Excellent essay by Richard Kraut from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Philosophy Talk: Plato

Plato and Platonism
A concise introductory essay from the Catholic Encyclopedia

The Philosophy of Plato
An well-organized overview from the Radical Academy

The Republic, Book I

The Republic: Study Questions
To think about and look for when reading Book I.

The Apology

Works by Plato

Plato's Allegory Of The Cave: A Springboard For The Matrix

Noble lies and perpetual war
Danny Postel and


Plato: Ethics - The Ring of Gyges

  Are you a decent person?
  Well, what if you suddenly gained incredible power?
  Are humans inherently selfish?
  Are we inherently compassionate?
Plato provides a thought-experiment that can tell us much about our ideas of human nature, including our own. In the Republic, he has the character Glaucon pose a challenge to Socrates. They have been discussing the question "What is Justice?" Socrates has refuted Thrasymachus who insisted that "Justice is the interest of the stronger" or might is right. Now, young Glaucon continues the issue by questioning how genuine any human being's commitment to justice actually is. The story he tells acts as a thought-experiment. The question at issue being: do humans naturally tend to justice or injustice? When you read the below excerpt, you may be reminded of another story of good, evil, and a ring of invisibility. Tolkien's story of how a ring with magic power led to the corruption of those who owned it has obvious connections to Plato's story.

The Ring of Gyges, from the Republic, Book II



This story remains important to us today because it concerns what we can expect humans to do with power over others. In politics, we give power to others, hoping that they will do what is right. If Plato's allegory of the ring is right, then we had better watch out. Anyone who gains power without accountability is liable to use it unjustly. This particularly significant right now as the U.S. and U. K. governments are increasing the secrecy of their actions and gaining increased power over public information such as news. Secrecy is a form of invisibility, and for the purposes of power, as effective as a magic ring. The question "What is Justice?" remains as crucial today as it did 2,400 years ago.


IQ Home



Lao Tzu

2002© Jon Dorbolo