Leviathan & Lord of the Flies
Hobbes' Leviathan & The Lord of the Flies A society is defined as a group of people uniting in a common interest. Even though some people do not always seem to have parallel perspectives, they do share one common interest, which is survival. The survival of man is dependent on man's ability to adapt to their needs and surroundings. This concept is known as evolution. The society of man has evolved in its journey through time to help ensure man's survival. According to Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, it is in the nature of men to thirst for power, or the ability to control. Hobbes writes, "...a general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and relentless desire of power after power, that ceases only in death." (p.330) He believes that the thirst for power is insatiable, and will only stop after death. The thirst for power is insatiable because "he cannot assure the power and means to live well...without the acquisition of more." (p.330) Man can only guarantee his own survival by acquiring more power. Hobbes believes that man's struggle for power begins in a setting that he describes as "state of nature". The state of nature is the name for a society that has no government, no rules, and everyone is granted equal power
In doing so, the two groups become enemies, and a condition of war is created. An example of a society being in a state of nature would be the island in which "The Lord of the Flies" takes place. During this time, nothing but fighting takes place. An example is, after the death of Simon, Jack has a young boy beaten for no apparent reason, other than to show others what happens to those who oppose him. The acquiring of power and self-preservation naturally motivated Jack. But Jack, the leader of the other group, is obsessed with gaining total power of the island. Ralph, the leader of one group of boys, tries to emphasize on building shelters and devising plans to help them be rescued. A person who feared God more than the sovereign would likely not surrender their power to the sovereign. In return for their survival, the boys who joined Jack's group surrendered to him their power. Since there are no adults, there are no rules, nor governing body, and everyone has an equal voice in their society. By acquiring this power, Jack's chances of self-preservation were improved dramatically. In creating leaders, the boys on the island are engaging in a idea that Hobbes calls a "social contract". As a result of his natural thirst for power, he wanted "to endeavour to destroy" (Hobbes 332) he enemy, Ralph.
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