Civil or Savage

What is human nature? What is society? What does one have to with the other? The dictionary definition of human nature is “the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits of humankind, regarded as shared by all humans”. The definition of society is “a part of a community bound together by common interests and standards”. So how are society and human nature connected? They are connected by the fact that society is made of human beings. Humans and their individual natures blend together to form society.

William Golding wrote about society and its defects in his book, Lord of the Flies. He wrote, “The theme [of Lord of the Flies] is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable.” He meant that the defects of society, such as selfishness, cruelty and thirst for power are directly linked to the faults of human nature. Consider the Nazi regimen. People hated this particular government form because they thought it was cruel, selfish and evil. The same traits are considered undesirable in individual people as well.

Why does society matter? Human nature makes us want to follow some kind of code, whether it be our own or that of someone else. Society has rules that people are expected to follow. That is the way most children are brought up. When children are little they learn to listen to their authority figure, most likely their parents. This person taught the child rules to follow, what was considered correct and what was not acceptable. The same happens in society. There are rules we must fo...

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...a that William Golding was working with in this book. People are the reason society doesn't always work. No matter how much we would like, society's faults cannot be blamed on any one individual. Golding's quote says that our defects are directly linked to the defects of society. Society is meant to hold the dark side of human nature in check, while offering an organized structure for the good to show itself thereby creating a safe place for people to live. The definition of society is continually morphing and being redefined. Society sets limits and human nature thrives on pushing limits. That which was considered unacceptable at one point may later be seen as normal. Therefore people cannot expect society to fix that which is wrong, but must rather strive to become individuals that are willing to foster desirable traits while learning to control the undesirable.