The Loss of Civilization - Lord of the Flies

"What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages? What's grownups going to think? Going off--hunting pigs--letting out fires--and now!"

A shadow fronted him tempestuously.

"You shut up, you fat slug!" 

There was a moment's struggle and the glimmering conch jigged up and down. Ralph leapt to his feet.

"Jack! Jack! You haven't got the conch! Let him speak."

Jack's face swam near him. 

"And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can't hunt, you can't sing--"

"I'm chief. I was chosen."

"Why should choosing make any difference? Just giving orders that don't make any sense--"

"Piggy's got the conch."

"That's right--favor Piggy as you always do--"

"Jack!"

Jack's voice sounded in bitter mimicry."

"Jack! Jack!"

"The rules!" shouted Ralph, "You're breaking the rules!"

"Who cares?"

Ralph summoned his wits.

"Because the rules are all we've got!"

In this passage you can see Ralph clinging to the only human nature they have left. Ralph like Piggy is trying to keep order within the boys. Ralph knows that if they keep going on like this, they will lose all of their humane qualities and it will be mayhem. Along with their human characteristics, the boys are losing their intelligence. Ralph knows that most of the boys' human values have left them, so now more than ever he believes that rules are important to survive with each other. It seems as though Ralph, Piggy, and Simon are the only one with their humane qualities in check. I assume that it will not be this way for long faced with a time of struggle.