Since humanity first began to work together and build communities, a raging debate has waged on— should emphasis be placed on the rights of the individual, or the society? Those that allied with the latter molded a belief system known as collectivism. While seemingly ideal at first glance, in practice, the belief often leads to the loss of individuality amongst the citizens. Often, advocates of such a belief regard the individual as the hindrance of the state’s common good. Huxley 's "Brave New World" is a critique of collectivism, which in the novel leads to a loss of identity through the suppression of critical thinking, the loss of emotional depth, and the dehumanization of the individual.
Critical thought processes in the World State are …show more content…
Natural birth is a long forgotten process; instead, babies are decanted, molded into mindless consumers, and spat out of a laboratory. (Personification, LD) Through the Bokanovsky process, the members of the lower castes are placed in large groups of up to 96 people. With the same genetic information and the same nurturing environment, they cannot even be regarded as distinct from one another. (Repetition, RD) Even in the upper castes, it is not uncommon for citizens to share the same last name, as is the case with Fanny and Lenina. (Litotes, LD) Furthermore, citizens learn through conditioning and hypnopaedia that spending time alone, emerged in self-reflection, is positively horrific. With a society so centred on collectivist ideals, there is bound to be a sacrifice of individual rights for the “common good”. In this circumstance, the so-called common good is nothing more that artificial happiness in their society. The people of the World State may be happy, but it is based on ignorance, cheap thrills, and a loss of the things that define them as humans. Controller Mustapha Mond claims that they have “Ford 's Day celebrations, and Community Sings, and Solidarity Services” (Huxley 45). However, their religion has been reduced to a sham, a mockery of the meaningful religions in the present day. Self exploration is nearly impossible. Individualism is gone. These sacrifices may benefit the stability of the state, but destroy the dignity of the
Critical thought processes in the World State are …show more content…
Natural birth is a long forgotten process; instead, babies are decanted, molded into mindless consumers, and spat out of a laboratory. (Personification, LD) Through the Bokanovsky process, the members of the lower castes are placed in large groups of up to 96 people. With the same genetic information and the same nurturing environment, they cannot even be regarded as distinct from one another. (Repetition, RD) Even in the upper castes, it is not uncommon for citizens to share the same last name, as is the case with Fanny and Lenina. (Litotes, LD) Furthermore, citizens learn through conditioning and hypnopaedia that spending time alone, emerged in self-reflection, is positively horrific. With a society so centred on collectivist ideals, there is bound to be a sacrifice of individual rights for the “common good”. In this circumstance, the so-called common good is nothing more that artificial happiness in their society. The people of the World State may be happy, but it is based on ignorance, cheap thrills, and a loss of the things that define them as humans. Controller Mustapha Mond claims that they have “Ford 's Day celebrations, and Community Sings, and Solidarity Services” (Huxley 45). However, their religion has been reduced to a sham, a mockery of the meaningful religions in the present day. Self exploration is nearly impossible. Individualism is gone. These sacrifices may benefit the stability of the state, but destroy the dignity of the