This story raises up the question of what sanctions prevent people from just taking any liberties they are inclined to take.

This story raises up the question of what sanctions prevent people from just taking any liberties they are inclined to take.

Suppose now that there were two such magic rings, and the just put on one of them and the unjust the other; no man can be imagined to be of such an iron nature that he would stand fast in justice. No man would keep his hands off what was not his own when he could safely take what he liked out of the market, or go into houses and lie with any one at his pleasure, or kill or release from prison whom he would, and in all respects be like a God among men. Then the actions of the just would be as the actions of the unjust; they would both come at last to the same point. And this we may truly affirm to be a great proof that a man is just, not willingly or because he thinks that justice is any good to him individually, but of necessity, for wherever any one thinks that he can safely be unjust, there he is unjust. For all men believe in their hearts that injustice is far more profitable to the individual than justice, and he who argues as I have been supposing, will say that they are right.”

This story raises up the question of what sanctions prevent people from just taking any liberties they are inclined to take.

The whole subject of ethics, seen in large scale, is that of accepting and living under moral standards.

1. Using YOUR personal ethical statement that you have created, what would you do if you had that second ring?