A rebuttal to Lord of the Flies.

[Thomas_More]

Humankind: A Hopeful History https://g.co/kgs/bhbWHmD

[imposs1904]

Reviewed in the May 2021 issue of the Socialist Standard:

https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2021/05/human-nature-what-is-it.html

Also, an interesting article from the August 1993 issue of the Socialist Standard on William Golding’s infamous novel:

https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2016/06/but-flies-are-not-human-1993.html

[Thomas_More]

The title Lord of the Flies is a very old name for Satan. I think that was Golding’s reference. Nothing to do with flies themselves.

[Thomas_More]

Flies are social animals, the same as humans.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02194-2#:~:text=a%2C%20Flies%20typically%20live%20in,b%2C%20Li%20et%20al.&text=found%20that%20when%20flies%20were,and%20slightly%20increased%20food%20consumption.

[Thomas_More]

So flies themselves disprove Golding!
In fact, all animals do.

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/compelling-case-why-flies-are-fabulous.html

And more examples.

Weird and Unbelievable Facts About Earwigs

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211126-why-insects-are-more-sensitive-than-they-seem

• This reply was modified 7 months, 4 weeks ago by Thomas_More.
• This reply was modified 7 months, 4 weeks ago by Thomas_More.
• This reply was modified 7 months, 4 weeks ago by Thomas_More.

[Thomas_More]

As well as the book in question, there is also SURVIVAL OF THE WEAKEST by Ken Smith.

[Thomas_More]

Re: veneer theory, Reich critiqued that with his triune theory:

1) Natural curiosity and joy of the child, which is
2) suffocated and stifled by existing society, leading to hatred and futile belligerence, which is then
3) covered with a polite veneer in order to get by in life.

This puts the blame on existing society and not on nature.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 4 weeks ago by Thomas_More.

[Thomas_More]

There are several events showing mutual aid and co-operation on islands, not least of which is the socialistic pirate colony on Madagascar, whose members attacked slave-traders, liberated the slaves and welcomed them to their community.
Even lives viciously blighted and scarred by violence and oppression were capable of mutual aid and genuine cohesion.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 4 weeks ago by Thomas_More.

[Thomas_More]

As to the Milgram “experiment” it was also performed, using REAL electric shocks on monkeys by monkeys. After ONCE witnessing what the lever did to their fellows, the monkeys refused to repeat it, regardless of inducements.

Human Nature pseudoscientists have tried to prove inherent evil by electrocuting baboons so that, crazed with pain, they turn on one another.

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