ipl-logo

John Locke Lord Of The Flies Analysis

509 Words3 Pages

John Locke's Ideas about Lord of the Flies

Nathaniel Cundy

“Which is better--to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill?” ― William Golding, Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys who get stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere and try to form a government with horrible consequences. John Locke(1632-1704) is a philosopher who is well known for his views on state of nature, laws of nature, social contract, and natural law. If John Locke saw what was happening on the island, he would have been aghast because of the state of nature, violation of rights, and the social contract.

First of all, John Locke would be aghast at the state of nature. The state of nature is the process of imagining …show more content…

John Locke's partial answer to state of nature is a social contract. A social contract is when a person gives up their natural freedom for the protections of their rights. In the Lord of the Flies, Jack promises people who join him, security, hunting, feasts, and games but that does not happen. Instead Jack violates the rights that he promised to protect.

Some people might say that the state of nature isn't a problem that John Locke would be aghast at. They might say that the state of nature’s solution is to form a government. In Lord of the flies this does occur. Jack and Ralph both form a government.

People might also disagree with John Locke and I on the social contract. Others might say that there was indeed a social contract in Lord of the Flies. If you join Jack, you get to hunt, feast, security, and games. That is true.

Going back to why the state of nature isn't really a problem is totally false. The solution to state of nature did occur. A government was formed, but it was not a stable government. In order for it to be stable government, the government has to protect your rights which did not occur in Lord of the flies. Again, there were several incidents where rights were not

Show More
Related

Lord Of The Flies Rhetorical Analysis

920 Words | 4 Pages

Which is about a group of young boys that are marooned on an island for quite some time and have to make their own society. Ralph steps up as the leader of the boys but later on in the book, the position is taken by Jack which turns chaotic. The chaos leads to many problems within the group of boys. In the book, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, it is shown that individuals make up society, Jack’s tribe shows this by controlling the boys with his beliefs, and making up his own rules that break the initial ones, although, the opposing side may say that society shapes the individuals. Beliefs are important in creating a society because it can organize the members values, however Jack does it tyrannically.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Locke And Hobbes

110 Words | 1 Pages

DeAndre’ Royster Simple,and Exclusive The natural state of mankind before forming a government. Hobbes and Locke both believed in a state of nature. They also both believed in a social contract. Hobbes wanted a government to protect people from each other.

Read More

Ralph Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

959 Words | 4 Pages

With absolute power comes absolute corruption, but with limited power comes limited corruption. In the novel Lord of the Flies, the arbitrary need for a leader brings forward strife and competition between characters that desire power. Ralph with his old democratic leadership style clashes with Jack’s unethical style to rule. In the book Lord of the Flies, we learn that eagerness for power is strong enough to break the boys’ fragile civilization, which is demonstrated by the characters Ralph, Piggy and Jack.

Read More

How Did John Locke Not Approve In Lord Of The Flies

671 Words | 3 Pages

John Locke would without a doubt not approve how life is run on the island in Lord of the Flies. He would not approve because they, have and exercise the right to a revolution and use it wrong, they violate the people's natural rights and because the government does not provide equal protection. The first reason he would not approve is because the people had a right to revolt and used that right. When jack and the hunters, the choir, went with Jack separate they revolted against Ralph they used that right.

Read More

Hobbes Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

1227 Words | 5 Pages

Humans, according to the philosopher Thomas Hobbes, are selfish by nature. In his landmark work, Leviathan, he explains the importance of a strong government in society. According to Hobbes, without a strong system of government people would revert into a primitive state; war would run rampant, the natural law would not be abided, and those once tamed by society would become evil. William Golding based his novel, Lord of The Flies, on a similar idea. In this novel, many characters digress from civility into savagery.

Read More

How Did John Locke's Influence On The Declaration Of Independence

595 Words | 3 Pages

Locke had stated that when an executive act for his own benefit, and not to serve the ends of the people. He “degrades himself” and becomes “but a single private person without power,” at which point he no longer has any right to rule over the people. Locke expresses the idea of rebellion against an unjust government. By giving the idea of rebellion, he also reveals that a human’s rights have changed over the years and that a man now has inherent rights. It was because of his declaration that the statement, “give me liberty or give me death,” become popular among the American people.

Read More

How Did John Locke Influence The Constitution Of The United States

685 Words | 3 Pages

John Locke’s major philosophies included the Social Contract and the Second Treatises of Government which influenced the Constitution of the United States. John Locke expressed his ideas on human nature and government in his famous Social Contract and The Second Treatise of Government which greatly influenced James Madison to write The Constitution of the United States. According to, (What life would be like in a “State of Nature”,2017), John Locke had no doubt that the State of Nature has a law in which everyone must follow. Those fundamental rights consist of the right to life, liberty, and property. Human Nature results in individuals living without government, which allowed Locke to believe life without government will provoke violence

Read More

Ralph's Loss Of Power In Lord Of The Flies

1088 Words | 5 Pages

Democratic power can be used to control a society, as well as establish a closeness as civilians. To lose sight of this can mean the corruption of a civilization caused by the lack of order. One’s choice of independence in order to better the chances of their survival requires complete dedication and willingness to risk. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Ralph loses his democratic power due to his failure to ensure survival and protect the boys as a leader. Ralph’s failure to lead the group is due to his initial and chronic independence and inability to compete with Jack’s followers, accounted for mainly by fear.

Read More

Lord Of The Flies Thesis Analysis

767 Words | 4 Pages

Thesis Statement: In Lord of the Flies William Golding throughout the book is trying to show you that society should recognize man is evil. Introduction Paragraph: In the book Lord of the Flies the author William Golding shows a group of boys losing their innocence throughout their life stuck on this inhabited island in the pacific ocean. These boys go from being quiet and shy to violent and dangerous young little boys. Golding uses the pigs, hunting, and the boys face painting to show their lose of innocence throughout the story. There 's no rules of any sort on this island these boys landed on they are free to do whatever they want whenever they want.

Read More

1984 And Lord Of The Flies Analysis

1140 Words | 5 Pages

Meanwhile, in Lord of the Flies, the situation is very different- several young boys have crashed onto a uninhabited island and have to find a way to survive. In the absence of any structure, the boys wreak havoc on the island, despite their efforts to create a working system of authority. George Orwell’s 1984 and William Golding’s Lord of the Flies provide differing views on the relationship between individuals and society, understood through characterization of Winston and Jack, and the social hierarchies present in each text. Orwell and Golding’s opposing views on the relation between society and the individual are apparent in their uses of characterization concerning Winston and Jack, respectively. In Golding’s Lord of the Flies, after Jack neglects building shelters in favor of hunting, Ralph is unhappy.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Thomas Hobbes And John Locke

1441 Words | 6 Pages

Both social contract philosophers defended different views about moral and political obligations of men living in the state of nature stripped of their social characters. The state of nature illustrates how human beings acted prior to entering into civil society and becoming social beings living under common legitimacy. The state of nature is to be illustrated as a hypothetical device to explain political importance in the society. Thomas Hobbes, propounded politics and morality in his concept of the state

Read More

Benito Mussolini The Doctrine Of Fascism Analysis

832 Words | 4 Pages

John Locke and John Stuart Mill’s dilemma in swimming to the islands of Fatherland and Bourgeouseville demand them to consider several key elements of each civilization. Each societies attitudes towards A fundamental element for Locke and Mill to consider in their decision, is the core purpose of government on each island, and the impact these different goals have on each civilization. The role of government in Fatherland, which is a Fascist regime, reflects the Fascist emphasis on government involvement in the lives of its people. In Benito Mussolini’s “The Doctrine of Fascism”, he describes the Fascist state as “the highest and most powerful form of personality, is a force, but a spiritual force, which takes over all the forms of moral and intellectual life of a man.” (pg.

Read More

What Is John Locke's State Of Nature

548 Words | 3 Pages

John Locke is an enlightened political philosopher whose explanations to his ideas remains profoundly influential. Locke believes people should have the right to do anything they want without the government enforcing them to do a task. In The Second Treatise, Locke discusses some vital concepts of his thinking, beginning with a discussion of the State of Nature. He explains that humans move from a state of nature characterized by perfect freedom and are governed by reason to a civil government in which the authority is vested in a legislative and executive power. In the State of Nature, men are born equal, to have perfect liberty to maintain.

Read More

Human Influence In Moby Dick

2047 Words | 9 Pages

The writings of English philosopher John Locke described a "state of nature" that was adopted by the Founding Fathers in their Declaration of Independence, in which the government served as a social contract between the people to protect their individual property rights. The basis of government in individual property created a harmful mindset that damaged interpersonal relationships and kinship between the people in their quest for commercial success. Herman Melville attempted to re-educate the American people on the aspects of nature that he saw fit as conducive to a cohesive America, in which all people could rely on each other, and their government. Ishmael' journey to sea was a quest for the permeating questions in the deepest reaches of his mind: where can I find the good in

Read More

John Locke's Concept Of Justice

1751 Words | 8 Pages

The State of Nature, although a state wherein there is no civil authority or government to punish people for transgressions against laws, is not a state without morality. To Locke, persons are assumed to be equal to one another in such a state, and therefore equally capable of discovering and being bound by the Law of Nature. The Law of Nature, which is on Locke’s view the basis of all morality, and given to us by God, commands that we not harm others with regards to their life, health, liberty, or possessions. This is because we all belong equally to God, and because we cannot take away that which is rightfully His, we are prohibited from harming one another. So, the State of Nature is a state of liberty where persons are free to pursue their own interests and plans, free from interference, and, because of the Law of Nature and the restrictions that it imposes upon persons, it is relatively peaceful.

Read More

More about John Locke Lord Of The Flies Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document