Engelsk essay om Lord of the Flies

23 February 2018 Lord of the Flies Daniel Wegter 9th grade English

Thomas Hobbes vs John Locke in Lord of the Flies

In “Lord of the Flies” there are three different philosophical theories and ideologies which can be observed. One stems from Thomas Hobbes, an old english philosopher who believed that humans were savage if not downright evil by nature, and the other derives from John Locke's whose theory was that every person is born with an empty mind or a “tabula rasa” and we are then shaped by our surroundings. The final theory is one by Jean-Jacques Rousseau who means that humans are good by nature but are corrupted by the restrains of modern society. In this essay we will be looking at some of the characters who represent these different philosophers and their way of thinking. Thomas Hobbes’ theory can be embodied in the likes of Roger. Roger is described to be in chapter one as a person "who kept to himself with avoidance and secrecy." which even then gives some strange vibes off him. He shows more signs of being troubled when he smashes the sandcastles of the littleuns: Henry Percival and Johnny. He is a sadist who shows early signs of being a sociopath in chapter four when he is throwing rocks in the direction of little henry who is playing the water, but he is being sure not hit him. William Golding writes “round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law” and with this he is trying to convey that the only thing holding Roger back from hurting this boy, is the taboo of the old life and the restraints of social constructs of parents and law. This however does not last for very long as Roger soon realises that life on the island is not like “the old life”, quite the contrary actually as later in chapter eleven, Roger kills Piggy thoughtlessly with a boulder. Rogers intentions were always different from Jacks. Jack strives for leadership and hunts for the pursuit of respect from the other boys, but Roger on the other hand enjoys the thrill of hunting and killing pigs. He perfectly encapsulates Hobbes’ theory by committing all of this evil after he becomes conscious of the fact that the rules are falling apart and Jack won’t stop him from being this cruel. The social constructs of law and order have fallen apart and Roger unleashes his true inner demon and becomes the savage that Hobbes believes we all are at heart. John Locke’s theory stating that humans are born with a “tabula rasa”, can be represented in Ralph. Ralph is voted to be the group’s leader in chapter one and much like John Locke, Ralph believes strongly in the idea of rationalism and democracy, which is why he implements the conch as way of making sure everyone’s voice is heard. John Locke also believed that everyone was born with natural rights and that everybody should have their independence if they wanted to. This can also be seen after Jack takes over and uses force and tyranny to deprive the other boys of their independence and rights, however Ralph and Piggy still refuse to join Jack and