Philosophical Control In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates once said that “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Through this quote, he suggests that in order for a man to be truly wise, he must be open-minded, and not be prone to having his mind controlled or his opinions shifted. This type of man is not only smart, but is able to look at ideas and events from multiple angles, while retaining enough critical thought to analyze and disprove any fallacies in his logic. However, this state of open-mindedness is exactly what many dystopian societies lack. The citizens in many of these stories are easily manipulated by existing knowledge without the capability to critically think or reflect upon them. Thus, they are being controlled by philosophical

The townspeople’s attitude regarding the yearly lottery demonstrates how philosophical control reinforces already established tradition, supporting the ideals that the tradition is based upon. For example, when the town is preparing for the lottery, a ritual older than anyone can remember, the box that the names are drawn out of is unveiled and prepared. The box is shabby and worn down, and is hardly fit for such an occasion. Originally black, the paint has long since disappeared. A new box is clearly in order, but the idea has only been vaguely proposed, as “no one liked to upset… tradition… represented by the black box” (Jackson 10). Even though the box should be replaced, the idea of moving against tradition is unthinkable for the townspeople, and thus, year after year, the same run down box is used for the lottery. The philosophical control of tradition is cemented deep into the minds of every citizen, so deep that nobody takes the initiative to fix a simple problem. Thus, the tradition continues in the exact same manner every year, as the townspeople do not make any effort to question or logically reason their inability to replace the box. Moreover, this lack of critical thinking is also applicable to the lottery itself. The lottery is not a typical one, in that the winner of the lottery does not win anything, aside from being stoned to death by his or her neighbors, but such an abhorrent process seems to be perfectly acceptable by the townspeople. In fact, when confronted with an alternative suggestion, the citizens deeply rooted in tradition bat it away almost immediately. This phenomenon is shown in Old Man Warner’s response to Mr. Adams. Mr. Adams tells Old Man Warner that neighboring villages were considering discontinuing the lottery, a suggestion Old Man Warner snorts at, saying that the lottery is an essential part of