Essay Topic: Plato’s Ring of Gyges and Wall Street’s Gordon Gekko “Greed is good” Speech

Write an essay answering all of the questions on the topic that follows. The essay should be done in Microsoft Word format (double spaced – 12pt Times New Roman or Arial font). There is no minimum or maximum length, however, you should give as much detail as you can. The document containing this essay should be submitted electronically by attaching it to the assignment in Blackboard.

Essay Topic: Plato’s Ring of Gyges and Wall Street’s Gordon Gekko “Greed is good” Speech

In particular, you should

1. Explain Glaucon’s Ring of Gyges example found in Plato’s Republic (include all of the morally relevant details).

2. Explain the questions being raised by the example, in the process explaining

a. Intrinsically Good vs. Instrumentally (Extrinsically) Good and Glaucon’s view of which kind of goods that morally right actions should exhibit.

b. Egoism, Altruism, and which (or the extent to which) of the above views reflect an action’s being right.

3. Explain the moral dilemma facing the stockholders of Teldar Paper at the annual meeting of stockholders in the movie Wall Street . Be sure to

a. Explain the choice that the stockholders were faced with at the meeting.

b. Explain why the choice they were facing was a moral decision.

4. Explain Gordon Gekko’s argument in which he claimed that “Greed is good.” In the process be sure to clearly explain

a. What in his view the stockholders should do and what is the moral thing to do.

b. Whether the moral thing to do was intrinsically good or instrumentally (extrinsically) good.

c. Whether his position was a defense of egoism and/or altruism (be sure to explain why and how his position was a defense of egoism and/or altruism).

5. Explain what you think Gordon Gekko’s assessment of Glaucon’s argument would be.

The paragraphs (or sections) of your essay should discuss these items in the order in which they appear.

Do not discuss any other aspects of the cases. You are to focus only on the items mentioned above.

WARNING: Do NOT assume that the reader knows what you are talking about. Make sure to explain all of your points.

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