NAME: BALER JENEVIE U.

DATE: 02-14-21
SCHEDULE: MTH (07:00 AM-10:00 AM)

REFLECTION

As I read the story of The Ring of Gyges, I’ve learned a lot of this story. Like when a person
really has power it is no longer valued and even used it in the wrong way. In other words, used it
to be an unjust person. Just like a shepherd named Gyges, because of his power he ruins
everything. He seduced the queen and then worked with her to create a plan to kill the king, and
take over the kingdom. Because of his power he no longer knows if he will destroy other people.
He only thinks of his own welfare and happiness. He doesn’t even know that what he’s doing is
wrong and because he is not afraid. Because of his power that made him invisible, he will not be
punished. He was protected from the consequences of his actions.
If I were Gyges, if I had the chance to have a power like him, I would still choose to be a just
person. Because we all have our own choices to be a just or unjust person like Gyges. But the
matter of fact nowadays many people have done bad things, many have even lived in bad ways.
But even if we made mistakes, that doesn’t mean you’re already an unjust person because as
long as your mistakes is just superficial and you have not stepped on other people, that will not
make you to become unjust person. If I have the power and I can do everything what I want
without punishment, I’ve better still choose to be a just person. Because I do not want to make
mistakes just to gratify my desires. It’s not right that you can do your desires while you are
ruining other people’s lives. It is better if your intentions can’t hurt other people. And in sayings,
“Its better to help than to destroy.”
But the story of The Ring of Gyges tells us that if we had this sort of power no one would be
able to be trusted and therefore, it shows us that justice is always self-interested and thus really
not justice but a form of injustice. Glaucon even concluded in his speech by saying that the
unjust man will be rewarded and respected, whereas the just man will wretched. Everybody
seems to keeps up the hypocrisy of praising justice because they are all afraid of suffering
injustice. The real reason people praise justice is not because they actually believe in it, they
praise just people keep up the pretence. Adeimantus even say that parents tell their children to be
just because they will have a good reputation. Adeimantus also said that people are just because
they fear the punishment in the afterlife. According to Adeimantus, this suggests that justice is
self-interested as people may act just because they want to be rewarded in the afterlife, and fear
punishment from the gods. “Gyges ring implies that living a just life is difficult.”
For the conclusion of my reflection, this story really tells us that if we have given the chance to
have the power, we should give it importance and use it in the right way. If we are given favors
we should not abused it. We should not use our power to manipulate people. Let us not take
advantage of power. If you can do everything, you better use it in the right way. We should not
imitate Gyges. For the exact purpose of the story The Ring of Gyges, is for us to know that our
doings can’t harm others. We should know our limitations even if we have powers.