A Brave New World Rhetorical Analysis

The Detriment of Science Exploration

As described in the Leviathan by 17th century political philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, humans are "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short" (Hobbes). Hobbes believed that humans are inherently flawed, and will naturally create anarchy amongst themselves due to their nature. In the novel Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley in 1931, the world controller of the state, Mustapha Mond, manifests this idea through the rhetorical question, "What 's the point of truth or beauty of knowledge when the anthrax bombs are popping all around you"(Huxley 228)? As science was explored unrestrictedly, citizens of the World State began to fight each other. Although Mond 's argument ultimately leads to the sacrifice of

For instance, in a Washington Post news article published in 2014, Abby Phillip reports that a researcher, Dong Pyou Han, manipulated data regarding an HIV vaccine that supposedly worked on rabbits for personal fame. Phillip reported, "the rabbit blood became contaminated with human antibodies ... Instead of admitting them, [Han] continued to spike future samples... results that were considered to be a breakthrough" (Phillip). Humans are often willing to defy their own values and morals to achieve personal fame. Because recognition and prestige are such emotional luxuries, many people will ignore the consequences of their actions. Han 's recklessness conquered his logical reasoning for the sake of academic prestige. Similarly, in an informative article posted by CNN in 2011 by Elizabeth Cohen and Miriam Falco, Dr. Andrew Wakefield was bribed by lawyers who wanted to sue vaccine companies. Cohen and Falco explain that Wakefield received "payments by lawyers and through legal aid grants that … he hoped would benefit him through diagnostic and other tests for autism and MMR-related issues" (Cohen and Falco). Aside from personal prestige, scientists may easily falsify data in return for money. This communicates the idea that science should be regulated to some degree because manipulation of data can lead to

In addition to easily falsifying scientific data, it is possible for a society to invest heavily in impractical science explorations. For example, in a 2015 news article from space.com, writer Dan Leone outlines the vast amount of spending NASA has used in recent years. Leone writes, "NASA 's Astrophysics division would get $607 million, $14 million of which would be for preliminary work on the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope: a dark-energy and exoplanet observatory" (Leone). Society 's resources should be wisely spent on practical experiments that can directly benefit people. Certain large scale, expensive projects, such as the telescope in development by NASA, receive excessive amounts of money from taxpayers even though they may not necessarily benefit society in the short term. Scientific experimentation, especially space exploration, can be impractical and wasteful. Furthermore, in a 2014 news article published in the Washington Post, written by Walter Pincus, specific nuclear programs in the U.S are actually increasing their budget. Pincus describes a certain nuclear project that the U.S government is sponsoring, "The most costly refurbishment, about $643 million, is for the B-61 bomb, which is carried by strategic bombers based in the United States" (Pincus). Although the U.S already has a nuclear arsenal that could potentially destroy the world, it continues to invest in its nuclear weaponry. This shows the degree to which society can waste its resources in