Opening page…
If you knew you'd never be caught, would you still be good?
In Plato's Republic, a shepherd finds a ring that makes him invisible. He uses it to seduce a queen, kill a king and take the throne.
Your answer
You’ll sign in or make an account, then this is kept as your answer.
A little context
Most of the time, being good and looking good come as a set. You hand back the extra change and the cashier sees you do it. You don't read your partner's phone, and you couldn't hide it if you did. Remove any chance of being seen and you would find out which of the two you had been doing.
Nearby questions
- Does nature matter for its own sake?Picture a forest that vanishes without a single person or animal ever noticing or suffering.
- Is it wrong to eat animals?The animal on your plate could feel pain and fear. If you had to kill it yourself, you would find out what you really think.
- Can a deal be unfair if both sides agree to it?A desperate person accepts poverty wages, or sells a kidney, because every other option is worse. They chose it, and it may still be exploitation.
- The coin flipTwo drivers leave the same party equally drunk. A child runs into the road in front of one, who kills the child; the other gets home without hurting anyone. Do they deserve different blame?
- Do the ends justify the means?Sometimes the only way to stop something terrible is to do something terrible yourself. Even then, your hands are not quite clean.
