In a society, there are many factors that influence how the government functions. Fundamentally, a government exists to serve the people governed. The nuances of the government then determine how effective the system is at maintaining order and appealing to the citizens. In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a British plane en route to safety crashes on a remote island. A group of marooned British boys, without any authoritative figure, is forced to govern themselves until they are rescued. During their time on the island, the boys shift through different leadership and slowly deteriorate from civilized school-boys to barbaric savages. The boys fail to govern themselves because they are unsuccessful in implementing a system
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The lack of French philosopher Baron de Montesquieu’s theory of checks and balances in the boys’ government leads to corruption. Montesquieu believed in a system of separation of powers to prevent a group of citizens from having too much power in decision-making. He also believed it was imperative to have a system of checks and balances. Without the ability of one branch of government to place checks on the other, one branch may rise to too much power and taint the government. Montesquieu was also adamant that a democracy would lead to mob rule, as human emotions prevent the masses from thinking with reason and making the best choices (Bok). A way to counter mob rule would be by placing checks on each branch of government to ensure that no branch becomes too powerful (“Konwinski Binder”). The reason he believed that democracies are not ideal and lead to mob rule is because he believed that people place their own interest above others and make decisions accordingly (“Biographical Briefing on Baron de Montesquieu”). After …show more content…
Cesare Beccaria, a well-known philosopher, advocated reasonable punishments. He believed that the judiciary exists to uphold the laws (“Biographical Briefing on Jean-Jacques Rousseau”). Beccaria was also against cruel punishments, as it instills fear in the citizens ; however, punishments are still a vital component to ensure that justice prevails (Konwinski Binder). From the start, the boys established a code of laws to ensure order, but none of the laws were enforced. The conch rule was disregarded almost immediately after its enactment, and Jack even declared “‘[b]ollocks to the rules!” (Golding 91). Even after Simon is murdered, no punishments are given out, no one is held accountable for it, and Piggy even plays it off as an accident. Not only does Jack rule arbitrarily, he also uses fear to rule the savages. When Roger is asked why Wilfred, a character not previously introduced, is being beaten, Roger replies, “‘I don’t know. He didn’t say. He got angry and made us tie Wilfred … for hours’” (Golding 159). The boys follow Jack’s command blindly, since they are scared that they will meet the same fate. The boys disregard the rules completely without consequences, leading to disorder and
The lack of French philosopher Baron de Montesquieu’s theory of checks and balances in the boys’ government leads to corruption. Montesquieu believed in a system of separation of powers to prevent a group of citizens from having too much power in decision-making. He also believed it was imperative to have a system of checks and balances. Without the ability of one branch of government to place checks on the other, one branch may rise to too much power and taint the government. Montesquieu was also adamant that a democracy would lead to mob rule, as human emotions prevent the masses from thinking with reason and making the best choices (Bok). A way to counter mob rule would be by placing checks on each branch of government to ensure that no branch becomes too powerful (“Konwinski Binder”). The reason he believed that democracies are not ideal and lead to mob rule is because he believed that people place their own interest above others and make decisions accordingly (“Biographical Briefing on Baron de Montesquieu”). After …show more content…
Cesare Beccaria, a well-known philosopher, advocated reasonable punishments. He believed that the judiciary exists to uphold the laws (“Biographical Briefing on Jean-Jacques Rousseau”). Beccaria was also against cruel punishments, as it instills fear in the citizens ; however, punishments are still a vital component to ensure that justice prevails (Konwinski Binder). From the start, the boys established a code of laws to ensure order, but none of the laws were enforced. The conch rule was disregarded almost immediately after its enactment, and Jack even declared “‘[b]ollocks to the rules!” (Golding 91). Even after Simon is murdered, no punishments are given out, no one is held accountable for it, and Piggy even plays it off as an accident. Not only does Jack rule arbitrarily, he also uses fear to rule the savages. When Roger is asked why Wilfred, a character not previously introduced, is being beaten, Roger replies, “‘I don’t know. He didn’t say. He got angry and made us tie Wilfred … for hours’” (Golding 159). The boys follow Jack’s command blindly, since they are scared that they will meet the same fate. The boys disregard the rules completely without consequences, leading to disorder and