The only thing to fear...

9/19/2016

"Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress."

Agree or disagree with the above claim that civilization is fragile against the destructive force of fear. Defend your position with evidence.

*response should be at least 10 sentences

Additional instructions:
Work on your style on this assignment. Many of you have become formulaic: "I agree/disagree with the statement... I agree/disagree with this statement because..." Let's get rid of those repetitive phrases. Get to the point. Try it a different way.

65 Comments

Lia Reynolds

9/19/2016 01:05:33 pm

I do not agree with the statement, “Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress.” For one thing, in our society, we have come a long way regarding the most notable example, technology. In doing so, fear was most definitely present, but that didn’t prevent us from moving forward. Relating back to the novel, Lord of the Flies, the boys have this constant fear that there is a monster or “beastie” on the island. However, this doesn’t stop the boys from getting work done and making an effort to escape the island. They continue to maintain a sufficient civilization regardless of their fears. This goes for the real world today as well. A good example would be that there are plenty of men and women fighting daily for the safety of their people back home. They very well have a plethora of fears, but those fears don’t stop them from attempting to make the world a better place. Therefore, these reasons prove that the quote, “Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress”, is invalid.

Leah Tichy

9/19/2016 03:58:43 pm

I agree with the statement, "Fear is the enemy of civilization:fear prevents construction and progress" because when people are scared, chaos ensues.Fear causes a people to start a mad rush to get away and seek shelter from the thing that scares them. It clouds their thoughts and takes their mind off of the big picture, survival and progression. This is evident in the book when after the meeting about the beast, the boys scatter, with the older ones chanting and the littluns running away screaming. The fear caused the biguns to feel as though they have to act tough, and attempt to kill the beast,so people can't tell that they are actually scared. To prove this, they create a hunting party to go kill it. This is impeding the process of the camp. They could be building more shelters, keeping the fire going or hunting for food, all things that would help their survival, but instead they are hunting a "beast" that they are all scared of. If this fear was not present, the boys would have time to worry about being rescued or surviving instead of putting all of their resources into finding the beast. While the fear made the biguns abandon their duties at camp, it caused the littluns to run around screaming, creating chaos. When chaos occurs, it is hard to establish order and to see things in a rational light. The actions of the littluns were actually encouraging the biguns to feel like they had to do something, otherwise the chaos would never end, as the children would not be pacified by them simply saying that the beast was not real. The fear in this civilization is definitely preventing construction and progress. Nothing can get done if the older boys are out fighting a "beast"and the younger kids are running around frightened.

Marina Olson

9/19/2016 06:27:48 pm

I disagree with the quote "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." In today's world, there are many opportunities to show fear, but if all the citizens showed fear, what would get done? With fear comes along courage. Whether it be swimming with sharks, running your first marathon, interviewing for a job, fear is prevalent in most situations. There are unlimited possibilities in what follows fear. Fear teaches us to become stronger and forces us to keep moving. Fear allows for someone to step outside their comfort zone, accomplish a good deed, and do something that is important to them. Anyone could have a different opinion on fear. Many situations take place that involve anxiety, but it doesn't stop people from succeeding. Fear is one of the biggest themes in the novel, Lord of the Flies. In the book, fear of the unknown is the feeling the group experiences most. The boys are stranded on an island, not knowing when they will see their family or live a normal lifestyle again. The fear the boys show against the "beastie" is more dangerous than the monster itself. Their fear doesn't stop them from exploring the island, hunting, and trying to enjoy themselves as much as possible. Examples from both the real world and the novel show that fear is not an enemy of civilization.

Mrs. Elbakry

9/20/2016 06:00:07 pm

Excellent response, both content-wise and stylistically. Great job varying your sentence structure. It makes for a fluid and engaging read.

Samuel Barrios

9/27/2016 08:27:52 am

I agree with the statement, "Fear is the enemy of civilization:fear prevents construction and progress" Fear is definitley a civilizations biggest enemy; This is because when fear sets in chaos starts and chaos get people off the right path. This causes people to get a fight or flight attitude. This is proven in the book Lord of the Flies when the littluns tell everybody that they were chased by a beasty while in the woods. They all got scared so they sent a hunting party up the mountain to go kill it which is the fight mode. Fear also halts the development of the civilization. It causes people to focus on what they are fearing so they lose track of the goals they need to accomplish. An example of this is when Ralph and Jack were in constant fear that one or the other would overthrow the other so they lost focus and fought each other multiple times which set back the group.

Kelly

9/19/2016 07:01:05 pm

I disagree with the quote "fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." I disagree with this because in order to have a civilized society, laws must be put into place and obeyed by the people. Penalties have to be severe enough to prevent people from breaking the law. It is fear of those punishments whether they be long-term imprisonment, or death that deters people from breaking the laws. When severe punishments fail to exist, people break the law freely. An example of this is in exist today in all of our cities. People are released from prison early, or have short sentences and commit crimes repeatedly. An illegal immigrant from Mexico who was deported multiple times came back into California and killed an American citizen. There was no fear of him receiving any punishment. He wasn't afraid of anything that could happen to him, and because of that, he committed the worst crime of all. From the time the United States was established, our four fathers had to put in laws to protect the citizens of this country. These laws are what helped create our nation.

Izzy C

9/19/2016 11:45:54 pm

I disagree with the statement claiming that civilization is destrucitvely fragile against the force of fear. Unfortunately, fear is incorporated in most civilizations. Though society is responsible for overcoming the horrified feeling and time managing progress. The quote above reads, "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." In a sense, fear can procrastinate any vital decisions. However, it is the determination the citizens have on reaching their destination that forces the community to push fear out. In relation to the novel Lord of the Flies, the stranded boys live on the island in constant fear thinking there's a dangerous monster praying on them. Scared for their lives, they continue to push through the fright and try to survive. Some are more afraid than others, yet put in more effort to stabilize their civilization. In the real world, military men and women fight daily with the thought of death. Even though they're scared for their literal lives, they continue to keep our lives safe from danger to better our civilization. Nonetheless, there are many fears in the world that may limit boundaries. However, the majority of citizens work past any fears they have in order to better the civilization.

Morgan Hines

9/20/2016 08:29:49 am

I absolutely agree with the quotation above. This is for there are numerous examples of civilizations and modern society turning cruel and evil in an quick second, due to the great shadow of fear itself. In our modern day history there are many examples of fear being our one weakness and making us fragile and breakable. For example in today's society, there are many cases in which there are riots over police brutality. With this fear of being hurt by our law enforcement people take to the street and cause chaos. This fear that manifested in these people made them in to animals. They were hurting their neighbors. Destroying small businesses that a family member owned, or even hurting a friend. These riots show what fear can do to people. It makes us throw all morals out the window causing law enforcement government to have no control. This instance almost gave us a glimpse what could happened if fear took society over completely. Our society could easily fail if there was a situation big enough to cause people all over the country to riot like they did the fateful nights of those protests. Another example that we will never forget is the holocaust in Nazi Germany. When people look back at this transitivity they all wonder how could this have happened. The whole concept of how Hitler came to power is quite easy to understand. For he used fear to cause his people to follow him. The fear he used was the fear of losing your lively hood and the idea your family starving on the streets. He told the people it wasn't there fault that they were in debt and bankrupt, but it was the fault of their completely innocent Jewish neighbors. When a nation is starving like how the German people were during post World War II, they will believe anything that gets them out of a situation of starvation and poverty. On top of the fear of losing everything, he also used the fear of isolation and death to keep his people from rebelling. No one wants to be shunned by a neighbor for talking to someone society labels as bad or greedy, or to be killed because you associate with the public enemy. All these fears combined made Germany into one of the most cruel societies and left a mark on history as a travesty, and became a key example of how we as human beings can become animals in a quick moment filled with fear. Fear controls peoples actions and choices, with this control fear can allow society to bend and snap anyway it wants. To control society you need to learn how to keep fear in its reins to keep your civilization from crumbling.

Matt Broas

9/20/2016 09:28:26 am

I disagree with the statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization, fear prevents construction and progress". In every civilization there is fear. Fear of failure, dying, or anything that could damage their lifestyle. Fear is an obstacle that must be over came. If someone can overcome their fear they will be mentally and physically stronger. Being able to get through fear as a society will make the society closer as a whole and stronger. For instance when 911 occurred in America the whole country was frightened. After this happened America made our security stronger and killed many evil terrorists. Now our country is more secure. After getting over fear any thing can be accomplished. Usually all it takes is some courage and strength. Fear ia no matched for a determined human being.

Emily Devine

9/20/2016 01:31:49 pm

I do not agree with the statement "fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress". The emotion "fear" can make people feel uneasy. It has a way of messing with people's thought process and actions. An example of fear is in the book "Lord of the Flies" when the boys came across the beast. The boys all ran away, the littluns screaming and the biguns felt like they had to attempt to kill it to hide the fact that they were actually scared. To show that fear does not in fact prevent construction or progress, they boys get together and plan to try and kill it. Even though they could be busy building more huts or trying to keep the fire burning, they decide to kill the beast. Even in the real world, fear can also give you a slight boost of confidence. Whether you're going on a plane for the first time, skydiving, or giving a presentation, anything that isn't in your daily routine could cause fear. Going out of your comfort zone is scary and nerve wracking, but it doesn't stop you from doing what you want.

Madison Papst

9/20/2016 03:57:53 pm

I disagree with the quote "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." I do not agree with this statement because in a society there are many opportunities to show fear, but many choose to be encouraged by it. In a society, a person could have fear of their surroundings, a job interview, and when they are giving a speech in front of a crowd. Fear could always be shown in any situation that life brings your way, but it depends on how a person handles it. They can choose to become stronger and have it help them keep moving forward or bring them down and fail. Either way it will teach us to take fear and be encouraged by it. This will help us come out of our comfort zone and explore what else there is in life. In the real world, there are many people that put there life on the line everyday to make our world a better place. Even though they fear for their lives, they continue to push through so they can keep our lives safe and create a better world for our civilization. In relation to the book, Lord of the Flies, the boys that are stranded on the island live in fear that they won't be rescued and never see their friends and family again. This doesn't stop them from creating an organized civilization for them to live in for as long as they are stranded on the island. The boys even show fear of a monster or "beastie'" that they think is on the island. They put their fear aside and start exploring the island and hunting in order to survive. All of these examples from both the real world and the book show that fear could not harm a civilization.

Kadene smith

9/20/2016 04:02:05 pm

I agree with the statement "fear is the enemy of civilization, fear Prevents construction and progress." Civilization is very fragile and you need peace To keep a civilization going. When fear merger people it prevents progress towards the civilization. In old day fear was always over people because of what they believed in, such as slavery etc. In 'lord of the files fear was shown in chapter 7 when they all saw the "monster,"the boys all ran away. The evidence shows that there is fear in the civilization because they all ran away preventing progress. The boy went on the mountain to accomplish a task but didn't because they had fear over the "monster". With fear people forget the real reason they're on earth, to survive and prosper. Fear can be a big deal in society and civilizations. In this civilization human beings fear other human being attacking them.

Abby Saracino

9/20/2016 04:26:41 pm

I agree with the statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress" as it applies both to modern life and the text The Lord of the Flies. In reality, fear is used as a control mechanism to keep societies in line. Terrorist groups throughout history have used fear in an attempt to make the world act a certain way, or change their culture so they agree with the radicals. 9/11, for example, is a clear act of driving a country by fear. Before the unity and sense of pride erupted from the attacks, there was a period of shock where the country could do nothing but watch buildings crumble and lives fade away. Civilization took a downfall in those hours of the plane crashes, as human morality declined and the United States as one froze. The more recent form of fear stunting progress is another terrorist group, ISIS. These radicals have released chilling videos via social media of people being shot or have their heads cut off. If this fear hasn't made the entire world pause I don't know what will.
In The Lord of the Flies, the boys are also being driven by fear. The reoccurring mentions of "the Beastie" (Golding 101) make the whole group stop for a time and ponder what this unknown threat could possibly be. In chapter 6, the boys drop everything they are doing (keeping the signal fire going, gathering food, and building shelters) to hunt for this monster. The trip and the thoughts of what lies in the unexplored sector of the island force a pause in progress and construction of a civilization.

Mrs. E

9/20/2016 06:24:19 pm

Well said. Very thorough response.

Dean Fallas

9/20/2016 05:16:07 pm

I disagree with the comment "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." In every civilization there is fear instilled into the community, this is what allows them to thrive. Laws are made in order to protect people from the fears they have. The fact that there is fear in a community allows it to progress greater then it would be without fear. Along with creating laws, fear allows civilizations to grow because it can unite everyone. As seen in the book Lord of the Flies, there is talk of a "beastie" on the island. Jack took the fact that everyone was scared as an opportunity to gain power and unite everyone under him. As a result of everyone having fear, it allowed the civilization to advance and become more united. Without fear, there would be no reason to make something to create a sense of safety for the people. This in turn wouldn't allow people to fell more unified as a community and thrive as a civilization.

Mrs. Elbakry

9/20/2016 06:25:47 pm

Interesting perspective, well-argued.

Ethan Penry

9/20/2016 05:38:09 pm

I must disagree with the claim that "fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress". I disagree because to me, fear, along with necessity, is the mother of invention and progress. It motivates people to work harder to prevent catastrophe in regards to civilization. For instance, the Cold War. During the Cold War, the U.S.S.R. and United States were both highly fearful of each nation's ability to destroy the other. Fear motivated each country to surveil the other. The Soviet Union utilized satellites to spy on the United States, and the United States flew U-2 and A-12 spy planes over the Soviet Union. Each nation was fearful that the other planned to strike, and took actions to prevent it. The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. alternated attempts at intimidations, built up nuclear arsenals, and even conducted atomic bomb tests to anticipate nuclear war. The fear for such a war had inspired the United States to trick the Soviet Union into believing that they would be impervious to nuclear missiles. Fear had pushed the United States to manufacture both warheads and lies in an effort to prevent an apocalypse, and it worked. Thus, my belief is that fear is not an enemy, but a friend to civilization. It is a guardian, and it motivates the fearful to survive and thrive.

Mrs. Elbakry

9/20/2016 06:30:15 pm

Well said. Nice metaphor at the end: "[fear] is a guardian." Engaging and creative.

Nick Wheeler

9/21/2016 08:25:53 am

I do not agree with the quote "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." I disagree with this because fear has to be present in order to better a civilization. While many people see what they're scared of and automatically turn around, the leader of the civilization have to see what scares them and see it as an opportunity to improve the community. The fear has to be overcame, and once it is, that is one less thing that the community has to be worried about. An example of this is the recent occurring terrorist attacks. While many citizens are scared of them, police, firemen, the government, and the military use the publics fear to drive them to take action, and end terrorism. Without terrorism, the world will be a much better place. This is just one example of how the leaders and fighters of a civilization use fear as a positive thing. Fear can only be the enemy of a civilization if the civilization lets it be the enemy. When used as motivation, fear can only be a good thing.

Seth

9/21/2016 08:29:59 am

I do not agree with this quote because fear motivates, not destroys civilization. This has been seen throughout history, an example of this is in Sparta. Before they had a strong military the city-state was almost destroyed by a slave revolt. After this, fearful of another revolt, they built up their army, making it one of the best in Greece. This example shows how fear led to Sparta's army. Another example from history is the Great Wall of China. This wall was built and maintained by the Chinese out of fear of the Xiongu and the Huns after them. This shows how fear led to the building of the longest man made structure in the world. In the book Lord of the Flies fear is an important part of the civilization on the island. Jack uses this fear by insinuating that there may be a beast on the island. He does this because it gives him more power since he can protect the group from the beast. Fear of the beast also leads to Ralph building the huts. This demonstrates how fear leads to development. Both history and the Lord of the Flies give many examples of how fear isn't a destructive force, but a force that motivates and unites civilizations to complete a task.

Justin Calabrese

9/21/2016 08:30:29 am

I disagree with the statement because I feel that fear is needed in civilization. Fear can be overcomed and that makes us stronger. Without fear all of the problems in history wouldn't not have been solved. Fear helps people have something to think about, so we try to overcome it. If we don't overcome it then civilization will not last. The quote said that you can't progress from fear, but the only way to progress is to use willpower against it. It also said it prevents construction, but without fear we would have nothing to construct. Fear is good because it shows the true personality of everyone without it we wouldn't really know anyone. Fear is not the enemy as long as there is willpower to make us stronger with it.

Madeline Kondic

9/21/2016 09:51:57 am

Saying "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress" is absolutely not true. If humans let fear control them, the world would not have achieved all that it has. In fact, America may not have even been discovered if this was true. If the people, who believed the world was flat at the time, were too scared to leave Europe and go beyond the horizon, we wouldn't be here today. Of course, there are many smaller fears that are overcome by what takes somewhat smaller bravery, but still don't prevent us from moving forward.The fear men and women face when going into battle, or even just the fear of starting a new school or a new job, is unimportant when it comes to progress. Sure the fear is there, but it is overlooked. Individuals don't let their fear control them or stop them from doing what they want or need. In the Lord of the Flies, the boys push the fears to the back of their minds, and focus on what's really important, survival. They could have just sat scared and alone, but instead worked together to create shelter, find food, and signal help. They made a society all their own, despite their fear of the unknown.

Deanna Petronis

9/21/2016 01:12:56 pm

I do not agree that civilization is fragile against fear. Fear is what drives a majority of actions, smart actions. Fear can be the reason some buildings are not constructed. It can also be why scientists might be afraid to perform an experiment. Fear might also be why schools get cancelled or why a town might be in some state of evacuation. All of those actions are reasonable (depending what fear drove them), so fear is not destructive, it helps make better decisions. Fear is not the enemy, being afraid or cautious helps to keep a civilization alive and safe. Fear is inevitable, but it a natural instinct for a reason. One Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist even said, “ If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay”. The quote shows that if people can realize that fear is natural, it won’t be terrible or tough to deal with being afraid. Fear cannot be evil or an enemy because it is a motivator.

Kaylee Dolan

9/21/2016 01:29:58 pm

Fear has a major impact on civilization and/or the way people act within one. Some say that "fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress", but I cannot agree. In my opinion, fear is what you need to strive in a community. Without the fear of failure, you cannot succeed. The risk of defeat gives you an extra kick in the behind, gets you scared, and pushes you to do things you may otherwise avoid. In other words, fear is not the enemy. It is better described as the "helping hand".

Garrett Barnes

9/21/2016 05:24:53 pm

Fear is one of the emotions powerful enough to make people do things they wouldn't normally do. This emotion can end civilizations within a short span of time. Fear leads to chaos which then leads to anarchy. In the Middle East most terror ground use fear to disable and control masses. Some people even believe in the US the government uses fear to influence the public with the fear of racism, sexism, and bigotry. They can use the fears of discrimination, something which will always be around but not in extremes like there once was, to make the public follow and vote based on the candidate who claims that the other candidate uses discrimination. When people are scared they are easily influenced and are very emotional. When in a state of fear humans don't think right and decide things based on their emotions, such as if there is a fear of an idea someone doesn't like, they will react using violence and not using common sense.

Isabelle Lucarelli

9/21/2016 07:14:47 pm

Fear, though viewed as crippling by some, is not so much a limitation as it is a motivation. Moreover, it is what an individual chooses to do with that fear that determines the overall progression of his/her life. I believe that fear is a judgement of one's mindset rather than a physical constriction on one's success. Every person that has ever been afraid or experienced a sense of terror, in theory, rather experiences a state of instability or lacked a sense of security. Environmental aspects can have a great deal of influence on the overall state of one's mind. A familiar setting, like one's own home, is a relatively comforting environment, so the chance of someone experiencing true horror is mainly limited. Like a location's habitability, surrounding people also influence fear, as well as contradict the statement that fear is ultimately crippling. When surrounded by people that one cares for deeply, examples being family or beloved friends, he/she is less likely to feel unstable, which will diminish a major reaction to a fear as a result. Along with providing comfort, being with people that you care for also allows for them to motivate you in conquering fears and/or phobias. In turn, fear can be ultimately viewed as a motivation rather than a limit.

Molly Sastram

9/21/2016 07:59:39 pm

I disagree with the saying "fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." This quote is saying that anytime someone wants to try something new or help each other out, if they're scared, it won't get done. People all around the world get scared or frightened from time to time, but it's up to them to forget about it and focus on what's important. People trying to get new jobs, fighting in the war, and even trying out for a new team get nervous, but that's what makes them feel determined to be the best that they can be. Determination from that fear makes individuals so much stronger when looking for that hope in the world. William Golding describes how the kids of all ages, helped one another to keep themselves alive. They don't know if help is going to come or if the beastie is going to get them. All they know is that they need to do whatever it takes to not only help themselves, but help the others around them. The boys were put to different jobs such as hunting, watching the fire, making huts, or even trying to kill the "beast" lurking around. All the boys were scared of what was going to happen to them, but that didn't let them stop making and producing necessities for their tribe. Fear did arise in them, but they focused on the importance of staying alive and helping the other kids in the tribe.

Taren Diaz

9/21/2016 09:08:20 pm

Fear is an emotional state of mind that has the ability to change how society responds and communicates among itself. I believe fear can ultimately reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a stable civilization. The statement, "fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress," in my opinion, is false. The idea that fear has an absolute negative effect on society neglects the value of humans and their ability to guide civilization for the better. The book, The Lord of the Flies, exemplifies the response of children, who create a strong community, even in the face of fear. Throughout the text, William Golding discusses the motivation of the young boys, based off of fear, "Bollocks to the rules! We're strong- we hunt! If there's a beast, we'll hunt it down! We'll close in and beat and beat and beat-!' He gave a wild whoop and leapt down to the pale sand. At once the platform was full of noise and excitement, scramblings, screams, and laughter." Jack is a main character in this book that feeds off of fear in order to help maintain a vigorous civilization. Although many children show fear, Jack brings out the strengths of the group, mentioning the idea that hunting can protect them. Because of this presence of fear throughout the text, the strengths and weaknesses of the group can be easily identified; therefore, enforcing a stronger society that can be further developed for the future. Fear is also instilled in the response to terrorism all around the world. Despite the frightening events that occurred on September 11, 2001, the country of America united and helped those who were tremendously affected by the attacks. Fear did not prevent those victims from becoming stronger. The country became more aware of potential dangers, and enforced additional laws, securing the safety of citizens. Essentially, fear does not break down society in a negative perspective. Fear has the inherent power to strengthen civilization as a whole.

Christina Cevetillo

9/22/2016 08:03:31 am

I disagree with the following statement, "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." Civilization isn't fragile against the destructive force of fear because of how people react to scary situations. For example, the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 was unexpected and very tragic, yet America stayed stong and remained hopeful of preventing such a tragedy ever again. In the moment of the attack, everybody panicked, however they all came together in the end which is all that matters. The memorial for 9/11 and the freedom tower symbolizes that the United States can withstand an attack and stand stronger, and taller. The nation survived through harsh times and became more united because of it. The American security amped up, it's military forces are more prepared and the United States are ready for anything that may come their way. Yes a civilization my freak out during a fearful occurrence, but the civilizations reaction proves whether it's strong or not. So a community is not fragile against the destruction of fear, fear is what breaks itself. In other words, a strong civilization can break fear because it isn't fragile and can grow through situations that cause fear.

Jesse Abbott

9/22/2016 12:15:02 pm

I disagree with with the statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." I believe fear is needed in a society. Fear gives a goal to a society; something to overcome. In the book we're reading, 'Lord of the Flies', the characters are constantly in fear, but their fear guides them. When they first arrived they had no fear, and consequentially did nothing towards survival, they just played and swam in the lagoon. Then they had a fear of not surviving on the island. After they had a fear they made progress towards building shelters and gathering food. Also the fear of the beastie unified all the boys on the island. They all have the common goal of slaying the beastie.

Connie Le

9/22/2016 12:29:38 pm

My opinion does not correlate with the statement, "fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." Instead, fear is a motivation factor. It allows a civilization to thrive and succeed. Without fear, we don't have anything to push us beyond our limits. In most horror movies for instance, the main character is usually scared and their first instinct is to run. They continue to keep going, using their fear of the 'monster' to run faster, getting away from what they are scared of. It makes them think about what they should do in the situation and puts them under pressure to figure out a solution. It gives us courage and allows us to become stronger people. For example, a major theme in the Lord of the Flies is fear. Jack notices the frightened faces of the littluns and uses it to his advantage. It encourages him to take the lead and use fear as motivation to take down the "beastie" that everyone is scared of. He united the group as a result of fear and further helped construct the civilization as a whole. Without this fear, there would be no reason to go after the beast. Jack made sure that he stepped up in a time where all the boys were desperate for safety to make sure he was in control of their emotions and helped them feel safe. The fear found in both reality and Lord of the Flies emphasize that fear shouldn't be the enemy of civilization, it should be the friend.

Mary-Kate W

9/22/2016 01:34:28 pm

The statement
"Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." is 100% accurate. Fear is everywhere. Terrifying events happen daily, wether they're on the news, media, television, or even in real life. Fear is the emotion that everyone dreads, it's the enemy of reason. In society, fear is an emotion some people have to experience on the daily. Men and women with African American backgrounds are beyond terrified to walk past an officer on duty. Racially motivated incidents are happening everywhere, some are afraid that being pulled over could lead to their death. Innocent people die, fear continues to live. Muslims get bashed every day for their beliefs, accused of being terrorists because of the way they dress and live. Americans also live in the fear of judgement and prejudice. Members of the LGBT community are so scared to be rejected by their peers and family that they hide who they really are. People lose their homes to the bank, their families, their jobs. Everything we have could be taken away from us at any moment. We are scared of death, disease, mental illness. Fear controls our society. We live in a world where culture is fear, and there seems to be no end.

Sophia DeAngelis

9/22/2016 04:04:24 pm

The above claim cannot be justified or agreed with. By stating that, "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress", it is discrediting all of the different aspects that have been produced by fear. It is human nature to try to shield oneself from rejection, failure, or pain, so fear does contribute sometimes to stopping yourself from having a break through. However, a long-standing statement and mindset has always circulated around society: get out of your comfort zone. That specific phrase implies that fear can be your motivation to try to go forward and in the end it may pay off. Also, humans continually make an effort to face their fears, as they seem like they are holding you back. In Lord of the Flies, the beastie has every one of the boys apprehensive and afraid to explore the island. Deep down inside, though, they all mustered an enormous amount of courage to try to take down the beast and thrive once again on the island. The fear of the beast gave some of the boys, especially Jack, a raw sense of courage that they would have never gained before without it. Everyone has dealt with some form of anxiety plaguing them, similar to Lord of the Flies, but the outcome remains the same: growing stronger than you have ever been before. Without fear and the courage coming in the aftermath, such achievements and accomplishments would not have been made. Distress may seem like a roadblock in the moment, but it will affect you positively in the end.

Carly Alton

9/22/2016 04:25:28 pm

Fear isn't real. It is only an idea that is put into our heads when we either feel pressured or uncomfortable with a situation or feeling. The quote,"Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress" is something I definitely agree with. When people get "scared", they aren't aggressive with decisions nor are they thinking clearly. If a civilization is to thrive, the people need to be ready for anything with the idea in their heads that fear is only something other people create. To build a better society, citizens must see things as they truly are, not imaginative situations. I believe when many people believe in fear, it shows through their actions, whether they are progressive or at a hesitant pace. For a society, everyone needs to be productive, and when fear is engraved in everyone, nothing can be improved. Well said here, "A head full of fears has no space for dreams."

Devin Fox

9/22/2016 04:31:26 pm

I disagree with the statement "fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." Fear, if anything, helps a civilization strive. Fear is what helps get people get together. Fear causes people to think more about decisions and life. Under fear people begin to worry, which means they want to make the right judgement. Mostly for themselves, but if they're in a group they will want to help make the right choice for everyone. It helps people choose the better decisions. Like cancelling school on a day when there was a lot of ice of the road in fear of people getting hurt. It also happened in the Lord of the Flies. When all the littluns are scared of the "beastie", the older boys, more specifically Jack, gets the boys to come together to get after this "beastie". This is all based off the act of fear. Therefore, civilization is helped when fear is in place.

Anna Biewald

9/22/2016 04:33:31 pm

“Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress” is a true statement. Fear is present everywhere, no matter the scale of how strong someone feels it. Fear limits a person’s ability to experience different opportunities. A student may not raise their hand in class because they are scared of being wrong. A person who is afraid of heights may never go on an airplane and see the world. All of these different fears prevent what could be a life-changing experience from happening. In The Lord of the Flies, fear of the “beastie” makes the boys on the island more wild and disorganized. This is clearly seen when more of the boys say they saw the beastie and everyone gets increasingly terrified. Because of this terror the possibility of being rescued and the progress of making life on the island more tolerable gets interrupted. Ralph, Jack, and some of the others set out to hunt down the beastie and abandon what needs to be done at camp. Fear, whether in real life or fiction, influences the decisions people make and prevents them from living the life they want.

Marissa DiIulio

9/22/2016 05:07:28 pm

I disagree with the statement, "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress" because life provides reasons every day to be scared, and if everyone showed fear at those times, no one would be there to stand up an support. people are faces with fear everyday whether it would be work, school, a sport, etc. A strong example would be the job of a first responder. When firemen or policemen are called for a job, they are unsure of what they are about to encounter. Most are probably scared, but if they were scared, people's life could have been jeopardized or others could have been harmed. policemen in sandy hook responded to the December 14th Sandy Hook Shooting, even though it involved a gunman. Sometimes fear can make you stronger, rather than tearing you down. Fear can act as a type of motivation in times of need, not a reason to run away

Ethan Y

9/22/2016 05:53:55 pm

I disagree with the quote "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress". Fear actually encourages construction and progress, as the United States has shown during and after World War 2. For example, the United States showed its strength and courage going up against the Axis Powers. The United States raced to develop new and innovative technology, knowing that everything was going to turn out fine. From this innovation, the United States is now considered one of the most powerful nations of the world. The Cold War can also be used as an example of fear pushing progress, leading to the nation building more advanced defenses and situational awareness. Fear is not a boundary, but more of an encouragement to do to whatever is causing fear. It
makes people stronger and even become better people. This can end in result of an entire civilization becoming stronger and more safer society.

Molly Smith

9/22/2016 06:23:48 pm

I agree with the statement "fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress". When individuals are scared, they are held back and their confidence drops. This scene of fear takes over the minds of individuals and paralyzes them to the point where they can no longer control themselves. Victims of fear are too afraid to take action and get things done which eliminates any chance for them to move forward as a civilization or society. This can be supported by certain scenes in the book The Lord of the Flies. For example, after the littluns mention the possibility that there could be a beast on the island, no one could release the idea from their minds. This potential threat continued to lurk over the heads of all the boys to the point where they were too afraid to go out into the darkness of the night alone. Their fear controlled where they went on the island and when. If they saw a dark cave or an undiscovered section of the island they were apprehensive to investigate and therefore avoided the whole area. It wasn’t until weeks of contemplating that some of the older boys decided to investigate to see if this rumor was even true. However, this scene of fear that the beast instilled upon them decreased their chances of getting rescued. When they went searching for the beast they had no one to tend the fire so it burned out. Their fire was one of the only means of signaling passing boats and planes. Not only that, but some of the boys were even tormented by the idea of a beast on the island and would wake up screaming out of fear. This shows how fear is indeed the enemy of civilizations. They were frightened that they get little to nothing accomplished. Also, they thought more about their fears than getting rescued, which proves that fear does hold back civilizations from reaching their full potential.

Maddie Smith

9/22/2016 06:25:03 pm

Fear is one of the most dangerous emotions that a person can have. It leads them to do insensible things that they would never be driven to do under normal circumstances. Therefore, I can confidently agree with the statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." It causes people to make quick, misguided decisions that will most likely hurt their goals. For example, in the real world, police officers cannot base their actions on fear and shoot at the first person they find suspicious. This would defeat the purpose of their job because they would end up being the ones harming citizens rather than protecting them. As you can see, fear can easily get in the way of people's ability to function correctly. In the book, The Lord of the Flies, fear has had a very negative impact on the boys and their goals. They are all living in fear of the "beastie" that they believe is on the island. This causes them to act differently than they normally would. After Sameneric claimed to have seen the "beastie," everyone on the island, including Ralph, let fear get the best of them. It became their top priority to kill the "beastie" and they lost sight of what they had set out to do.The fire was allowed to burn out, and their chances of being rescued plummeted. In addition, instead of having fun like they had planned on doing, the boys were constantly dreading the creature that lurked somewhere in the jungle. Because they were led away from their goals, it is obvious that fear has done nothing but hurt the boys on the island. It is cases like these that prove fear is a powerful emotion which gets in the way of civilization and its progress.

Faith Collins

9/22/2016 07:11:45 pm

I completely disagree with the statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." I disagree because fear can be used as a type of motivational factor to better a civilization in many cases. It can make people stronger and more willing to do more in order accomplish more. An example of this could be the current political race. Each candidate uses the others words and twists them into fearful ideas and scares voters into voting for them. Naturally when people hear certain facts from people they trust, they believe them and think they are making the best decision for their people. Fear puts people in a vulnerable position which is why it is hard to overcome, but once it is overcome you are better for it and this is the kind of thing needed to make a good civilization. It’s like the saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” when you conquer that fear you will be stronger for it. Another example of this in modern day society is people fighting for their country overseas to fight terrorism. People perform the act of enlisting in many cases due to fear, fear for their country and what may happen if terrorists and organizations are not stopped. If they didn't want to help their civilization and were not at least a little afraid of what could happen to their society then they would not have enlisted. Being deployed these people are conquering their fears and risking their lives to better civilization and their society, which is why fear is such a big motivation in bettering a society and civilization.

Sean Seibert

9/22/2016 07:16:23 pm

The statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." is not necessarily true in all cases. It is true that fear can bring down even the mightiest people and countries, but from that can rise a new era of progress. Before WWII, Hitler used fear of the German military to bring neighboring countries to his side. In his viewpoint, fear brought about progress for his goals. During and after WWII, the fear of the Soviet Union and Stalin forced millions of people to live under its rule as a major world power for many years. This was progress in the eyes of Stalin and the Communist party. The Soviet Union broke up when the fear of the Soviets was greatly lessened by the reforms implemented by Gorbachev. In Lord of the Flies, the choir boys follow Jack out of fear of him. They do not leave him and their work is not hindered, even if their efforts in killing a pig is not always successful. Fear of Jack’s wrath motivates them to continue hunting and it pays off in chapter 4 when they finally kill a pig. Fear brings people together to form new civilizations even if it means bringing another down. The new, however, can’t fully come to be until the old is brought down. Essentially while fear can prevent or slow progress, it can also promote progress.

Olivia Neubaum

9/22/2016 07:50:34 pm

I believe fear is not the enemy of a civilization; it does not prevent construction and progress within a society. If anything, fear is an assistant and helps the progress of building a civilization. Fear makes others work harder towards advancing. For example, two years ago American citizens feared they would get the Ebola virus once those infected entered the United States to get treatment. Do to the widespread panic that it was possible to contract the deadly disease, health providers worked extra hard to isolate the sick from the healthy and to help the hospitalized patients get better. Fear makes us want to work harder to achieve what we believe we cannot. Brendan Francis wrote, "Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them." The message Francis is trying to declare is that fear is a tiny object compared to one's bravery. He uses a metaphor to convey what fear is. As long as someone is brave or has the courage to step up and take fear down, you can be invincible.

Daniel Kuna

9/22/2016 08:18:24 pm

Fear is an unpleasant emotion usually triggered by something that a person is most afraid of. A terrible emotion like fear, does not necessarily cause the destruction of a society and/or a civilization. Civilization is not fragile against the destruction of fear, it actually helps strengthen a civilization. Without fear would people think of ways to protect themselves from being afraid and to overcome being scared? No, fear is literally an instrument to help keep a civilization growing and improving. Terrorist groups have also used fear to change the way the world thinks and to convince people to agree with the radical's thoughts. Fear from the terrorist attack on 9/11 changed the way people take security. Before the attack on trade center on 9/11 there was no fear that terrorists would hijack planes. After everyone was worried of it happening again, security is tighter in airports than ever before. In the book, The Lord of the Flies, many of the littluns were constantly being driven by the fear of a creature named Beastie. This "monster" made the whole group figure out what to do with this unknown beast. The fear from the Beastie made Ralph and Jack decide that they should go hunt down this beast in chapter 6. Without the fear of this creature no expedition would take place. That is why fear is important in building and/or strengthening a civilization. If fear was not an emotion for humans, then society would become dangerous and nobody would have the courage to change what is best for the future of the community.

Bonnie Trelease

9/22/2016 08:23:05 pm

Fear is an emotion most attempt to avoid due to the discomfort and uneasiness it brings. However, despite the distress it causes, fear serves as a motivator. The quote, "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." is completely false. Fear is actually a friend to civilization and promotes construction and progress. Fear is what motivates one to a number of various actions in everyday life. Whether it may be obeying laws, stepping outside your comfort zone, standing for something you believe in, or protecting others, fear is what encourages one to prevail. Martin Luther King, for example, was so successful in his speeches and his mission for equality, due to fear. It required an abounding amount of courage to deliver his speech, "I Have a Dream", during such a dangerous time for those of his race. Nevertheless, it was this fear that drove so many American citizens to respect him and realize the urgency of his message. Due to this historic event, civilization changed drastically for the better and promoted an extreme amount of progress. Another form of fear is the fear of consequences. The fear of consequences is what prevents citizens from disobeying the law and therefore, holding society together. Without fear, a society would degenerate into anarchy; ultimately causing the destruction of civilization.

Micki Geffert

9/22/2016 09:10:44 pm

The statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." is not true. Fear is indeed used in civilizations, but not to create fragile societies. Fear is instilled in a society to get the citizens to listen and follow the rule of the civilization. Fear helps the efflorescence of a civilization rather than making it "fragile against the destructive force of fear." If fear controlled the world nothing in a civilization would ever get done. Fear unites citizens, especially in a civilization. When people are fearful they tend to seek others who have the same opinion to pacify themselves. In the Lord of the Flies the fear of the "beastie" unites all of the children who are on the island since they are all scared of the creature that is 'out to get them.' When this happened Jack was the first to take a stand and use the others fear to gain power. Fear also helps to regulate safety. If someone is fearful of getting arrested for breaking a law then they will be very careful and not break the law. Fear keeps a civilization 'rolling.' Without fear no society or civilization would be where it is today.

Beth Whitehead

9/22/2016 09:16:25 pm

To say "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress . . ." is to ignore all fear can allow humans to do. When people are afraid, their bodies can produce adrenaline that makes seemingly impossible feats second nature. Man can run faster, jump higher, and perform better when faced with fear. It's saved lives before. The same affects of fear are reflected in The Lord of the Flies. Fear of starvation helped Jack and his hunters kill a pig. Fear of the "beastie" helped the boys build shelter. The constant encouragement of fear has kept the stranded children alive this long. Without survive, civilization could not exist. Since fear is supporting life, which is necessary for society, it cannot be the enemy of civilization.

Maya Ribeiro

9/22/2016 09:24:32 pm

"Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." is a false statement. The looming feeling that something bad can be inflicted on ones self can be very productive for a society. Because the people are worried about falling out of line and having bad consequences bestowed upon them, they do not fall out of line. During the holocaust, although a horrible event, the Jewish people did not break the rules and did as they were told because they feared they would be killed. The fear becomes motivation for the people to work since the result of doing wrong is far worse than the work itself. In society today, the public knows that by breaking a law they would be punished. The fear of them being punished drives them to do the right things. Instead of going to jail, people respect the rules which keep the society functioning and progressive. Present in countless systems that control the lives of others, fear is used to steer people in the right direction. Through schools, religions, and families around the world, people are being motivated to not do the wrong thing. Schools use detentions and failing grades. Religions use the concept of heaven and hell. Families use disciplinary actions. All of these things are present in ordinary life that keep a community productive through fear wether it be conscious or not. Although people may become too afraid and then not respect the rules, the would be punished, learn from their mistakes, and then do the correct thing next time. This foolproof plan is why the societies that use fear are productive.

Sophie Kritemeyer

9/22/2016 09:36:58 pm

Fear is the almighty element that can cripple and build a society. For thousands of years, fear has been able to take control of civilizations. Since ancient Egyptian times, fear has been used as motivation. In this time period, those who broke the law were often punished in cruel and unusual ways. For example, in the Babylonian Civilization the Code of Hammurabi was a set of incredibly harsh laws that made citizens fear the punishments that came from breaking these laws. Some include death, amputation, breaking of limbs, and paying large debts. Citizens feared these punishments so much, that very few ever broke the law. In this way, fear strengthen a societies obedience to its leader and policy. Fear crippled society during the Holocaust. Fear of death and complete detonation ran thought society, so all fell to the rule of Adolf Hitler. Ultimately, we see that fear can both cripple and strengthen a society.

Will Qualls

9/22/2016 09:39:31 pm

I disagree with the statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress". This statement blatantly ignores all of the aspects of the world which are indeed, ruled by fear. Fear is the body's way of telling someone not to do something because it will likely end badly. This can, in certain cases, cause fears to stop us from tasking necessary risks.That being said, fear doesn't have to distract people and force them to make selfish decisions, rather fear can motivate people to do the right thing. For example, most young children are motivated by fear of something, such as disappointing their parents.This later translates in life to people adhering to social norms out of fear. They may not be extremely scared, or think about it much, but most individuals adhere to social norms due to fear of what will happen if they stray from said norms. Fear also can stop people from making stupid decisions which can hurt them. For example, most people's fear of heights is due to the common knowledge that falling from a high point will likely kill a person. The subconscious knows that this will result in death, so it prevents it using fear. Thus, fear is not always a bad thing that prevents progress and civilization, but can actually contribute to it.

Carley Van Buiten

9/22/2016 10:12:22 pm

Fear is not the enemy of a civilization. It does not prevent the construction and progress of a community. Fear is the driving force that makes a civilization productive. Fear is what keeps people alive. Without fear no one would feel compelled to build shelter or hunt for food or create a military force, or do anything to keep the people alive. Fear doesn't have to be felt because of a big beast or an evil villain. It could be driven by something as simple as the fear of hunger. If everyone in a civilization is afraid of going hungry then they will work to hunt and get food so they can prevent it. Without the fear of dying no one would work to stay alive. Fear is the only thing that can keep a civilization alive.

Matt Eichenbaum

9/22/2016 10:21:59 pm

I disagree with the statement "fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." I strongly believe that fear only motivates us to move forward. Fear also brings out courage in people. For example, the night of 9/11 there wasn't a person in this country that wasn't able to go sleep, but one thing it made us was a country that was courageous and ready to face anything. We were not afraid any more. From that point on our courageousness made us who we are as a country. This courageousness was also shown by the Americans plunging into a war against the terrorists. Another example of this was when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor, and the Americans were bold enough and courageous enough to enter World War II. The quote also says "prevents progress." This part of the quote makes me enraged because fears were made for one thing: to be conquered. I believe that without fear we wouldn't be able to progress in society. Another example is from Lord of the Flies. The boys are all afraid of the beastie, which only motivates the boys to live another day, so they have a chance to kill the beastie. This is why I strongly disagree with the quote, "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress."

Aniela Olbrys

9/22/2016 10:50:54 pm

The claim "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear presents construction and progress" is completely disagreeable. Civilizatiion is not fragile against the destructive force of fear because in society there will always be instances with fear that we civilians will get over. Everyday there are events that occur that may fill people with fear, however most of the fear-filled individuals learn to not let it bother them. For example, death, losing someone close to you, a job interview, and even doing poorly on a test are several instances in which a person may have fear. Although these instances can occur at any moment, the average person doesn't focus on this fear and negativity. By not allowing these issues to get to them, it shows how no one will let fear destroy their civilization. In relation to Lord of the Flies, fear is a main theme throughout the book. The characters have many fears such as never leaving the island, never seeing their family again, and even being fearful of the beast. Although they may all have these fears, they never let it get in the way of living and maintaining the island. Although many individuals would rather avoid fear, it's important to overcome these fears and obstacles in order to make you stronger and not focus on the negative issues.

Carley Van Buiten

9/22/2016 11:02:00 pm

Emily LaRocque

9/22/2016 11:14:29 pm

There are many events throughout American and world history that prove how fear is not the enemy of civilization and does not prevent construction or progress. Settlers in the ‘New World’ lived in fear of the British on a daily basis. These settlers, 2.5 million people, united together, challenged and defeated the fearsome British army. This victory allowed them to turn their freedom and their land into one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations in the world. That fear became The United States of America. Over one hundred and fifty years later, fear struck society on a global scale. The Great Depression, a worldwide economic depression, hit many countries over the span of many years. Society lived in constant fear during this time as jobs were lost and in turn there was no money to pay for food and shelter. Yet society stayed focused, put their fears aside and worked together to solve the problems of this economic depression. One example of this occurred in America when President Franklin D. Roosevelt created a series of programs and projects focused on trying to get people back to work. In 2001, the American society was again looking fear directly in its face. America had just suffered its worst ever terrorist attack on their own soil, thousands of people killed and an entire nation living in fear. However, the fear did not last long. After the American people mourned and memorialized those that died, their fear turned into solidarity and once again united the people, 340 million plus, and made the country even stronger. American society fought back against those that were responsible for the attack and rebuilt all that was destroyed. The points here show how civilization continued to progress even in the face of fear.

Andrew Gee

9/22/2016 11:31:28 pm

This quote is very descriptive in the way that fear is very powerful. The most interesting part about fear is that it is an emotion, something created by the minds of people. The first section of the quote is "Fear is the enemy of civilization". The way that fear is created is by people and taking them out of their emotional sanctuary. The majority of the population's sanctuary is not being the outcast or the outlier of the group. If an individual is in sink with the population and a civilization creates a very calm and organized habitat. If fear is introduced then then the civilization falls apart. The second portion of the quote " fear prevents construction and progress." What this section is explaining is fear is the best as halting any progress. Fear has always controlled a lot of different aspects of life especially progress. This has made itself parent throughout history a great example of this was the cold war. Overall fear is a very powerful and dangerous tool and it can be manipulated in ways that most can't fathom.

Jason B

9/23/2016 01:00:47 am

I disagree with the statement above. Fear is not the true enemy of civilization. Today people all around the world fear terrorists, but that does not prevent them from moving forward. In the past people feared slavery. People also feared death for their beliefs. Throughout the ages riots and violence has erupted, yet we continue to grow. Some people run from their fear and others confront them. In the book "Lord of the Flies" Ralph and Jack are trying to rise up and take control of the groups fears and situations. Fear helps improve civilization because it forces leaders to step up and take over. All people have fears, but it is how each individual handles that fear or situation that defines who they are.

Drew Herold

9/23/2016 02:24:08 am

I have to agree with the statement that "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress." This goes for a few reasons. Fear has been the enemy of man throughout all of history. It has been the one thing that has kept us form making progressions that seem almost impossible. The truth is this it almost unavoidable in human life. The root of fear comes from the unknown. Not knowing what lies ahead kills a man. Almost everybody feels fear when walking into a situation completely clueless of the circumstances. The feeling of not being prepared for a potential danger poses a great fear and anxiety for most people, as they know not what to expect. For instance, when some of the first humans were introduced to wildlife and wild animals, do you think they knew how to encounter these situations? Odds are humans were intimidated and felt great fear, unclear of how to handle these types of situations. They prioritized their safety, trying to avoid any visible danger. Nothing has changed about that. It is human instinct to maintain safety as opposed to going into a situation completely blind with absolutely no knowledge on how to handle it. In the book "The Lord of the Flies," two of the boys see some sort of "beast" on the island. Although the beast is really just a dead man who had fallen from a warplane, the boys instinctively went to get help instead of approaching the man and risking their lives. So, although fear is kind of a curse to civilization, it can also be beneficial. If people are programmed to automatically steer away from any potential danger, then fear can also be considered a gift to civilization. The fact that it limits human ability is a good thing in these life-threatening situations.

Jack Kolvig

9/23/2016 05:56:36 am

I disagree with the statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress". I disagree with this because fear never stopped anyone from doing what he/she wants or needs to do. An example of progressing forward through fear is technology. Though there was fear when advancing in technology of machines taking over the world, humanity thought logically and progressed forward with technology. Relating to the novel "Lord of the Flies", the boys on the island are all afraid of a so-called "beastie". The boys describe this beastie as "a thing, a beast, some sort of animal," (Golding 111). The boys were scared of this beast until they thought rationally and figured it was just fear, and that they are only afraid of their fears. For example, Jack says to everyone that "fear can't hurt you anymore than a dream," (Golding 110). Jack also thought logically, telling the other boys "You don't get big animals on small islands. Only pigs," (Golding 111). The way that Jack thought about fear in this part of the book shows again how people can progress through fear. Jack explained to everyone how fear is the only thing to fear, and also was reasonable with his explanation of assuring there was nothing to fear. Adding on to this, the boys were scared of a "beastie", yet worked through the fear progressing in their advancements in society, including creating shelter, an army, and a sort of government. The boys also thought logically and came to realize that they can face their fears and work through them, just as everyone in the world does. Therefore, the statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress" is a false claim.

Jack B

9/23/2016 07:00:09 am

I disagree with the statement that fear is the enemy of society. This is because fear is an emotion that empowers us not paralyzes us. Fear activates our fight or flight instincts and shoots us up with adrenaline to take action. Fear aids in bringing out the strongest of us. If we as a civilization allow fear to prevent advancements then we will never survive. In fact, for all we know taking chances even in the face of fear may be preventing us from chaos today. One example of when fear caused us to take action is 9/11. When the Taliban attacked the core of our country during this horrible stack we fought back. As a result, we ended up invading Afghanistan and Iraq to hunt and kill their leader. Not to mention overwhelmingly support of first aid responders and model citizens who risked and many lost their lives during these attacks in all sorts of ways. In conclusion, while fear may not always be interpreted as a good thing, it should not be thought of as a bad thing, because fear brings our a lot of good in us.

Andrew Aldo

9/23/2016 08:01:24 am

After contemplating this statement for a while I would have to conclude that, no, I do not agree with the sentence above. Fear is what drives society to where it is today. The fear of failure makes individuals strive for success. Our airport security, and security in general has been greatly increases in fear of another terrorist attack. Our space program was created after the soviet union launched their first satellite into space, they reacted so quickly to making a space program in fear of a thermonuclear war. The internet was also created out of fear of a thermonuclear war and was created by the U.S Department of Defense in the 1960's and 1970's. The world is where it is today because of the factor of fear. We have a space Program, the internet, and advanced security because of fear. Many inventions would not have been created without fear. This is overall why I believe that fear drives society, it does not prevent progress, but otherwise encourages progress.

Olivia Potter

9/23/2016 08:28:19 am

"Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress."
Fear IS the enemy of civilization. It does prevent construction and progress, at least I believe so. Just think, while some may say people overcome their fear by facing it, some just avoid it completely. Say a person with arachnophobia is cleaning their living room; if that person sees a spider chances are they'll leave the room, making it so that the living room doesn't get cleaned. As some may think, is just one room, it can't cause that much damage. What happens when the spider migrates to a different room or when it multiplies. This is just one of many examples of how fear prevents us from doing our jobs... now try applying that to a more serious situation than cleaning your home like what if construction workers were scared of hammers and nails; nothing would get done. In "Lord of the Flies" written by William Golding, Jack, the main hunter refuses to kill a pig out of fear to hurt a living thing. "They knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood." (Golfing 30) Jack was terrified to experience a living creature die to his fault... but by not killing the pig, he risked the starvation of his "tribe." It is humane to feel fear; it's not a bad thing, but if we don't learn to channel that fear, it can be.

Emily Baktis

9/23/2016 10:59:01 am

I strongly disagree with the statement "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress," due to the fact that fear can be overcome. Fear is probably the most frightening emotion, and can be crippling at times, but each individual has the power to overcome it. I can only imagine how fearful soldiers, in any branch of the military, are before they head onto the battlefield. However, most of the soldiers who make it home, go back out into the war, despite their fear. Once fear is overcome, great things can happen. Once fear is overcome, heroes are made. Fear is not an enemy, but an ally. It is a helping-hand, a step in the right direction. Once fear is conquered, the possibilities are endless. Progress is not prevented, but it is pushed. A civilization that has overpowered fear, will not be crippled, it will thrive.

Ryan Herold

9/27/2016 12:44:05 pm

I think the claim "Fear is the enemy of civilization; fear prevents construction and progress,” is incorrect because fear is a big part of civilization. Fear can be used to keep order among the people. If the people fear their leader, they will be less likely to rebel or break laws. Fear isn’t a destructive force, civilizations won’t crumble if citizens fear their ruler. In the U.S for example, law enforcement opposes criminals who break the law. These criminals grow to fear these officers, and then are less likely to act out against the people. In 1945, Hitler controlled people with fear. He made the world turn against each other.This shows fear as a useful tactic in war and in society

Alice Manning

10/4/2016 08:04:58 pm

Fear is the characteristic of society that keep people in line according to society's regulations. In many cases, the way government controls the people is through scaring them into doing the right thing or into following them. In Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, this was evident. Hitler used the power of fear to get mass amounts of people to believe that Jewish people were bad. This idea is not obselete. It is happening today in the Middle East. People living in the Middle East are being scared daily to not break the limits of society. They are constantly living in fear. Although fear does control society in large part, it doesn't help it progress. Most societies that use fear as a control mechanism are being just the opposite of progressive. Acceptance and tolerance are progressive and being scared of a people or education is the opposite.

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The only thing to fear...

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