John Locke's Theory In Lord Of The Flies

Canadian cognitive scientist and psychologist Steven Pinker defines the neutrality within humans : “Human nature is complex. Even if we do have inclinations toward violence, we also have inclination to empathy, to cooperation, to self-control.” The novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, focuses on the transition in humans when there is little to no government involved, how one begins to adapt to their surroundings as a result when a group of stranded boys arrive as civilized individuals who unravel into savagery as an act for survival on the island. John Locke’s theories, in Social Contract, State of Nature,and State of Man, are able to relate to the novel as it does not label men as naturally evil nor does it blame government for man’s
When it comes to State of Nature, Locke writes in his Two Treatises of Government,“...a state of perfect freedom of acting and disposing of their own possessions and persons as they think fit within the bounds of the law of nature...The natural state is also one of equality in which all power and jurisdiction is reciprocal...” (Lonang Institute; State of Nature §4). Men are freely allowed to do whatever is necessary as long as there are justifications for their actions and to see that everyone around them is just as equal as themselves. Along with his State of Nature is Locke’s belief of Social Contact: “individuals in a state of nature would be bound morally, by the Law of Nature, not to harm each other in their lives or possession… individuals would agree to form a state that would provide a "neutral judge"...an impartial, objective agent of that self-defense, rather than each man acting as his own judge, jury, and executioner...”(Social Contract-Wikipedia). In other terms, man must form a government that they entrust their lives with by giving them support and power, and in return, the government must protect the people from hurting one another by being the objective factor in the justice system. Finally, in the State of Man, Locke claims that “at birth, the mind was a blank slate or “tabula rasa”... born without innate ideas, and that
After Ralph blows a conch, he and Piggy meet the choir boys for the first time and they immediately decide to vote for a leader as described by Golding: “This toy of voting was almost as pleasing as the conch. Jack started to protest but the clamor changed from the general wish for a chief to an election by acclaim of Ralph himself” (28). In this case, democracy, while in progress and decentralized, is used to declare Ralph as the chief on the island as most of the boys trust him having possession of the conch, which symbolizes authority.. Similarly, Locke believes the leader’s power must come from the support of the people involved and it is the leader(s)’ responsibility protect their rights without fear. As chief, Ralph must assume the duty of worrying about everyone’s well-being, survival, and rescue. In other words, Locke’s support in a democracy is reflected through the group’s decision on a chief to make the choices and keep them