What If Gyge's Magic Ring Were Given To A Just Person

Glaucon argues that if Gyge’s magic ring were given to a just person and an unjust person, then they both would act unjustly. Glaucon also suggests that as humans, we are born with desires and if opportunity presents itself for us to carry out those desires without getting caught or our reputation being tarnished, we would carry out all our desires. As humans, we do things naturally and they are part of our “human nature,” naturally humans carry out a reputation- an image we want to present to the public. Not only do we have reputations to carry out, we also have expectations to fulfill and are afraid of getting caught. And therefore, we live our life as if we were on surveillance cameras. For example, cheating is considered a horrendous act with many consequences, such as expulsion or receiving a zero on your exam.

As students, we are expected to have academic integrity and out of fear of consequences we do what is expected of us because our reputation will be tarnished if don’t do what is “just”.

Being said, if a just person and an unjust person has the exact same ring as Gyge’s, giving them the ability of being invisible both just and unjust persons by “human nature” will follow out their desires because the just person will no longer live in fear, expectation, or have their reputation blemished if no one is there to watch and see them. In other words, they longer fear in getting caught. As for the unjust person, they will do what they already have been doing except they can do it with peace because no one can watch them or catch them in their “acts”. So, if both just and unjust persons receive this ring of invisibility they both would end up being unjust because it is human nature to have desires and now they both can fulfill them because they no longer in fear of getting

caught.
The tripartite theory of the soul composes of three parts: reason, spirit, and appetite. Reason is our guidance, spirit is our competitiveness, and appetite is our desires. Every single person, has these three elements. However, what determines how we act and react is eros. Eros is the passion and it directs us to where we want to be or what we have more of on the tripartite theory of the soul (reason, spirit, and appetite). The soul is what directs eros. For example, if the soul directs eros to appetite he or she will only think about their desires. And if an unjust person only think about their desires, they lack balance and to have justice in the soul means that each part (reason, spirit, and appetite) has eros. One needs passion to be considered happy. Therefore, one is unjust if they lack balance, and if you lack balance, you lack passion which is vital when it comes to ones happiness.