Ring of Gyges
Introduction
One of the most important thinkers from Ancient Greece was Plato (c.427-348 BCE), who was a student of Socrates. Plato was interested in why people do the right thing by acting fairly towards others - for example, why we help people in need.
To explore this issue, in his book Republic, Plato told a story known as the Ring of Gyges. The story is about a shepherd called Gyges, who finds a magic ring that makes him invisible, and the choices he then makes when there is no possibility of being caught.
In the Republic, there is a dialogue (conversation) between two philosophers, each of whom has their own view of why people do the right thing:
Socrates - we do the right thing because we know it is good to act fairly towards others.
Glaucon - we do the right thing because we fear the consequences of being caught if we do the wrong thing.
The story of Gyges
Here is the story:
Gyges was a shepherd working for the king of Lydia. One day, after an earthquake, he found a bronze horse buried in the ground containing a dead giant wearing a gold ring. When Gyges put on the ring, he discovered that it made him invisible. Realising he could act without being seen or punished, Gyges used the ring to sneak into the palace, seduce the queen, murder the king, and take the throne for himself.
The moral question
Having told the story of Gyges, Plato then asks us this important question:
If we had the power to do anything without being punished or facing any consequences, would we still do the right thing?
Glaucon’s argument
Glaucon (Plato’s brother, who features as a character in Republic) argued that people would behave badly if they had the Ring of Gyges because he believed that people are naturally selfish (they really want to just do things that benefit themselves).
He believed that people only behave well and do the right thing because they are afraid of getting into trouble or losing their good reputation. And so if someone had the power to become invisible with the ring and never get caught, Glaucon argues, they would stop caring about being good and do whatever they wanted (just like Gyges did) - whether that was stealing, or even hurting someone.
Glaucon argued that people act fairly towards others only because they are scared of being punished or judged if they get caught doing something wrong, not because they really want to do the right thing. This is because, so he believed, we value our reputation more than we value being a good person. In other words, he believed that we think it is more important appearing to be good in the eyes of others than actually being good.
Glaucon thought that if there is no-one around to judge, why not do what you want?
Socrates’ counter-argument
Socrates (Plato's teacher and the main character in Republic), disagreed with Glaucon, and presented a counter-argument. Socrates thought that being moral and doing the right thing by being fair to others is important in its own right - not simply because it can lead to rewards. And similarly, behaving badly is wrong in itself, and not simply because it can lead to a punishment. He believed that a person who does bad things, even if they never get caught, harms themself and ends up living an unhappy life. Therefore, Socrates argued, there is a good reason not to behave badly if you owned the ring - it would be bad for you.
Socrates thought that being moral makes a person peaceful and balanced, just like being physically healthy makes you feel good.
Socrates believed that doing the right thing is required for a happy and balanced life, no matter if you get rewarded or punished. So, even if someone were in possession of the Ring of Gyges and could become invisible, it would be best for them to still choose to do the right thing, and behave fairly towards others.
Self-control
Plato’s book, Republic is an exploration of what human beings are, what it means to be moral, and what kind of society is the best. One of his main aims is to show that Glaucon’s argument is wrong, and provide reasons for us to accept Socrates’ counter-argument. He does this by explaining that our instincts and selfish desires can be tamed and brought under control, so that they do not dominate us. And only when this happens can we behave well and achieve true happiness.
A wise person understands the importance of having self-control, and so would not use the ring to behave badly and act on their selfish desires.
Plato’s idea that we should not simply act on instinct or on our selfish desires might also be though to be relevant in today’s world. Even though it might be difficult to stop and think before acting, Plato would say that having the ability to do so is what makes us human.
A lesson for today
The story of the Ring of Gyges is still important today when we talk about being moral. It makes us think about why we make moral choices and if we behave well because we truly believe in being good or just to avoid getting into trouble.
In today's world, technology can hide what we do and make it easier to avoid being caught. This makes the lesson of the Ring of Gyges even more relevant. For example, people can behave badly online, such as cyberbullying, trolling, spreading misinformation, or hacking, because they feel invisible. People think that they can become anonymous by creating a fictional username, and using made-up information to describe themselves (so they feel they become just as invisible as the wearer of the ring).
Whereas Glaucon would argue that online anonymity gives people the opportunity to behave badly as they might feel there is no chance of getting caught, Socrates would respond by pointing out that such people are not really happy, and such behaviour is damaging not only to the victims but also to the ‘anonymous’ bully or troll.
Final thoughts
Plato wanted the story of the Ring of Gyges to make us think deeply about ourselves, and what it is to be a good moral person. As we think about Gyges, and how his behaviour changed when he became invisible, we should reflect on our own behaviour and the reasoning behind it.
Plato wants the story of Gyges to help us understand that we should be moral, not because of what might happen to us if we are not, but because we truly want to be good and fair.
In Republic, Plato argued that we should strive to live a good life, both when we are on our own and when we are with others. Through rationality and careful thinking, we can improve our understanding of what it truly means to be moral and the importance of always doing the right thing.
Doing philosophy requires us to consider different perspectives and coming to our own judgement. Even though not everyone agrees with Plato, we should recognise the importance of his ideas in the debate. The Ring of Gyges is an important starting point.