Transcript Lord of the Flies Theory Exploration

Lord of the Flies
Theory Exploration
Crystal Hurd
Honors English 10
John S. Battle High School
Theories on human nature and
government
• “The Social Contract”
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John Locke (1632-1704)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
Adam Smith (1723-1790)
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
“The Social Contract”
• Written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• A “perfect society” is controlled by the
population’s “general will”
• Each citizen contributes to determine what is
best course of action.
• “The Sovereign (or leader) simply legislates;
he does not have control over decisions.
• Rights belong to the people, not the monarch.
Thomas Hobbes - Leviathan
• Social Contract – People give up some of their
freedoms for the common good.
• People are “nasty and brutish” in their natural
state. They need a strong “sovereign” to keep
the peace when people become selfish and
individualistic.
John Locke
• “It is evident that all human beings – as creatures
belonging to the same species and rank and born
indiscriminately with all the same natural advantages
and faculties – are equal amongst themselves. They
have no relationship of subordination or subjection
unless God (the lord and master of them all) had
clearly set one person above another and conferred on
him an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty”
• Therefore, God assigns the power, not human
infrastructures such as government.
• Governments are run with the consent of the people
Nature versus Nurture
Origins of Morality – John Locke
• John Locke believed that all were a “tabula
rasa” or blank slate. The slate is covered by
experience and perception.
• We are not born with moral ideas, rather we
are shaped by our circumstances and
experiences.
• Proponent of “nurture”
Origins of Morality - Rousseau
• “Noble Savage”
• Rousseau believed that people are “born
moral” and then are corrupted by their
environments.
• Proponent of “nature”
• Is this true for Lord of the Flies?
Origins of Morality - Thomas Hobbes
• People are born corrupted and need a
structure (such as a government) to guide
them. Hobbes states that people war against
each other in their “natural state.”
• A government protects the people from
warring against themselves.
• Proponent of “nurture”
Morality – Adam Smith
• Man is typically invested in self-interest.
• However, man’s sympathy toward one another
provides a basis for morality.
• “I will not steal from someone because I
would hate if that happened to me.”