Jewish Week reminds us of a 'ring' story that (I confess) I had totally forgotten about:
... or, as seems to prevail in elementary schools (even Catholic ones!), on getting caught?
Long before Tolkien gave his ring magic powers, Plato retold the fable of Gyges, a shepherd in service to the king of Lydia. An earthquake opened a cavern before Gyges and he found a dead body with nothing on it but a gold ring. Placing the ring on his finger, Gyges rejoined the other shepherds. He soon discovered that whenever the stone of the ring was turned inside his hand, he became invisible. In the end Gyges seduces the queen and with her help overthrows the king.
Plato asks his readers if one can imagine possessing such a ring and still doing what is right? If we were invisible, would we be good? What happens when the small-town boy goes to the big city where no one knows him? Is our morality based on being seen? [...]
... or, as seems to prevail in elementary schools (even Catholic ones!), on getting caught?