Imagine you find a magic ring that makes you invisible. Nobody can see you. Nobody knows what you're doing. You could do anything. 

Take or steal whatever you want. Go wherever you like. Nobody could stop you. You could do absolutely anything.

There would also be no punishments, no consequences, no police, no negative judgments from other people, and even if you believe in God, they would not be able to see your actions.

Just imagine, you could do anything you want without the fear of consequences.

If you had this power, would you stay good, or would you become evil?

[00:01:09] 

This story is a thought experiment in the very famous book by Plato, The Republic. 

And this story asks us the question is, are we good because we are moral or ethical, or because we are scared of the consequences of our actions. 

That could be going to prison, getting a fine, getting judged by others, or if you believe in God, God seeing your actions and punishing you for them. Or maybe because you believe in karma.

This is a really interesting thought experiment to think about because when we think about our own actions, when I think about my own actions, am I good because I'm a good person or I'm scared of what would happen if I actually acted immorally.

[00:02:01] 

And if I had the power to act in a immoral or unethical or even illegal way, would I do so? If I could not be punished. 

That's the subject that we're discussing this week in my free English learning community. If you want to chat about it, we have live calls next week, and you can come to them.

They're completely free, and we can discuss this question.

In this lesson series, debates in English, I discuss the pros and the cons or both sides of an argument. 

#1 – My behaviour wouldn’t change

[00:02:36] 

First, I'm going to discuss the reasons why some people wouldn't change their behaviour, even if they had the power to do whatever they wanted without consequences.

Key Vocabulary

Moral (adj.) Meaning: based on your own sense of what is right and fair, not on legal rights or duties. For example, people acting according to their own moral.

Ethical (adj.) Meaning: morally correct or acceptable. For example, is it ethical to steal from the rich and give it to the poor?

Fine (n) Meaning: a sum of money that must be paid as punishment for breaking a law or rule. For example, you could pay a fine if your behaviour is inadequate.

Karma (n) Meaning: the good/bad effect of doing a particular thing, being in a particular place, etc. For example, doing bad actions is bad karma.

Immoral (adj.) Meaning: not considered to be good or honest by most people. For example, it’s immoral to steal.

Unethical (adj.) Meaning: not morally acceptable. For example, it’s unethical to do whatever you want with people’s feelings.

Discuss (v) Meaning: to write or talk about something in detail, showing the different ideas and opinions about it. For example, we will discuss this topic at greater length inside the community.

Essay (n) Meaning: a short piece of writing on a particular subject, written in order to be published. For example, there’s an essay prepared for this week’s topic.

Ethics (n) Meaning: moral principles that control or influence a person’s behaviour. For example, your code of ethics is different from everybody else.

Secular (adj.) Meaning: not connected with spiritual or religious matters. For example, the UK has become more secular over the years.

Shape (v) Meaning: to have an important influence on the way that somebody/something develops. For example, religion can shape the morals of a nation.

Commandment (n) Meaning: a law given by God, especially any of the Ten Commandments given to the Israelites in the Bible. For example, may people around the world know at least one of the 10 commandments.

Thou (pronoun) Meaning: a word meaning “you,” used when talking to only one person who is the subject of the verb. For example, thou shall not steal.

Upbringing (n) Meaning: the way in which a child is cared for and taught how to behave while it is growing up. For example, some kids have a very strict upbringing.

Explicitly (adv) Meaning: clearly or directly, so that the meaning is easy to understand. For example, your parents explicitly told you to not behave that way.

Consciously (adv) Meaning: in a way that shows that you are aware of something or noticing something. For example, the effects were more profound than we consciously realize.

Witness (v) Meaning: to see something happen. For example, you did witness your parents’ behaviour.

Subconscious (adj.) Meaning: connected with feelings that influence your behaviour even though you are not aware of them. For example, your subconscious can make you feel in many different ways. 

So, on Monday, I posted a weekly workbook, which was all about this subject, including videos, and an essay, and extra resources all about this subject. 

And I asked some of my community members what they thought they would do if they had the power of the magic ring.

[00:03:05] 

Some people said they wouldn't change their behaviour because they knew that if they acted immorally, or unethically, or illegally, then, they would still have to live with themselves. 

So, even if they wanted to do something bad or immoral, for example, stealing money from someone, then, they would still kind of experience the action of them doing it, and they'd have to live with themselves afterwards.

Because in their mind, and in their brain, they would know. That it's them who's done it and after they do something bad, they might feel guilty about doing it. 

And when someone has done something bad, this can really affect your mood and your personality, and you might think about it, and it might affect your feelings for a very long time.

So even though some people understand that laws and fear of judgments might stop people from doing things, some people have said that it's just their own feelings that hold them back. 

So, they might have a desire to do something bad, or they might even not have a desire to do something bad, but they have their own moral code of what they think is right and what they think is wrong.

[00:04:20] 

This moral code or moral compass comes from a wide range of places. It could be religious reasonings. 

So, for example, if you live in the United Kingdom, your, your ethics and your morality have probably been influenced by Christianity, even though Christianity is not a very popular religion in the UK anymore, it's still the biggest religion.

But I don't know too many people who actually classify themselves as a Christian. 

I don't even know that many people who classify themselves as practicing or I don't know many people in the UK that are actually a religious full stop.

Regardless of how secular the UK has become; the morals and values of people here have been shaped by the Christian faith. 

Everyone born in England can recite one of the 10 commandments. Thou shall not kill, for example.

[00:05:13] 

It could be the school that you went to, the teachers you had, the upbringing you had, and when probably most importantly, your parents and what type of role models they were and how they taught you to live. 

They may not have explicitly taught you how to live by giving you directions like this is wrong, this is right.

But you may have seen how they behave, and you might think that is the way how to behave and this might not happen consciously, like you're thinking: “Oh, I've just seen my dad do this thing, so I must do that thing as well.”

But I think kind of witnessing your parents’ behaviour definitely has a subconscious effect on people and their behaviour. And especially, Their values and morals.

#2 – My behaviour would change

[00:05:57]

Other people in my community said that it would change their behaviour, but they wouldn't do things that are classified as immoral or unethical in their opinion. 

Key Vocabulary

Realize (v) Meaning: to understand or become aware of a particular fact or situation. For example, to realize that something is missing from your accounts.

Significantly (adv) Meaning: in a way that is large or important enough to have an effect on something or to be noticed. For example, money can significantly change the lives of people.

Vigilante (n) Meaning: a member of a group of people who try to prevent crime or punish criminals in their community, especially because they think the police are not doing this. For example, some people would become vigilantes if given the chance.

Greedy (adj.) Meaning: wanting more money, power, food, etc. than you really need. For example, there are too many greedy people.

Corrupt (adj.) Meaning: willing to use their power to do dishonest or illegal things in return for money or to get an advantage. For example, is easier to corrupt people with money.

Ubiquitous (adj.) Meaning: seems to be everywhere or in several places at the same time; very common. For example, corruption is ubiquitous in justice systems around the world.

Snowball Effect (adj.) Meaning: a situation that develops more and more quickly as it continues. For example, drugs have a snowball effect on people.

Slightly (adv.) Meaning: a little. For example, you get slightly better every time you lose.

Favour (n) Meaning: approval or support for somebody/something. For example, you only do what favours you the most.

Abuse (n) Meaning: the use of something in a way that is wrong or harmful. For example, is all too easy to abuse power.

Realistically (adv) Meaning: used to say what you think can actually be achieved in a particular situation. For example, to realistically reduce the crime rate.

Elect (v) Meaning: to choose somebody to do a particular job by voting for them. For example, to elect a new official for the government.

Inherent (adj.) Meaning: that is a basic or permanent part of somebody/something and that cannot be removed. For example, the selfishness inherent  in humankind.

Self-interest (n) Meaning: the fact of somebody only considering their own interests and not caring about things that would help other people. For example, self-interest is common in wealthy people.

It could be breaking the law and be illegal, like stealing money for example, they don't think stealing money from some people is a bad thing. 

Think about how rich some people are in this world, like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos. 

If you steal some money from them, and even if you don't keep it yourself, you could do, but imagine you donated to charity or you end world hunger, for example. 

I know that's not as easy as it sounds but imagine if you steal money from the richest people or the richest businesses in the world and give it to poorer people in the world. 

Is that really unethical, immoral? It is changing their behaviour. There are no consequences, but what they're doing, is it unethical or immoral?

[00:06:52] 

Especially if it really doesn't affect Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk's life too much. I'm sure you could probably pull a million from them and they wouldn't even realize, but you could significantly change the lives of many people. 

So, if some people got the ring, they would act like Robin Hood. Steal from the rich, give to the poor.

Other people said they would be like a vigilantes, or they would fight crime or try and use their power of the ring for good. 

So, it would change their behaviour, but in their eyes, they wouldn't be doing things immoral or unethical. 

They would kind of be like a Batman or another superhero where they see evil or bad people in the world, and they would use their power to try and fight that. 

In their eyes this is not immoral or unethical as well It could be problematic for some people to take the law into their own hands like Batman does, but in their opinion, it's not unethical or immoral.

[00:07:50] 

On the other side of the coin, some people said they would change their behaviour, and that humans are naturally greedy, and power corrupts human beings. 

There are so many examples in history of when people get power, they get corrupted. 

And this is somewhat of a kind of ubiquitous effect, any country, any political system, corruption happens. And when people get power, they often abuse it. 

And even though ordinary people like us might think that they might not do evil things because they might feel bad. 

But once they get the ring and they start acting with no consequences, I think this could be a snowball effect where you might start to do small actions and then you do something slightly bigger and slightly bigger and slightly bigger. And then you're deciding which world leaders live or die. 

[00:08:41] 

You're completely changing the world in the favours of what you think is right or wrong. 

And that could benefit you and you could redirect resources and power and opportunities to people like you, people from your own country, political causes that you care about. You could do anything that you wanted.

If people had that power, I think it would take a very strong individual not to abuse that. And that's what people have said. 

They would like to think that their behaviour wouldn't change, or they wouldn't do immoral or unethical things. But if they had the opportunity to do it, they realistically think that they probably would in the end.

I'm sure you know a politician who made all these promises before they got elected, and once they got elected, they suddenly changed, and they were corrupted by power.

Maybe humans are just weak, and we need to reduce the amount of power that each individual has and try and spread it out as much as possible because humans just can't deal with that type of power because we are inherently self-interested.

[00:09:49] 

So, imagine you had this ring and this power. What would you do? Would you tell people how you really thought about them with no negative consequences for yourself? 

Would you steal money from richer people and give it to yourself, or people you love, or people who need it more than them? Or would you completely go evil and do whatever you wanted and not care about other people?