Different Views from William Golding and Jean-Jacques...

William Golding, author of The Lord of the Flies, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau had very different views on human nature and civilization’s effect of humanity. While Golding believed that humans were inherently evil and that society and its rules were what kept humans in line and good, as reflected in The Lord of the Flies, Rousseau believed the opposite. He believed that humans were inherently good and that it was society and civilizations that corrupted man. For the most part, I agree with Golding’s views. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a French philosopher from the early-mid-1700s, born in 1712 and died in 1778. In his works, Rousseau expresses his beliefs on how the state of nature allows the absolute freedom of man. Without civilization, man is not shackled by the rules, conformity, and domination of society. Nor can he be corrupted by the greed, temptation and envy for things he does not want or need in society. He would not experience for exploitation and low self-esteem. William Golding, however, was an English writer from the early-mid-1900s, born in 1911 and dying in 1993. After his experiences in World War II as Royal Navy Officer, Golding developed his beliefs of man’s natural evil. â€Å"I began to see what people were capable of doing. Anyone who moved through those years without understand that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been blind or wrong in the head.† (William Golding) Golding believed in the potential in a strong, thoughtful, organizedShow MoreRelatedPhilosophy of Rouseau and Lord of the Flies by William Golding666 Words   |  3 Pagesphilosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that people are inherently good. Without civilizations, humans are good beings with empathy, kindness, and well-developed morals. However, he believed that societies corrupt our morals and are what make the change in us to become â€Å"evil† or â€Å"bad†. The author of the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding, however, believed that in a primitive environment, humans are evil. Without a society watching over us, humans will become barbaric brutes. Jean-Jacques RousseauRead MoreLord of the Flies: William Golding and Jean Jacques Rousseau708 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Golding and Jean Jacques Rousseau had very different points of view on society. Golding thought what all humans are born evil and that is what makes society horrible. Rousseau things the complete difference he thinks that all humans are born pure, nice, and innocent and that society is what corrupts humans. I agree with Rousseau because I don’t believe that all humans are born evil. This topic about these different views on society is what the book Lord of the Flies is about. The book writtenRead MoreHuman Nature and Philosophy in Lord of the Flies by William Golding583 Words   |  2 PagesTwo philosophers of different eras tackle the same topic, human nature, and a great argument breaks out. Is man inherently evil, like William Golding believes? Or is man good at heart but inevitably becomes corrupted by the society he lives in, as said by Jean Jacqu es Rousseau? Both philosophers have very strong opinions and well reasoning for what they believe. Golding’s views are displayed well throughout his novel, Lord of the Flies; a tale about strong minded, young boys stranded on an islandRead MoreDiffering Views from William Golding and Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Lord of the Flies536 Words   |  2 PagesWilliam Golding and Jean-Jacques Rousseau had different views on humanity/society. Although they didn’t live in the same time period, their views have been compared to one another. William Golding’s views on humanity which were reflected in the book, â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, stated that all humans are naturally selfish, rude and greedy. Rousseau believed that all humans are naturally good and it was society that corrupted them. I agree more with Rousseau’s argument about human beings being naturallyRead MoreThe Nature of Man in The Lord of the Flies by William Golding577 Words   |  2 PagesAmidst bloodshed and suffering it is understandable that William Golding would have great difficulty viewing men as naturally good. He argues in his novel, â€Å"The Lord of the Flies† that men need rules and society to keep peace and that if they were to leave that they would fall into chaos, but his arguments are only proven through characters he has constructed. In this debate as old as time itself, there have been others who would disagree with Golding; others who have more faith in man’s nature and lessRead MoreLord of the Flies by William Golding and the Philosophy of Rousseau704 Words   |  3 PagesRousseau and Golding are both philosophers and are both known for different similar topics. Rousseau is known for his first book, A Discourse on the Sciences and Arts, about his philosophies saying that man is good. Golding is known for his bestselling novel he ever wrote, Lord of The Flies, also expressing his philosophies saying that man is evil. Rousseau and Golding hav e many contrasts that fight against each other’s philosophies but was never spoken to each other because they lived in differentRead MoreHuman Nature - Are Humans Naturally Good or Evil?1481 Words   |  6 Pagescommon power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man. (Hobbes) Hobbes states that Humans are naturally evil and need a powerful government to control them. Is it true? Rousseau thinks otherwise. In reasoning on the principles he (Thomas Hobbes) lays down, he ought to have said that the state of nature, being that in which the care for our own preservation is the least prejudicial to that of others, was consequently theRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1789 Words   |  8 PagesWilliam Golding utilizes Lord of the Flies to prove that the inherent nature of man is truly savage and cannot be contained by any form of civil government. Characters, setting, atmosphere, and other elem ents are all used by Golding in the novel as metaphors and symbols to ultimately reveal the natural intention of man. In Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan, John Locke’s Concerning Civil Government , and Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Social Contract, they share their own personal interpretations on man’s inherent