plato and the ring of gyges?

Question

do you agree with plato's response to the the ring of gyges and why

Answer 1

It unfortunately takes most of "The Republic" for Plato to get to his response to the challenge of the ring of Gyges. Which is too bad, I think, because it's one of the more interesting challenges.

We see Plato's response in his description of the tyrant. A tyrant, like the man with the ability to turn invisible, has power that is largely limitless. If Glaucon and his pals are right, the tyrant would be the happiest person in the world. This is contradicted by evidence, however - we all can probably think of tyrants who seemed entirely UN-happy.

Plato explains why he thinks that is. A tyrant, he argues, is driven to sate his every desire. This is a task the Plato sees as doomed to failure... for with unlimited power must come untempered desire. A person who can do anything must lust for everything. And no matter how great his holdings, he will always long for more than he has.

Now, I'll grant you that Plato is certainly right in SOME cases. There are many examples of great men who were ruined by their unending ambition. But it is just as easy to find examples of great and powerful men who have channeled their energies and controlled their desires. Even among tyrants there are many who knew prudence, caution, and restraint.

So Plato's answer is, at best, a partial refutation and not a complete one.

For Plato to be correct, power must create desire. Yet this does not jibe with the views of most. Stoics would hold that desire (unlike power itself) is entirely in our own countrol. And while Taoists would agree that desire causes unhappiness, they would assert that ALL desires do this, not just those of tyrants.

So I think Plato has some good ideas (I like the story), but his refutation just doesn't cut it.

Answer 2

I think the internet is like any other society. There are those who appreciate the opportunity to interact and have reasonable self control when it comes to humor, sarcasm, verbalizing emotion etc. Then there is the element who, for whatever reason, feel the need to disrupt, use put downs and generally act the idiot. Actually, Y/A is better than a lot of message boards I've seen. Some who frequent uncensored message boards spew hate and other CR**, 24/7.