Like all of the other commentators, I find this explanation persuasive, but I am not sure it answers the main question people have which is "why?" I see it as a condensed metaphor for the creation of the world of civilization and society, for how we got here. Begins with Man in his natural state, some with resources and some measure of luck (main group of survivors), some without any luck or resources at all(the tailies). There seems to be joy and pain and understanding and confusion. Some people feel a larger connection to the world (locke), some see the world as a problem to be solved (jack). so spirtuality evolves, militarism evolves . . . some people (the majority of the survivors who we never meet), just come and go and live without ever contemplating any of it. The hatch is like the garden of eden, paradise, all-providing . . . the numbers are like man's earlydays, when he was close to god and obeyed him, even if he didn't know why- they represent the following of any primitive/religious/spiritual ritual- but man's pride, turning his back on the ritual, on the faith, leads to his fall (the destruction of the hatch, and they are cast back out to fend for themselves). the others are like the spirits, the angels and demons which man has always both feared and looked to for help (angles bring both help and death- andf the Others always refer to themselves as the Good guys- they seem to have an otherworldy power even as they walk among us). We all come into the world alone, mostly confused, we all carry an original sin, a guilt we seek to redeem through our actions, through our life. This is probably a more christian-centric explanation because I am a christian, but I think the basic paradigm fits for any religion or belief system. the pull between spirit and flesh, good and bad, selfishness and altruism, guilt and hope . . .these are human problems, and these are what the show illustrates people grappling with and working through.

5  out of 5 found this valuable. Do you find this valuable? Do you?    

Show Last Reply

I think you nailed this show, but in a genral perpective, I believe you're right but it doesn't explain where it all leads or where it could lead. There are forces at work that have been mentioned in other theories that with this one would set the perfect timeline.

 out of  found this valuable. Do you find this valuable?    

I subscribe to your theory but I think the questions being posed are somewhat broader. In my opinion the creators are exploring the nature of being and the construction of man's social existence. You point to philosophers like Locke, Hume and Rousseau whose perspectives are, in part, borne out by the actions of their characters but for me Hobbes is the elephant in the room. The passengers of flight 815 find themselves in a Hobbesian 'state of nature'. There is no map for the social world they construct. In this light, the use of the terms Self and Other and the threat conflated with the latter is of interest. Why does a more co-operative order not emerge?

Some other interesting questions are posed. Many of the flashback scenes present our heroes in brushes with law enforcement but in the absence of a authoritarian/puritanical legal code there would seem to be potential for these characters to be re-habilitated.

Power and knowledge imbalances between the groups, the emergence of hierarchy and the emphasis on individual capabilities all reflect the narrative of human history. It is interesting to ponder whether the society the passengers of flight 815 construct is a functions of the values and norms they have inherited from epistemology and the national traditions of the US.

7  out of 9 found this valuable. Do you find this valuable? Do you?    

Show Last Reply