Piggy represents pure intellectualism; his body is, essentially, a liability, but Ralph states that Piggy is definitely the best "thinker" out of all of them. However, Piggy strongly depends upon the assurances provided by the rule of law and civilization; being unable to defend himself physically, and having poor social skills, he survives only by the somewhat artificial restrictions placed on the behaviors of others that allow him to be left alone. In the absence of these restrictions, as with Jack's tribe, Piggy is little more than a victim.
As the best thinker, Piggy is aware of this. He knows that his survival depends upon the survival of "law" itself. This is fulfilled when he dies, as the conch "dies" with him, representing that Piggy cannot survive without the order that the conch represents. As the group begins to degenerate into lawlessness, and Ralph despairs of his ability to lead, Piggy pushes him to remain the leader, because he knows that Jack will target him, and that Ralph is the only person who can stand up to Jack. Basically, Piggy fears that, if Ralph gives up being leader, then Piggy will lose any protection he enjoys under Ralph's rule.
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