Ring Of Gyge Research Paper

The ring of Gyges grants the ability to become invisible by only “turn[ing] the collet of the ring.” This, for Gyges, gave him power and confidence to conquer the kingdom. I’ve often thought about this situation but a different light. The question If you could have any superpower what would it be? My selection has always been to have the ability to be invisible, but not for the reason that Gyges would want. I feel like it would be satisfying to dip in and out of sight, avoid interactions and just view people’s actions. It probably has to do more with social anxiety and wanting to just be left alone, but I wouldn’t use the ring to take over a kingdom. To support my decision I will use these three following theories egoism, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics.
First, the theory egoism is the idea of fulfilling one's desires, being selfish. This is basically the basis for my decision, and I don’t feel that it’s bad. The word Ego has a bad connotation, but it pays to be selfish at times. We need to take time for ourselves and do what we want. This is how Gyges was able to conquer the kingdom, he knew what he wanted and went for it. He fulfilled his selfish goal of conquering the kingdom. …show more content…
Utilitarianism is about selecting the correct decision for the greater good, or to benefit the majority. My decision to have the Gyges for a selfish benefit doesn’t quite fit the Utilitarianism view, but if we take a closer look it does. Just by me having the ring of Gyges helps the greater good. It leaves the responsibility of the ring in the hands of someone that just wants to be left alone, instead of giving the responsibility to someone that has interest in conquering a kingdom. Just me having the ring is the better option, because the other options aren’t a guaranteed safety net for the what