assume the throne. Glaucon hopes to use the myth to support his claim that we misunderstand the nature of the Good if we fail to convince ourselves that an internal principle of self-preservation structures human nature, that human beings have no inherent respect for our moral systems, that they would not hesitate to use those moral systems to suit their needs, and that in their daily lives they would likely often violate those moral systems than not. But for Plato Gyges’ alienation and spiritual collapse also reinforce also reinforce his conviction that justice cannot be identified with mere social utility since such a practical conception of justice actually harms the soul of a human being. Plato believes that Gyges will recover his spiritual health only after embracing the moral law for its own sake. This would entail, in the thinking of St. Augustine, a “beatific” act of self-discovery, whereby Gyges empties his soul only to engross it with the logos of God by appealing to enduring ideals that had structured his being before the Fall. This process of spiritual healing would also be appropriate for modern Americans in the midst of a self-created, unusually severe economic crisis since a healthy dose of reflection would reveal how their identity is the product of a history that embodies higher principles whose imitation provides clarity, balance, virtue, and wisdom. .
I.
Indeed a more devastating development underlying the financial schizophrenia plaguing contemporary economic life is a paralyzing crisis of self-confidence that muddies value and prevents constructive action. Both our financial masters and average citizens are experiencing a deterioration in their will to power, that is, in