William Golding's Lord Of The Flies

Human nature is a topic that has puzzled even the cleverest minds in the intellectual community since the dawn of free thought. It is widely considered nearly impossible to accurately categorize every individual who has ever lived into one statement reflecting their shared qualities. William Golding attempts to do this nigh impossible task through his first and most successful novel, "Lord of the Flies". This internationally acclaimed novel conveys Golding’s central belief: human nature dictates that every individual is inherently evil, and that the only way to supress this evil is to institute the laws and expectations society has established. This thesis brings to life the idea that humans are a simple enough species that they may be collectively
defined by one single assertion. While Golding’s view that evil is present in humanity is undoubtedly correct, human beings are much more complex and varied than one statement can accurately convey.

The concepts of good and evil are difficult to explore due to the fact that these two concepts are subjective.
No two people have the exact same definition of good or evil, and without a clear definition of what good and evil really is, it’s impossible to determine if human nature truly is good or bad. Every individual has a different set of morals and beliefs with hopes and dreams that differ from everyone else. How, then, does one determine a generalized statement of human nature when each human is different? For example, consider Republicans and Democrats – they each have very different ideals, and both think that the other is wrong. It’s impossible to determine which of the two is right because they are both right in their own mind. Now consider a serial killer – an “ordinary” citizen would abhor the thought of murdering other human beings, but in a serial killer’s mind, they are doing what they truly believe is right. The concepts of good and evil are fluid; opening fire on a group of civilians is atrocious under normal circumstances, yet during a time of war, it is considered routine. Humans cannot be defined as “good” or “bad” due to the inconsistency of their
definitions.

One way that the world as a collective group have established rules is the United Nations, who have formed international courts, written laws that every member country must follow, and created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
For the sake of argument, imagine that the refusal to uphold the articles addressed in this declaration is what defines an evil act. If one were to accept this, then one needs only to look into human history to see examples of the evil that humans are capable of. Human history is a story told through wars, famines, genocides, and indecency. Warlords and dictators have always been in power while others avert their eyes. However, for every example of the evil in human nature, there is an example of good; there is a Mother Teresa for every Saddam Hussein, or a Mahatma Gandhi for every Mao Zedong. Through the darkness of human history are examples of light that these good individuals bring with them that are proof of good residing in humans, too. Human nature is a collaboration of good and evil that have fused together to create an imperfect species that, as a whole, balances between its two
extremes.

There is an idea present in every culture on the planet. It is glorified through movies, television, songs, and is reflected by great individuals in society. This idea is that if one tries his or her best to overcome the evil within them, they can abolish their evil forever. This is where Golding’s view of human nature has some merit – evil can never truly be eradicated from human nature. Good and evil must both exist together, because without one, the other would be rendered meaningless. These two concepts are opposites of each other – without evil, how would one know what “good” is? This is the same concept as the idea of Ying and Yang, and how two opposing forces can co-exist peacefully. Evil will always exist in human nature – It is up to each individual to decide for themselves what being good means to them

Human nature is an ever-changing justification of how individuals act in the world. It is a subjective topic due to its broad definitions and difference of opinions in the world. It’s certain that human nature contains evil, but it is not evil in the way represented in "Lord of the Flies" – good exists to balance out this evil, and more often than not, the good outweighs the bad in the world. Crimes against humanity will never stop happening, nor will war, genocide or oppression, but human nature is not only good and evil; it contains perseverance, a great will to overcome obstacles. This is why the human species is so special. It takes a problem and will stop at nothing to overcome it. The laws put in place by society, the social expectations everyone must meet, and the consequences of breaking these rules are all effects of humanity’s perseverance in the face of adversity. ¬Evil will never be eradicated, but this is where William Golding’s ideas end – in reality, every individual has the power within them to decide for themselves how they will act in the world, and need not be labeled by a single worldview.