Question

The story goes that Gyges was a shepherd in the service of the King. In a most unusual circumstance he came upon a dead man, removed the man's ring, and discovered that it made him invisible. He conspired to take the periodic report of the shepherds to the King -- once there he seduced the Queen and eventually took control of the Kingdom by conspiring with the Queen. Plato continues the story: "Suppose now that there were two such magic rings, and the just put on one of them and the unjust the other; no man can be imagined to be of such an iron nature that he would stand fast in justice. No man would keep his hands off what was not his own when he could safely take what he liked out of the market, or go into houses and lie with any one at his pleasure, or kill or release from prison whom he would, and in all respects be like a God among men. Then the actions of the just would be as the actions of the unjust; they would both come at 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 wherever any one thinks that he can safely be unjust, there he is unjust. For all men believe in their hearts that injustice is far more profitable to the individual than justice, and he who argues as I have been supposing, will say that they are right." This story raises up the question of what sanctions prevent people from just taking any liberties they are inclined to take. The whole subject of ethics, seen in large scale, is that of accepting and living under moral standards. What decision should be made based on creating the most happiness for the greatest number or persons?

Answer 1

Plato’s story about the Shepard and the invisibility ring highlights the doctrine of utilitarianism and the thin line which separates just or moral actions form unjust and immoral behaviours. Every law is then seen as evil, for every law is a restriction of liberty of the individual. However, moral standards or ethics emerge as a check, a dam which seek to contain the severe consequences which may befall upon other individuals, groups or society at large due to one individual’s inclination towards amassing personal pleasures.

Pit is in this regard that the primary principle of utilitarianism animates the nature of ethics as the principle which judges any action to be right by the consequences it has on the happiness and well being of the larger group, or individuals who are at the receiving end of someone’s actions. thus one can decide morality as securing greater good for greater number of people and it would lead us to determine that an action which minimises or goes against the interests of a large number of people such as that of the Shepard in Plato’s story, can be deemed as immoral and unjust.