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The Ring of Gyges

The Ring of Gyges. PLATO (427-347 B.C.). What is Justice?. Glaucon and Socrates To do injustice is good. To suffer injustice is evil. How can you be sure to do injustice without suffering it?. Origin of Justice.

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The Ring of Gyges

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  1. The Ring of Gyges PLATO (427-347 B.C.)

  2. What is Justice? • Glaucon and Socrates • To do injustice is good. • To suffer injustice is evil. • How can you be sure to do injustice without suffering it?

  3. Origin of Justice • The best situation is one in which you could avoid both (i.e., receiving and doing injustice). • This can only be developed by establishing a covenant and laws among citizens to guarantee one does not suffer injustices (i.e., social contract) • These laws (or contracts) are what we call justice.

  4. Why submit to such an agreement? • Everyone acts in their self-interest. • Such an agreement must be in your self-interest. • If you could guarantee that you would only do injustices and never suffer it, then you would never enter into such an agreement. • Thus, MIGHT makes RIGHT

  5. Conclusion • Justice is a social construct. • People do what is just involuntarily, since there is no reason why any one would do what is just for its own sake. • No one does (and ought not do) what is just for its own sake. • There has to be some ulterior motive for one to do what is just (e.g., civil punishment, divine punishment, rewards, honor, reputation, glory, praise, etc.)

  6. The ring of Gyges • This story of a shepherd that finds a magical ring. • This story shows that if people could be unjust to serve their advantage (knowing they would never get caught or that there would be any bad consequences derived from unjust acts), they would do so!

  7. Extremes of a Just and Unjust Person • Consider a case of the extreme unjust person and the just person. • If the lifestyle of an unjust person leads to only good things (including appearing just), then what incentive is there for him or her to be just? • If the lifestyle of a just person leads to only bad things (including appearing unjust), then what incentive is there for him or her to continue being just?

  8. How can justice be its own reward? • Soul’s harmony • Justice is a harmony between the three parts of the soul: (1) Reason, (2) Will, and (3) Passion. • A just person is one in which each part the soul does what it is supposed to do. • Each part of the soul has a NATURAL function.

  9. Soul • Reason: provides prudence and guides our actions • Will: The force behind our actions (i.e., will power). It is what makes the decision. • Passions: represent our bodily interests, passions, feelings, etc. Includes, hunger thirst, sex, anger, jealousy, envy pride, etc.

  10. Harmony • Many times the dictates of reason will contradict the dictates of the passions. A person’s soul is in harmony when the will LISTENS to reason and guides the person to act in ways congruent with reason. • However, when the the will sides on the side of the passions, then a person’s soul is out of harmony and is unjust.

  11. Justice and Happiness • Justice is a soul at peace with itself. • It is a soul in which the difficult and arduous struggles between reason and passions are pre-determined and reduced to very mild strivings. • It is a soul in which each part knows its purpose and does not interfere with the purposes of the others.

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