The Ring of Gyges

Herodotus tells a story about how Gyges took over the throne from Caudaules, king of Lydia in what is today western Turkey. It is a story of shame suppressed and a queen seduced. Gyges by these devious means replaced Caudaules and married his wife. Plato tells another more fantastical version of this story. His version was designed as a philosophical example, rather like Philippa Foot's Trolley problem. Your task is to read Plato's version and work out an answer for the problem it poses or at any rate to discuss it intelligently.

This painting shows Herodotus' version of the story (Book 1.7)

A shepherd came a cross a cleft in the mountains. He looked down inside and saw that there was an enormous coffin there. He went down and examined it and inside he discovered the body of a giant. There was a ring on the giant's finger which the shepherd took and played with as he went back to the village. When he got there the men were all outside talking together as they always did in the evenings. He was surprised to hear them talking about himself as if he was not there. 


Still playing with the ring on his finger, one of them suddenly addresses him and welcomes him into the group. The shepherd realizes that he has a magic ring that he can twist to make himself invisible or visible again. At once he sets out for the city, and, now invisible, walks past the guards into the private apartments of the queen, whom he seduces. She the demands that for the sake of her honour, he must now kill her husband the king and marry her. he agrees and murders the king and marries the queen.


If you had power like Gyges, is there anything that might hold you back from doing exactly what you wanted? Remember that are in the story we are imagining you are free to do and get whatever you want without any possibility of being identifies, discovered or punished. So, what's holding you back? Anything?