The Subject of Order vs Chaos is somewhat of a cliche topic found in everything. It can be compared to good vs evil. Ralph represents the good in the world and Jack represents evil. With this topic, Golding describes the idea that all humans are inherently evil, by portraying evil actions done by Jack and his followers. Chaos and savagery come as a result of men trying to find pleasure without making sacrifices.
In pursuing his scientific experiments and validating his work, Jekyll claims, "man is not truly one, but truly two." Thus, in Jekyll's view, every soul contains elements of both good and evil, but one is always dominant. In Jekyll's case, his good side is dominant, but he knows there is evil inside of him. However, as a respectable member of society and an honorable Victorian gentleman, Jekyll cannot fulfill his evil desires. Thus, he works to develop a way to separate the two parts of his soul and free his evil characteristics.
The story portrays how other members of society view him in terms of racial stereotypes—as a mugger, bumpkin, or a savage. Constantly worn down by these stereotypes, he decides to do nothing and lives outside of everyday society and reinforcing his own invisibility. The narrator craves recognition of himself for his individuality rather than recognition based on these stereotypes. The “blindness” of others comes from an inability to see the narrator without imposing their own stereotypes on him. The narrator knows this and mocks himself, stating it does not matter how he thinks of himself, because anyone—even the anonymous blond man on the street—can force him to conform to these stereotypes, simply by uttering a racial insult.
Hobbes says that the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. Hobbes also believed that men are all selfish and men are supposed to be evil to survive. Hobbes didn’t believe man can be good but men are born to be evil. In the other hand Locke believed that the life of man is solitary and poor. Locke believed that men are governed by reason.
Although it is in fact a theory, many individuals find it to be the golden rule of evolution. Anthony Burgess, the author of many perplexing novels, found that within human beings lays a code for survival. In A Clockwork Orange, Burgess reveals that individuals who lack corrupted morals or brutal behaviors prove to be the weaker links within society Lacking in brutal behaviors and corrupted morals, the prison chaplain who guides the protagonist, Alex, suffers the disappointment of failure. As a man of Christian beliefs, his purpose is to preach excellent morals. Throughout the novel, how he continuously reprimands the workings of the Ludovico Technique, a brain washing procedure in which Alex is put under to become “good”.
The worlds where there are characters that help readers examine the world of Altruism and Egoism. Altruism is the philosophy of finding principles in living for others or for society. Ayn Rand makes a list of different characters that surrounds a man’s ego creating The Fountainhead. Ayn Rand creates the individualistic power in a society and also creates another side that believes in selflessness. The character Peter Keating embodies altruism and only feels he shouldn’t exist for his own sake but the services that he receives from others reason for existing is for fame and approval for others.
Jekyll implies this when he says that, ‘man will be ultimately known for a mere polity of multifarious, incongruous, and independent denizens,’ this is saying that good, bad and many other qualities make up the whole of a man. Also the Victorians had this idea that if you were deformed physically then your deformity represented degradation. The idea was that God had given you this deformity to punish you for something bad you had done. Jekyll’s experiments can only prove that human beings consist of two ingredients, one part good, and one part evil. Jekyll’s experiment was an attempt to separate the two ingredients.
He says that men are “ungrateful, fickle, deceptive and deceiving, avoiders of danger, and eager to gain. As long as you serve their interests, they are devoted to you” . According to Machiavelli’s theory on human nature, it is mans pure self-interest that allows them to be easily controlled, by coercing them through manipulative and sometime violent means. He states that attempting to rule over people by honourable means would only lead to a ruler’s downfall, as an honourable ruler is always surrounded by “unscrupulous men” . Machiavelli states that “a
Hobbes’ unorthodox thinking sparked debates with many intellectual adversaries, particularly John Locke, who argued that men were innately social creatures who could cooperate and coexist peacefully. Ultimately the works of Hobbes set the stage for a new topic of thought amongst philosophers of his era – man’s innate state of nature and its relevance to the governing of society. In Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan, He argued that in the natural state of nature, without society or a governing body, man is innately evil. Hobbes believes that without the constraints of order or a common authority, men are driven into a state of chaos, conflict, and war against each other. Hobbes states that there are three principals in the innate state of nature which can cause such chaos and conflict; “…competition, diffidence, and glory.” Furthermore, Hobbes argues that this chaos and conflict is further motivated by man’s moral obligations, religious positions, and their respective rights to property.
Locke stated that people were naturally good but Thomas Hobbes had a negative view towards human nature. Hobbes sees man as being evil. In his principal work, ‘Leviathan’ Hobbes believes that, “people are innately selfish and grasping.” Hobbes believes that ethical concepts such as good or bad or ideas of good or evil doesn’t exist in the state of nature. He thinks that mankind can use any power essential to protect him and his surrounding for good. Hobbes named this condition as ‘war’ which also meant that every man is enemy to every man.