The characteristics of man create killers, lovers, and believers, but what is it that molds us into the figure we grow up to be? Living in a world of complete freedom has dangerous undertones. The fear for life and safety forces man to act sinister. Malignancy is only another part of life. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies characterizes how man has an undercurrent of evil subsided by the laws and rules that control society.
Laws, however good they may be, can also cause an uprising in an individual or a population. Order; being a primary concern, can also become over stimulated and lead to a rebellion. In some cases, laws can even act as a restriction toward the advancement of justice. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies the introduction of rules sparked the competitiveness of being in power. Quickly, the boy’s primal urges transcended. They fought for power, leadership, and safety. “I ought to be chief,” said Jack with simple arrogance, “because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.” (Golding 129) Disregarding what is truly important, escape, their old lives become transparent in their thoughts. Any rules that were set in place were sacrificed. Their evolution into savagery was relentless. This outlook shows that without proper enforcement, the boys did not have enough authority to prevent their descent into darkness.
Society is, and always has been evil. The only thing that separates us from the beasts of the wild is our intelligence and our innate ability to adapt. Man must be taught to conform to man’s idea of a good society. From first breath, man’s desire to only fulfill his own needs is greater than that of any other. The thought of satisfying another’s needs or wants are light years away. Only with remedial adjustment can we stretch that light closer. The goodness in one’s heart is shrouded with self-promotion and selfishness. Effort must be made in order for one to become good of heart. The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy is forever increasing in our universe. Entropy is the end and the beginning. No matter what actions take place in the middle, we have started out and will end in a world of evil and disaster.
Even before religion came into existence, man had to follow the laws of nature, the laws of physics. Nowhere in time is there a place where rules didn’t exist. Never has any being had perfect freedom. The pencil you drop the rotation of the planets around the sun, and the force that keeps you down to earth. Everything is bound by laws. “Laws are necessary because they keep order, tranquility and justice in the world. If you look at back at many philosophers of the Enlightenment period, you would find that they all believed in the potential purity of action; however they also believed in the potential evil in ones actions.”(Association Awards 3) Sometimes it just takes time to realize our boundaries. Isaac newton was a scientist that discovered many principles that are still used today in modern physics. His mind has created an influence that has stretched past generations and beyond. He spent the majority of his life dedicated to science. “If I have done the public any service, it is due to my patient thought”. (Principia 1) This quote from Sir Isaac Newton lends the thought that a forbearing life can result in a well-spent life. If something is of importance then it is worth waiting for. Being held back by restrictions may seem bothersome at times, but could prove to have been the influence necessary for a huge breakthrough.
Man has made many attempts in correcting and metamorphosing individuals into something acceptable by peers. Laws, rules, and restrictions have molded modern day society into something that goes against human nature. “The law is a set of rules for society, designed to protect basic rights and freedoms, and to treat everyone fairly.” (Effect on Germans 3) These important contributions to man have held society together as great nations for many generations. However, society may not be psychologically stable due to its obligation for beneficial contradictions. These unhealthy expectations can lead to rebellion, madness, and even a world once again filled with cruelty. Freedom paired with safety and fun is an example of an illogical aspiration. More than anything else, humans need to feel safe from harm. While order is an essential aspect for the well-being of people it is not enough. Longevity is a direct result from order. When there are laws that keep things in line, we tend to live longer, live safer, and without fear.
Some say that the government enforces laws so that they have the power to oversee everything. “Almost everything we do is governed by some set of rules”. (Britannica 17) Surveillance is a common method of ensuring protection; however, it has not proven to be the most effective form of security. It is easily bypassed by even the simplest of methods. People will develop ways to sidestep boundaries. Government has shown to be a tourniquet on freedom. In the United States, we have laws left and right. We are not always happy about these rules, since they often tell us what we can and cannot do or are keeping us from doing what we want. In order to live civilly one must create a mutualistic relationship with the law. The majority of population is kept under control through means of silent threats. Laws are a constant reminder that if you do not do what is wanted then you will be punished. Whether these laws are for the well-being for the people or if they are for the well-being of the government is irrelevant. Their purpose is the same. To control an entire mass of people peacefully is irrational. Gandhi was a man of peace. Revered the world over for his nonviolent philosophy of passive resistance, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was known to his many followers as Mahatma, or “the great- souled one.”(19) Much of his life was focused on ending the struggles in his home country India. His ascetic lifestyle was an inspiration to millions under government control. During World War I he became an influential part of India’s fight for independency. His dedicated eloquence toward his practical and religious lifestyle earned him reverence among those who followed him. Gandhi proved that power is only relative to the eyes of receiver. His beliefs on power strained from his beliefs of peace and mercifulness. Even after his imprisonment he continued to act as an influential part of the war. When he was released into the public he started a new civil disobedience campaign against the government taxing, which helped improve the life of India’s poorest citizens.
People living in a law-bound society are morally bound by the beliefs their ancestors and peers have brought forth into existence. Theists are primarily responsible for the foundation of civilization today. Customs forged from deities, false or true, have sculpted the customs followed today. The Bible is responsible for most of the laws in the United Sates. Our constitution was crafted from the teachings the bible. Religion governs most lives no matter their beliefs. Calling yourself an atheist will not change the fact that you have to abide by the laws created by people that believed in figments. It is taught that this life you live is only a training ground to see if you are truly worthy to grant your eyes the blessing of god. If you fail to comply with the rules that he has set in place then the rest of your existence will be spent in eternal damnation. Scared for what may truly exist, many people decide they would be better off to just comply than to risk putting something they don’t understand at risk. Since the beginning of all human understanding we have been forced to follow some guidelines. Despite laws being proven to get in the way of some advancement, laws can also show to be very beneficial. “Regulation creates limits, constrains a right, creates or limits a duty, or allocates a responsibility”. (Deddington 21) Laws are the number one reason why millions of lives are spared a day. Government has cast a strong shadow of awareness of what will happen if you act inappropriately. The aggressiveness that follows safety is a by-product of concern and care. As long as you act within the law, then you will be fine. The law is there for protection. If you accept it, then it will accept you. However, law has a made strong point that if you do not choose to live under these rules then you may not live at all.
Communist Russia held a stronghold of customs that may have seemed insane to alien countries. They were not allowed nearly as much freedom as federal governments. Russians were paid based on their skills and needs. The amount of greed they lusted for was much lower than that of any neighboring country. They lived by a simple creed. Live hard and work hard. Russia was a communist country for over 80 years. It had a thriving economy with content citizens that populated it border to border. Joseph Stalin reined leader from 1924 to 1953. His influence on the world was a primary reason for the abandonment and rebellion against communism in Russia. He was responsible for the holocaust of millions of Ukraine’s that is largely forgotten. He organized 10 million farmers to fund a communist collective farm. When they denied, he commanded troops to kill them. When bullets proved to be too expensive he simply removed all sources of food and starved them all to death. Stalin’s death count was much higher than that of Hitler. He was more ruthless and had little morals. His actions were spontaneous and without reason. Stalin possessed an exceptional amount of power with no restriction as to what he was allowed to do. “There is no good and evil, there is only power… and those too weak to seek it.”(Rowling 143) This flood of wrong doing created massive alert world-wide. World empires teamed up in order to take Stalin down.
The idea of evil is based on perspective. Over time society has become less reliant on force and more drawn toward peace. For nearly one hundred years slavery was thriving in America. A strict decree of prejudicial etiquette was formed in order to keep control over African Americans. Slavery was largely uncontested until the late 1800’s. Abraham Lincoln was a powerful man that despite feeling more powerful than minorities, he still felt there was no justification for the burden of the white man’s problems being forced unto slaves. In his eyes they were now a part of the United States and deserved freedom. He continued with his cause knowing that the government would not be able to act forcefully against his cause. “For in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the very definition of slavery.”(Thinkexist 2) With no freedoms or rights, the black community held no ground and could in no way act against the government in a safe manner. Life was grueling and unrewarding. The scraps they were fed could only be flavored by the salt from their tears. Black children were unknowingly born into an unrelenting society. “I didn’t know I was a slave until I found out I couldn’t do the things I wanted”(1) The government had complete control. Superfluous power deteriorated the foundation that America had built one for the last century. Their supremacy turned out to be their own downfall. Within a year Abraham Lincoln was able to abolish slavery through acts centered on pacifism. His campaign for presidency was also centered on the freedom of the nation and fairness of the governed. Laws only have as much power as we are willing to give them. Much like an animal that makes itself seem bigger to scare its prey, the government pursues a persona of complete control until retaliation occurs.
Every action we commit further increases entropy. We live in a small world and are only allowed a limited number of mistakes before we become consumed with sin. Committing to others may be the only way for true bliss to be achieved. Allowing laws to run your life may be your only salvation, your only way of functioning in modern day society. Having a solid foundation, comforting surroundings, and a safe life. These are the primary concerns that are addressed by law. Law, despite being the abstract webbing that holds lives together, is not unbeatable. Humans have shown time and time again to overcome boundaries and morph them into something they favor.