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Zimbardo Lord Of The Flies Morality Essay

823 Words4 Pages

Immoral Humanity A society that does not have rules or order established destroys itself. Civilization is how humanity learns to value its morals. Without morality, a society consists of chaos and disorder. However, certain circumstances may force individuals out of civilization. When people lack civility, it can lead to a complete change in their own values. Additionally, people are able to distinguish right from wrong with the rules of society. Lord of the Flies, a novel by William Golding, displays the importance that civilization has over people’s actions and thinking. Civilization is vital for humanity to thrive because without it people lose sight of their morals and fear takes over. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding shows that …show more content…

During the 1971 study, students from Stanford University are randomly chosen to play the role of either a guard or a prisoner in a prison. The guard's job is to maintain order in the prison while the prisoners are supposed to obey the guards. Philip Zimbardo hoped that the results of the experiment would reveal if one's environment controls behavior or if one's attitude, values, and morality allow one to rise above the negative environment (Zimbardo 1:14). When reflecting on the experience an experiment guard recalls, “We were continually called upon to act in a way that just is contrary to what I really feel inside” (Zimbardo 18:45). The students who participated in the experiment act contrary to what they believe to be right because they are deprived of civilization. Civilization helps to ensure that people act in a way that is acceptable and morally correct. That is why, as a civilization, people know how to act appropriately in certain situations. Without civilization, the students who are assigned the role of guards abuse their power and status. When people are given too much power, it may lead to disrespectful treatment of others. The students who act as prisoners in the experiment are constantly disrespected and harassed by the guards. The treatment the prisoners receive causes fear to grow inside the prison. When fear is present in a society, chaos may arise causing the society to destroy itself. The morals of civilization help humanity distinguish right from wrong and help to keep order. The results of the Zimbardo Prison Study prove that without the rules of civilization, humanity acts

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