1)
Glaucon is trying to point that no one is ever willingly just, but only when they are
compelled to be. The mythical ring is an asset given to the just as well as the unjust,
causing them to be invincible so that their deeds are secluded. Thus, Glaucon reasons that
no one can seem so ‘incorruptible’ so as to stay on the road of justice when given
impunity to any deed he wishes that benefits him, for no one believes justice to be good
when kept in private. Consequently, stating that the real focus behind justice is to expose
it as a result of the name and chair given by the society to the individual, thus,
increasing your honor and status. This is because justice is seen as a loss to whoever is
carrying out the deed. Verily, the best action of justice is to suffer it intentionally without
taking revenge, in seclusion.
To conclude, Glaucon believes that those who practice justice do it unwillingly because
they lack the power to do injustice. The ring, being a source of power, derives the greed
from man instinctively due to their nature of pursuing more, concluding that justice is
only done unwillingly.
2)
One of Hume’s grounds for claiming that “reason alone can never be a motive to any
action of the will”, is that reason is, and ought only to serve and obey the passions.
According to Hume himself, “...passion is an original existence that does not contain any
representative quality”, which is the reason that it is impossible that this passion can be
contradictory to truth and reason. Thus, making it impossible for reason and passion to
contradict each other.
The instance falsehood is perceived of any means, our passions yield to our reason.
Consequently, passion is only unreasonable, or contrary to reason, when founded on false
means or when the means chosen is insufficient for the designed end. In order for a
passion to be unreasonable, it is accompanied by false judgments which is the cause of
the unreasoning.
What gives rise to passion is from the prospect of good or bad, or pain and pleasure,
that the attraction or aversion arises towards any object. Emotions are then extended to
the causes and effects of that object, giving rise to volition.
To conclude, It is judgments which influence our reasonings, who then serve our passions
which give rise to volition.