PHI 2000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Counterargument
Document Summary
Yes: with the rings of gyges, people simply don"t have the strength to overcome their wants. He may mess with him without harming hum, but it is still an unjust thing to do: once anonymity is achieved, even a just man will act unjustly. People only follow rules considered to be just because of what people would think of them if they didn"t. No: the story assumes that everyone would be tempted to misuse the power of the ring to his or her own benefit. There are people who are just and who do the right thing even if there is no benefit to them: there are plenty of people who do things out of the goodness of their heart. Whether i did the right thing because i felt like i had to but one thing is for sure, i did the right thing willingly. Socrates challenges the speakers who argue justice is interest or power.
