Kinjal Haldar
Mrs. Cler
World Core Literature Period 1
October 13th, 2015
What is Human Nature, and How Best to Govern It?
As children, almost everyone is taught to be compassionate and to develop empathy. However, certain schools of thought argue that these moral teachings take a backseat when children are introduced to the harsh realities of the world. In his 1651 text “Leviathan”, Thomas Hobbes proposes two interesting but controversial ideas. First, that people are motivated by their inherently narrow self interest. Second, the only path to stable governance is to establish an absolute authority in a single person or a small minority. Over three centuries later, William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies brings up these ideals once more. The story revolves around a group of boys stranded on an island, and their …show more content…
Golding demonstrates this through Simon, who displays selfless behavior and who works for the common good. In stark contrast to the pervasive selfishness, he spends his time building shelters for others. Ralph and Piggy recognize his traits; they even complain about others not helping as much. “‘Simon. He helps.’ He pointed at the shelters. ‘All the rest rushed off. He’s done as much as I have. Only - ’” (Golding 54). It is interesting that someone like Ralph, the leader of a Hobbesian government, complains about this. In a true Hobbesian society, this would not have come as a surprise. In fact, it would not have even been a point of discussion as nothing better would be expected of men. This contradiction is significant because of two reasons. The first is that even in a society that appears dystopian, there are individuals who act as antitheses of Hobbesian individuals. Secondly, this trait is inherent. It is not caused by external factors. Golding draws our attention to the idea that humans are not as predictable as an ideology may insist they
Mrs. Cler
World Core Literature Period 1
October 13th, 2015
What is Human Nature, and How Best to Govern It?
As children, almost everyone is taught to be compassionate and to develop empathy. However, certain schools of thought argue that these moral teachings take a backseat when children are introduced to the harsh realities of the world. In his 1651 text “Leviathan”, Thomas Hobbes proposes two interesting but controversial ideas. First, that people are motivated by their inherently narrow self interest. Second, the only path to stable governance is to establish an absolute authority in a single person or a small minority. Over three centuries later, William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies brings up these ideals once more. The story revolves around a group of boys stranded on an island, and their …show more content…
Golding demonstrates this through Simon, who displays selfless behavior and who works for the common good. In stark contrast to the pervasive selfishness, he spends his time building shelters for others. Ralph and Piggy recognize his traits; they even complain about others not helping as much. “‘Simon. He helps.’ He pointed at the shelters. ‘All the rest rushed off. He’s done as much as I have. Only - ’” (Golding 54). It is interesting that someone like Ralph, the leader of a Hobbesian government, complains about this. In a true Hobbesian society, this would not have come as a surprise. In fact, it would not have even been a point of discussion as nothing better would be expected of men. This contradiction is significant because of two reasons. The first is that even in a society that appears dystopian, there are individuals who act as antitheses of Hobbesian individuals. Secondly, this trait is inherent. It is not caused by external factors. Golding draws our attention to the idea that humans are not as predictable as an ideology may insist they