Plato | The Ring of Gyges
In this excerpt from the dialogue The Republic, Glaucon and Socrates discuss the nature and origin of justice. Glaucon defends injustice, illustrating his argument with the legend of Gyges, to play devil's advocate and force Socrates to explain why people would voluntarily choose to be just.
-Glaucon tells the story of The Ring of Gyges to illustrate that people will not voluntarily desire justice if they have no fear of
A) punishment.
B) reward.
C) death.
D) reasoning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Glaucon argues that people are only just because they fear punishment, as illustrated by the story of the Ring of Gyges, where the ring grants invisibility and thus the ability to act unjustly without fear of consequences.

Plato | the Ring of Gyges