ipl-logo

Transcendentalism In Brave New World

1068 Words5 Pages

Societal dysfunction, such as economic depression, provokes compelling fantasies, leaving individuals curious about “what ifs” and the possibility of astonishing alternate realities. Furthermore, fluctuations in social dynamics, like a sharp increase in the rise of unemployment and the establishment of friction amongst divided classes, create the ideal environment for new ideas and daring literature. Consequently, Aldous Huxley embodied the aforementioned passion for dysfunction during a time when society was exceedingly turbulent; these conditions lead to his creation of the novel Brave New World in 1931. Huxley 's work was a premonition for the future in relation to a powerful central government and complacent individuals. This anti-transcendentalist …show more content…

Roughly a decade after the publication of Huxley’s work, a perfect modern day example emerged rapidly with the rise of Germany during World War 1. Hitler brazenly instituted harsh laws that dominated and destroyed the lives the Jewish community. However, other individuals praised him endlessly while blissful ignorance birthed happiness. While Huxley could not have fathomed Germany’s growth and Hitler’s reign, these situations correlate well with the atmosphere of World State and the position of Mustapha Mond, a leader that is wholly aware of the sacrifices made for the betterment of …show more content…

According to History.com, from 1953-73, the government tested the mind control effects Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on both consenting and unconsenting participants. The hallucogines were intended to make the test subjects more docile and easier to command; this was also the premeditated function of Soma in the novel. Soma sent users into a euphoric state, making them content with the oppressive circumstances of World State. Thoughts of revolts and societal change eluded substance soaked minds, giving the government a strong sense of security and control. Even though Huxley could not predict the future, themes of Brave New World became clearly prevalent in our society after his popular work came to light. His foreboding intuition about the presence of powerful central governments, conditioning of human beings, and attempts of mind control were all too real. Consequently, Huxley’s work foreshadowed the societal issues experienced in the mid-twentieth century and could have been used to identify the ominous circumstances, in order to prevent their occurrence. Brave New World perfect example of issues that arise with the advancement of

Show More
Related
1370 Words | 6 Pages

Suggestions from the State” (21). What Huxley implies here is that the minds of the citizens are controlled by the state with certain technology, like soma. People are controlled in the World State by the soma, and with fake news, our news channels are controlling our own people of what to think. We are no longer coming up with our own ideas, rather we are being given them to benefit others. Later on in the book, Huxley talks about the disadvantages of technology.

Read More
942 Words | 4 Pages

Huxley, in his novel Brave New World, sets up an entire society that relying on mass production, mass consumption, and instant gratification. This immediacy and efficiencies creates a world of mindless drone humans skating through life

Read More
959 Words | 4 Pages

Huxley creates a society that seems to be a utopia to its citizens but is clearly dystopic to readers who understand the tyrannical government of World State. The purpose of Brave New World is to satirize Huxley’s society and the future if society continues it unethical behavior. Huxley hopes to make readers apprehensive of the consequences of a technologically-based society- a contemptible

Read More
137 Words | 1 Pages

Huxley’s book Brave New World became a book that people could see all of their worries in. Brave New

Read More
908 Words | 4 Pages

Aldous Huxley wrote the novel, Brave New World, with the intention of warning his readers of the dangers of our growing society. He feared that technology and the urge to advance would ruin the free life we know today. Neil Postman, a social critic, contrasts George Orwell’s vision of the future and Aldous Huxley’s vision. He makes relevant assertions about Huxley’s fears that compare to our own society. His assertions are that people will come to love their oppression, the truth would become irrelevant, and that what we love with ruin us.

Read More
548 Words | 3 Pages

In Huxley’s book, there is a society called the World State, that is controlled with their different types of technology for example feelies, a theatre that broadcasts smells. “‘ If young people need distraction,

Read More
1228 Words | 5 Pages

Aldous Huxley, the author of the dystopian fiction book Brave New World, writes of a society paralleled to our own, as he tells of a ‘savage’ who is introduced to a system of life unlike anything he has

Read More
968 Words | 4 Pages

"(Huxley, page ##) This quote shows that by conditioning all of society, no one can really be their own person and they just accept everything the way it is because there was never another way of thinking. You can find the same issue in North Korea, where people have propaganda forced into their daily lives and aren 't allowed to have any individuality. One way the World State uses propaganda in the book is with hypnopaedia. This can be compared to the

Read More
904 Words | 4 Pages

Over the past years, technological advancements have been expanding at an exponential rate which means that the world Aldous Huxley had envisioned in Brave New World will soon come. Neil Postman, a social critic, examines Huxley’s vision of the future and gave interesting points about how Huxley’s society is relevant to ours. Postman believed that Huxley feared that there won’t be a reason to ban a book, that the truth will be drowned in irrelevance, and that our desires will ruin us. While some of these assertions are true, opponents may argue that there’s always a reason to banning something. This is untrue because you don't necessarily need a reason to ban something that society doesn't need.

Read More
1038 Words | 5 Pages

The utilize of technology in Brave New World highlights the theme of control because of the way Huxley presents the advanced technology. The residents of the World State are dependent upon artificially stimulated happiness or entertainment, and this “addicting mass culture” prompts the government’s desired impact for stability; as much as the World State agrees with science and advancement, the more they bastardize it because of its impacts of the soul and mind. Science can prompt humanity’s primordial need for individuality, and Mustapha Mond, the State Controller, believes individuality prompts instability. According to the World State, stability is the “primal and ultimate need” (Huxley 43). The World State utilizes what is useful from science but does not agree with science itself; it uses what it can to promote the stability it craves.

Read More
1063 Words | 5 Pages

In conclusion, the evidence provided shows that the relationship between Huxley 's book, Brave New World, and our society today are more similar than ever before and continue to grow more alike Huxley 's image. When he wrote the book, he was creating a warning, that we are on a path, not necessarily to government conditioning, but to conditioning by companies and products that strip us of our individualism. But we are doing it to ourselves and as we near a perfect society, we move away from being truly free, and toward being fully reliable

Read More
984 Words | 4 Pages

Huxley's ideas that our society is numbed by things that we love and that everyone is almost happy to be somewhat oppressed is almost too real. It is pretty easy to see and make connections after evaluating our society that we live in. I agree with Neil Postmans assertions claiming that Brave New World is most relevant to our society. One of Postman’s claims that i related to is “people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” this is expressed in the book by the simple quote “community, identity, stability”(1).

Read More
960 Words | 4 Pages

Contemporary society is a variety of all things good and bad that one might misinterpret as perfect if glanced upon with a pair of rose colored glasses. While new inventions and scientific breakthroughs, have lead to daily life and communication becoming easier to handle and manage, as a society humanity often times fails to see the adverse effects of these technological pursuits on itself. In the dystopian novel, Brave New World, the author Aldous Huxley focuses a great deal on the idea of technology and control. He does so by grossly exaggerating many of the common technological advances of today and making them seem unrealistic and unbelievable, while in actuality are closer to the truth then far from it. Aldous Huxley showing the reader

Read More
333 Words | 2 Pages

Contemporary social critic Neil Postman makes plenty of great comparisons between George Orwell and Aldous Huxley 's vision of what’s to come in the future. While both authors make compelling arguments backed by great sources, one person’s opinion is definitely more relevant than the others. Postman’s assertion about which authors vision is more relevant is undeniably understandable in terms of why he could find a way to relate these ideas to our society today, however, the amount of relevance between Orwell 's vision and current worldly problems is simply incontestable. Orwell envisioned many scary situations in the novel “1984”. The idea that books could be banned and people may be deprived of relevant information isn’t as far off from

Read More
1717 Words | 7 Pages

Lawrence1 Jeremy Lawrence English 4A, PD ⅞ Ms.Mastrokyriakos Literary Analysis A Brave New World The novel A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley he analyzes the dangers of losing one 's individualism in an advanced society. Huxley also shows what can happen when a society changes to rapidly much like the society we live in today. Aldous Huxley was born July 26, 1894 and he died November 22, 1963.

Read More

More about Transcendentalism In Brave New World

Open Document