with those who would break the social construct of morality. There is no need for lenience, as all those punished were guilty of other crimes ― evil does not deserve good in this imagining of the world. If instead the assertion that wrongdoing is a product of circumstance rather than an innate trait held in common, then a free and open society becomes desirable

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