Immanuel Kant's Philosophy Essay

Philosophy is one’s oxygen. Its ubiquitous presence is continuously breathed in and vital to survival, yet its existence often goes unnoticed or is completely forgotten. Prussian philosopher Immanuel Kant was one of the many trees depositing this indispensable system of beliefs into the air. Philosophy is present in all aspects of society, no matter how prominent it may be. As Kant was a product of the Scientific Revolution in Europe, the use of reason was an underlying component in the entirety of his ideas. One of his main principles was that most human knowledge is derived from experience, but one also may rely on instinct to know about something before experiencing it. He also stated that an action is considered moral based on the motive behind it, not the action itself. Kant strongly believed that reason should dictate goodness and badness (McKay, 537). His philosophies are just as present in works of fiction as they are in reality. This is exemplified by Lord of the Flies, a fiction novel written by William Golding. The novel strongly focuses on the origins of evil, as well as ethics, specifically man’s treatment of animals and those around him. Kant’s philosophy is embedded in the thoughts and actions of Piggy, Ralph, Jack, and Simon throughout the novel. Kant’s beliefs also slither into “Snake,” a poem by D.H. Lawrence, focusing on the tainting of the pure human mind by societal pressures and injustices. Overall, both the poet in “Snake” and Piggy, Ralph, Jack, and Simon in Lord of the Flies showcase Immanuel Kant’s theories on ethics, reasoning, and nature.

Kant’s philosophy provides the backdrop for the societal structure portrayed in literary form in Golding’s Lord of The Flies. His rudimentary views on evil were emulat...

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Immanuel Kant’s opinions on ethics, reasoning, and nature make their way into both Lord of the Flies and “Snake.” The characters in Lord of the Flies confirmed Kant’s belief in the inevitability of inner evil and the use of an organized society to suppress it. These characters also exemplified Kant’s thesis that one must eliminate all prior beliefs in order to keep an open mind and avoid miscommunication. In addition, the speaker in “Snake” justified Kant’s belief that one’s actions do not necessarily express his moral goodness. Finally, both Lord of the Flies and “Snake” proved that the way one treats mankind mimics the way he treats animals. Kant’s philosophy exists in both fictional works and the real world. Philosophy is the instruction manual to life that explains how the individual pieces of the world come together and why they work the way they do.