A Look at The Effects of Unrestricted Authority as Described in The Book, The Ring of Gyges

The idea of unlimited power can set you apart from the rest of world, and change who you are and the person you want to become. Glaucon’s point when relaying the idea of the ring of Gyges plays a huge role. Glaucon explains that having the ring can make you a just or unjust person and that it depends on what you do with the power. The ring of Gyges gives you unlimited power. What would people do with this? Would it change them for the better or worse? Unlimited power changes people for the worse in the way that they have no rules to follow, and no consequences, and whether or not it is better to be just or unjust.

In the beginning of book II Glaucon explains how the ring of Gyges works. As stated on page 44 of the book, “If you could imagine any one obtaining this power of becoming an invisible, and never doing any wrong or touching what was another’s, he would be thought by the looker-on to be a most wretched idiot, although they would praise him to one another’s faces, and keep up appearances with one another from a fear that they too might suffer injustice. Enough of this” (Plato 44). This quote explains that when one obtains the ring they have an invisible amount of power and can never do any wrong. They also talk about how the person might suffer from injustice if they are to obtain this ring. The ring ultimately can change your life forever.

Since the ring of Gyges gives you unlimited power without consequence, can this change a person? And if you have this unlimited power does this make you a just or unjust person? After reading the excerpt from page 44 of The Republic, “The the actions of the just would be as the actions of the unjust; they would both come to last to the same point. And this we may truly affirm to be a great proof that a man is just, not willingly or because he thinks that justice is any good to him individually, but of necessity, for whenever any one thinks that he can safely be unjust, there his is unjust” (Plato 44). This quote is saying how the actions of the just people are the same as the actions of the unjust. I believe that the actions of the just are not the same as the actions of the unjust. If there are no consequences, then are the unjust promised a happier life from the ring of Gyges. A just man is given a ring, once you have the ring the man can act unjustly with no fear. Glaucon argues that even the most just man will become unjust if he has possession of the ring. My take on this whole situation is that the just person can change with the ring and become unjust but if the unjust person is given the ring it is very likely that they cannot become just. This statement leads us to Glaucon and his 3 parts to justice; they desire only for their consequences, they desire only for their own sake, and they desire for both their own sake and what we get from the. These three parts make the argument to why a person given the ring of Gyges could not be just because if you are just then you desire the consequences that cannot be given.

This leads us into the part when Glaucon shows how the unjust life is happier than the just. This is because unjust people are always seen as just even if they are doing unjust things and if you are seen as just you are going to be looked at differently so why not just be unjust. Glaucon know that the unjust person is always indulged in there urges and is honored and rewarded with wealth. Having the ring Gyges can make you an unjust person which can ultimately cause happiness. But if you have unlimited power and no consequences how are you going to be happy. Having no struggle during life means happiness which can lead you to hell. As talked about in class those who are suffering in life, giving all they got and living life to the fullest are those that will having the most fulfilling afterlife. Those who are the happiest in life because of unjust ways are the ones who won’t necessarily have the most fulfilling afterlife. After reviewing both just and unjust I have come to the conclusion that the unjust life is a better choice. The just life is praised only for its rewards but its rewards are what make it the best, you are allowed to reap in both this life and the afterlife. While the unjust life gives you happiness all the time and you are rewarded with happiness in your afterlife too. So why choose the just life if the unjust life gives you happiness in both this life and the afterlife.

Glaucon brings the ring into this story to prove that the unjust life is better and even if you are given unlimited power you have happiness in the unjust life. The ring of Gyges unjust and anyone that has is it likely to have an unjust life. Glaucon believes that the unjust life is the most desirable.