The Ring of Gyges
The Ring of Gyges
The story as told by Plato
The story is told by Plato in his book
The Republic
• Why be moral?
• The characters are:
– Socrates who supports
the moral life
– Glaucon and
Adeimantus who play
devil’s advocate
supporting the immoral
life
Activity 1
Mill and Grab excercise
• Put on your ring – draw it
• Imagine that this ring
makes you invisible
• Stand up
• Find a partner – someone
you have not often spoken
to before
• Discuss with them the
following question: If you
were invisible what would
you do?
Activity 1 continued
• Choose another partner –
again someone you don’t
know well.
• Discuss with them the
following: What is the
nicest thing you would do
with invisibility?
• Move to another partner
• Discuss: What is the worst
thing you would allow
yourself to do?
Activity 1 conclusion
• Find another partner
• Discuss: What is morality?
• Last time - go to another
partner.
• Discuss: Why be moral?
The Ring of Gyges
• To argue his case
Glaucon proposes a
story:
– A Shepherd discovers a
ring which makes the
wearer invisible
– He uses this power for
personal enrichment.
– Seduces the queen of
the kingdom, kills the
king and becomes ruler
himself.
• Glaucon concludes that
even a moral man will
eventually become
immoral as long as he
believes he cannot be
punished for his
actions.
Glaucon goes on to say
• Morality is only meant
as a balance between
unlimited power and
powerlessness
• But fails to produce
anything good
• Conclusion –
– So why be moral?
– The moral life is the life
chosen by the weak
Activity 2
The
Community of
Philosophical
Enquiry
• Get into groups made up of
people in different grades
• Discuss the story and come
up with a series of
questions about morality
The Community
of Enquiry
Philosophy
works towards
more precise
and clear
thinking about a
complex issue of
concern. (P4C)
• What are the questions you
have come up with?
• Vote on one question to
discuss
The Lord of the Rings – JR Tolkein
Each character who comes into contact with The
Ring is presented with a choice – to accept, reject
or remain indifferent to the temptation of it.
Boromir http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEFUqacd03Y&playnext=1&list=PL29DDC306B2443CD3
Warrior, nobleman – presented with the
temptation of The Ring he accepted it.
Gollum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk4Ntcq5uNg&feature=related
Hobbit turned bad by accepting The Ring.
Galadriel -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX3px_Ivs44
The Lady of Lothlorien – a strong moral person
who is offered The Ring, but realising what it
could do to her, she remains indifferent to it.
Frodo -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z58Y55XHCGI
The Ring bearer who was slowly drawn into The
Ring’s power and in the end gave into the
temptation of keeping it rather than destroying it.
The temptation in LOTR is for power
• Think of other characters and their
relationship to The Ring.
• What were the solutions to this great desire?
• For Galadriel it was both giving a gift of a star
to Frodo, and her own self knowledge and
mastery of herself.
• This was Tolkein’s view
Back to the Philosophical Enquiry
• In groups discuss of our question
• Respond as a community
– Eg “I think because”, “I agree/disagree
with...because.........”
• Come up with a hypothesis (suggested answer
to our question).
• How can you confirm this hypothesis?
Examples? Counter examples?
Review the hypotheses
• Have you answered the question?
• Consider alternative hypotheses
• Make a philosophical judgement
by choosing the best hypothesis.
Plato’s view – Morality is best!
• That immorality leads to
corruption of the soul
leading to mental and
emotional anguish
• Morality leads to inner
peace and salvation of
the soul.
Plenary
• How has this enquiry affected your
thinking?
• Will it affect your lives?
• Have you come up with any new ideas?
• Have you seen a new view point?
The End