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Are We Naturally Good Or Evil In Lord Of The Flies

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Rousseau, a philosopher who has blessed history with his thinking, once claimed that “Man is born free but everywhere is in chains”, giving the Age of Enlightenment hope that man was not born evil. Like other figures of the Enlightenment, Rousseau understood that humans enter the world good without malicious thought until they undergo life. Similar to the way that people develop morals through life’s trials, William Golding formed his own beliefs through his brutal experiences in war. Golding joined the Royal Navy during World War II and perceived people as innately corrupt. After witnessing death and horrific actions that took place for the sake of power, Golding concluded that evil presents itself in human nature from birth. Under the sea …show more content…

As demonstrated by the influence of nationality and examples seen in Lord of the Flies. The question of whether humans are inherently good or evil can never truly be answered; however, why choose to believe that evil triumphs good? Negativity can be contagious and one negative thought can spread to others like wildfire. Beliefs that humans come naturally evil promote self-hate and justification of violence against other people. Serial killers should not be forgiven by the principle that their nature destinies them to commit evil. Other philosophers such as Hobbes, do not agree with the inherent goodness of humans. Hobbes, much like Golding, was heavily influenced by war. Judging humanity by only looking at the most evil and cruel acts people can commit displays unfairness. Instead, look at the progression of evil from birth pushed by corrupt surroundings such as a deceitful government or a war-torn country. According to a study done at Yale, babies choose a kind figure over a mean one. This proves morality found in babies and the natural instinct to be drawn to good. Rousseau claims that “Nature made me happy and good, and if I am otherwise, it is society’s fault.”, the accuracy of his statement can be seen in the impact of nationality on moral character and Lord of the Flies. Humans are inherently good, but in order to stay good they must avoid the corruption present in their surroundings. People should make an effort in keeping the innate goodness in their hearts to stay good, regardless of the

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“The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces.” This quote was said by Philip Zimbardo during his ‘Psychology of Evil’ TED talk. Zimbardo explains in his presentation what defines humans as good or evil. He goes into depth on the negative impact of the external environment of a person. He follows by saying his ideology of evil came from the novel Lord of The Flies by William Golding.

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The question as to whether humans are inherently evil or good has been asked time and time again. Despite the fact Humans are naturally evil based on how they act under grim situations, the tendency of people to follow leaders that are evil, and how people have caused destruction, and have committed terrible acts throughout time. Humans often do terrible things when the situation for them is dire, even with the knowledge that doing said terrible things will only further the problem. A famous example of this is present in the story surrounding the wreck of the french ship, the Méduse.

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Evil human nature is also present in” To Kill a Mockingbird” and in real-life events, such as WW2. These sources show that human nature is truly evil because of its hate, discrimination, and violence. In “Lord of the Flies” Golding indicates that human nature is evil by showing violent thoughts and murder. When the boys form a circle around Robert, vicious thoughts run through Ralph's mind, “The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering’ (Golding, 115).

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