Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Rosseau - 691 Words

Golding and Rousseau brought two different ideas using Lord of the Flies. They make you really think on what they are trying to prove. You can agree with either of them but people have their own opinions. Golding and Rousseau disagreed with each other’s opinions on how human nature becomes evil. If I had to choose whose opinion I agree with, then I would choose Rousseau’s. Rousseau’s beliefs regarding human nature were that people are not born evil. He believes that people are good and act the way they want to. He does not believe that anyone can never be evil without something causing them to be. He believes that when someone is evil or makes bad decisions, it is because they are corrupted by society. People in society makes someone desire something that us past the level of good to meet their needs which is by something bad. Written by Rousseau, â€Å"Let us conclude that, being self-sufficient and subject to so few passions, he could have no feeling or knowledge but such as befitted his situation.† I believe that his statement is explaining that when someone desires something so bad, they would do anything not even realizing what they may be doing is wrong which helps them get what they want. It makes them think that it is okay. Rousseau claimed that people who are born evil are ill or mental. Golding’s beliefs on human nature was mostly opposite of Rousseau’s beliefs. Golding believed that everyone is born badly and are naturally evil. He believed that people