ICE Masks and Socrates: Paul Rosenzweig in Ripple

Society for the Rule of Law Charter Member Paul Rosenzweig has written a new piece for the Washington Posts‘s Ripple, analyzing the moral hazard of ICE’s mask-wearing through the lens of Ancient Greek Philosophy.

“More than 2,000 years ago, the Greek philosopher Plato predicted ICE’s tactics… he knew that ICE agents would want to wear masks not to protect themselves from danger, but rather to enable their immoral conduct.” Citing Plato’s Republic, Rosenzweig explores the concept that, “placing a person’s actions under observation is an essential component for deterring malicious conduct. The unseen and unobserved act unjustly.” In Plato’s Dialogue, one of the characters, Glaucon, introduces the metaphor of “the Ring of Gyges.” Much like the One Ring of Power in Lord of the Rings, wearing the Ring of Gyges would make the wearer invisible. “Glaucon’s view was that no person would be of ‘such adamantine resolve as to abide by justice’ if he could engage in unjust behavior without any fear of punishment.” Socrates, the Republic’s main character, counters with the idea that we pursue justice because it intrinsically benefits the individual who practices it. “Properly understood, justice is intrinsically good for us, bringing about the health, harmony, and good order of the soul. It is good for us even if no-one knows that we are just.” Nevertheless, Plato’s paragon of good concedes that some level of monitoring is necessary for the development of moral behavior. “Even Socrates, in his defense of the intrinsic goodness of justice, emphasizes the crucial role played by visibility and the corrupting power of hiddenness and anonymity.”

Several millenia later, Rosenzweig argues that we see Glaucon’s theory demonstrated in ICE’s behavior. “Twenty centuries ago, Plato knew that the anonymity of the Ring of Gyges was a cause of injustice. ICE’s masks today are the modern-day equivalent.” By wearing masks, law enforcement severs itself from the public scrutiny that Plato felt so necessary for instilling morality. “The masking and the anonymity it grants untethers ICE agents from basic sociality, enabling misconduct.” Rosenzweig cites how other law enforcement agencies and the military operate without masks, safely, and he urges Congress to pressure ICE to change its policies.

Read the rest of Paul’s piece here.

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