The Lord Of The Flies: Are Humans Inherently Good Or Evil?

As humans, it is not only perfectly normal, but almost inevitable that we will question ourselves. Such a question may seem simple in thought. However, the question is much more obscure than its demeanor: Are humans inherently good or evil? William Golding urges the reader to inquire this throughout his notable novel, Lord of the Flies, as young, well-mannered English boys transform into primitive, belligerent beasts. I believe that most humans strive to good, but that they are inherently flawed due to their selfishness. The boys attempt to establish order at the beginning of the book, only to find that their individual desires for power and survival cause them to act against each other––to unleash their inner evil. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a

While this statement describes how society generally works, it does not coincide with how humans act in absence of government, in a state of anarchy where humans make instinctive decisions. It is society that conditions people to act rationally and kindly. Despite the insane amount of chaos in the Lord of the Flies, there are still moments where morality and the fear of punishment guide the actions of the boys. “Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life… Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that new nothing of him and was in ruins,” explains the author (Golding 47). Note that Roger does not feel this way because of the situation he’s in, but because of the society he was once in, the society that trained him to do good. Furthermore, the more time Roger and the other boys spend away from society, the less significant virtue and integrity becomes to them. The easier it becomes for them, even as mere children, to act primitively and irrationally. “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in” chanted the boys in unison (Golding 88). Moreover, society was invented to control the inherent evil that is