Leviathan & Lord of the Flies

A detailed Summary of 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.

Another issue that might raise some questions about Hobbes' society is, what happens to a person who does have a religion. Rather than only the fear of death, they also fear external punishment from their God. A person who feared God more than the sovereign would likely not surrender their power to the sovereign. If this were true, Jack would not have been able to assemble his army of boys on the island and Ralph's voice of reason and faith would probably have prevailed.

In Hobbes' Leviathan, he expresses how he thinks a society should be constructed, and The Lord of the Flies shows how Hobbes' society would be like if it had existed. Logically, Hobbes' ideas of "the state of nature", "social contracts", and "condition of war" do make sense and can explain certain historical events, but they do not have any empirical evidence. In modern society, the struggles for power (whether is be local, domestic, or international) are still an endless quarrel that seems like it will never end. Even in our society today, there are blemishes and flaws, which will need to be addressed to through time and education of man.

2.) William Golding's "The Lord of the Flies"

The natural thirst for power causes the boys to become enemies, and the island is separated into two groups. With t

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Approximate Word count = 869
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics

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