Mankind Naturally Good or Evil Essay example - 699 Words

Let us face it, mankind admires violence. It may not be moral, but it is entertaining. For example, fighting is prohibited, but wrestling is just a popular pastime. As a result of loving unreasonable habits such as violence, one might wonder if the nature of mankind is naturally evil or good, but they do not know what to do without adults. Mankind is born naturally evil, however, your surroundings can determine whether or not you stay that way. In regards to this, William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, is a story is told about many guilty boys, however, the boys are very young. In so, many wonder if the boys are naturally evil or good and they do not know what to do without adults. As Simon said in Lord of The Flies, â€Å"Maybe, he†¦show more content†¦Rampell dares to mention in her article, â€Å"And if you think separating the men from the boys (or the women from the girls) is difficult today, tracing the history of America’s conception of childhood just complicates things further.† (Rampell). By this, she means that there is a lot of uncertainty about what age a child really understands when he or she has done something evil. As a result, it is difficult to determine at what age of a child can an officer or legal official can take action against. â€Å"These contradictions can be discomfiting. It seems unfair to grant a young person the responsibilities of a grownup without grant ing that young person the rights of a grownup, too. If the court treats a 13-year-old as an adult, should the DVD rental store, too? What about the local bars?† (Rampbell). This shows that Rampell is unsure exactly what the age of liability is. She also points out that if a child is old enough to be tried as an adult, the child should also be given the rights of an adult. However, she believes that at some point, a child should be allowed to be held responsible for their actions. As a matter of fact, In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, many moments are thrown around in the book where many discussions become tense. â€Å"They looked at each other baffled in love and hate.† (Golding 55). This quote means that two characters in the novel, Jack and Ralph share aShow MoreRelatedHumans Are Naturally Evil1507 Words   |  7 PagesHUMANS ARE NATURALLY EVIL The question regarding to the nature of human beings being related to the word evil has been a topic for controversial discussion and debate among scholars and philosophers alike. According to the ardictionary.com, the word evil is defined as Having or exhibiting bad moral qualities; morally corrupt; wicked; wrong; vicious; as, evil conduct, thoughts, heart, words, and the like ,anything which impairs the happiness of a being or deprives a being of any good; anything whichRead MoreHuman Nature Essay1665 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"It is a sin to believe evil of others, but it is seldom a mistake.† -H.L Menckens From the moment they are born, humans have a naturally evil predisposition. Although the term ‘evil’ is difficult to define, there are various views on morality. The most commonly referenced one, Moral Objectivism, holds that moral standards are universally transcendent, and that certain acts are right or wrong independent of human subjectivity. It is by this unspoken moral code that humanity’s acts are judged. ThereRead MoreThomas Hobbes And Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince And Hobbes Leviathan1447 Words   |  6 Pagesnature, the state, the condition of life being solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. Dr. Smith again is expanding on the idea that Hobbes believed that mankind only gave over to the idea of a sovereign because they were receiving a sense of protection. I do agree with Thomas in this belief. I do believe especially in modern day society that mankind only does things to benefit themselves. Humans are a selfish race, and without an idea of an go vernment I do believe our race would be doomed. When ThomasRead MoreComparing John Locke and Thomas Hobbes Essay1279 Words   |  6 Pages The formation of government is one of the central themes for both Hobbes and Locke. Whether or not men naturally form a government, or must form a government, is based on man’s basic nature. According to Hobbes, a government must be formed to preserve life and prevent loss of property. According to Locke, a government arises to protect life and property. Governments are born of inequality and formed to administer equality. Hobbes goes into a lot of detail concerning man’s interactions with oneRead MoreAre We Inherently Good Or Evil?1180 Words   |  5 PagesAre we inherently good or evil? These are questions that have been asked for centuries, and have taken ever longer to possibly answer. It might be numerous decades from now before they finally answer these questions but, nevertheless many people are trying by using evidence, theories, faith, and science to answer these questions as accurately as possible. Mainly the question about whether we are innately innocent or not. Most people, say humans are inherently evil, that there is evil in all of us. ThatRead MoreAntigone Ib A1 Paper 2 Essay819 Words   |  4 Pages(e). Evil not only fascinates people in general, but writers as well. In what ways and with what effect has â€Å"evil† been treated in Antigone? In the play of ‘Antigone’, evil appears in many forms. There is the soldier who is a traitor to his nation; the sister trying to prove her love for her family yet ends up breaking the law; the king who so eagerly tries to stop rule-breakers yet he himself neglects his flesh and blood. Here the difference of the two works is seen: The Earth of Mankind givesRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne1037 Words   |  5 Pagesand John Locke have two very opposing viewpoints on human nature. Locke believes that human nature is innately good; Hobbs thinks that human nature knows right from wrong, but is naturally evil and that no man is entirely â€Å"good†. Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of the classic novel The Scarlet Letter, believes that every man is innately good and Hawthorne shows that everyone has a natural good side by Hester’s complex character, Chillingworth’s actions and Dimmesdale’s selfless personality. At theRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Julius Caesar And William Goldings Lord Of The Flies1346 Words   |  6 PagesSilent Planet all depict how mankind is born innocent and turned to evil. The stories show that this conversion to evil is caused by the influence of society or characters acting in the place of a society. The corruptibility of mankind is illuminated in these texts. The treachery, dishonesty, and murder as shown in the stories are not acts of innocence. In their books, the authors point out that mankind is not innately evil but instead born innocent and converted to evil by society. The Tragedy ofRead More Rousseau, Hobbes, and Locke : Interpretations of Human Nature 1593 Words   |  7 Pagesto Jean Hampton who wrote, â€Å"She brought twins to birth, myself and fear at the same time† (282) Hobbes believed that fear played a major role in what became the human nature based on the desire to survive and personal interest or selfishness. If mankind is so self centered it would be hard to create a stable society. Hobbes says, â€Å"So that in the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel. First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory† (293). Through this one can see thatRead MoreAnalysis Of Grendel And Macbeth 915 Words   |  4 Pages What is Benevolence without Evil? Evil is a part of mankind; it is something that cannot be defeated. â€Å"One recurring theme in early British literature is the idea that evil characters are directly related to experiences of tragedy, pain, confusion, and sadness† (Herrera). In Grendel, tragedy and confusion is seen throughout the story. The theme in the story of Macbeth is tragedy and pain. This early literature exemplifies evil through these themes. The philosophers whose theories support these