Drugs In Brave New World Essay

In our modern era, drugs and technology play increasingly progressive roles. Their presence can bring about positive changes, like medical breakthroughs or long-distance communication, but they also may elicit severe repercussions. If people, from politicians to scientists, begin to abuse substances, humanity may suffer. It can be extremely difficult to understand these dynamics, but Aldous Huxley is one such author who examines the significance and potential of these instruments. In Brave New World, the protagonist, John, having been born on a savage reservation, is introduced to World State, whose motto of “community, identity, [and] stability” is contradictory to the actions they promote. When John realizes the true nature of the state, he is set on discovering what it really means to be a free individual. On the other hand, Island is a seemingly utopian community already focused on freedom of thought. With their …show more content…
Huxley experimented with psychedelic drugs and was especially curious about how they could be exploited. In one essay Huxley mentions that “The dictatorships of tomorrow will deprive men of their freedom, but will give them in exchange a happiness nonetheless real, as a subjective experience, for being chemically induced” (Men’s Mind, 1). These ideologies are clearly elaborated upon in both Brave New World and Island, where stimulants play relevant roles in daily lives. Huxley also feels that drugs “may start by being something of an embarrassment, these new mind changers will tend in the long run to deepen the spiritual life of the communities in which they are available” (Men’s Mind, 1). In Island, moksha-medicine works to help connect the people on a spiritual level. Huxley sees stimulants as something that can be helpful and cause positive change in a society, but there may also be negative repercussions when these substances are