Marx and Huxley In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World the fundamental concepts in the “perfect society” where social stability, social control, class struggle, and religion. Karl Marx a German philosopher and social critic, whose ideas about control, communism, and class structure can easily be interpreted in Huxley’s Brave New World. Marxist ideas were essential for the “perfect society”. Marxism is the theory of class struggle, economics, and materialism in any given society. In every society there must be a ruling class and the oppressed classes, who obviously would have conflicting interests. Marx believed that there were three primary classes the aristocracy, the bourgeoisie,
…show more content…
Just like in Marxist theory there had to be the ruling class that was on top of the food chain, “the better ones” or the Elite. Marx believed that division of labor-class struggle and all other social institutions maintained the status quo. For example “Most of us are aware that certain material realities help determine the quality of our lives and the opportunities available to us”. (Hall 76) In this case money is usually always the factor that limits opportunity for many.” It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being determines consciousness”.(Marx) According to this quote Marx states that depending on the class an individual belongs too , that will set their thoughts , ambitions, and perspective of reality. If someone is born into an aristocracy class then most likely all they would know is the “good life”. They won’t know what it means to struggle because no matter what they will always be looking down upon the other lower classes. Huxley shows this in Brave New World in the sense that individuals in the lower caste systems never questioned anything, they did as they were told or conditioned too without hesitating ever. They also had the help of the Soma that kept everyone in a relaxed “high” state. One of Huxley’s most significant concepts in Brave New World was religion. In the case of Brave New World it was "Fordship". Fordship originated from Henry …show more content…
Bernard was the only individual in the novel who felt as though he never belonged. Always isolated , felt that there was more to life that sex and soma. Bernard actually wanted to have an emotional relationship with Lenina which was unorthodox in this type of society because emotions meant weakness, and the government controller could never allow that. This relates back to Marxist theory of conscious awareness. If one individual begins to act different from the norm, that individual could have an influence on others, thus meaning challenging the status quo in Brave New World. It usually takes one individual to make a
Just like in Marxist theory there had to be the ruling class that was on top of the food chain, “the better ones” or the Elite. Marx believed that division of labor-class struggle and all other social institutions maintained the status quo. For example “Most of us are aware that certain material realities help determine the quality of our lives and the opportunities available to us”. (Hall 76) In this case money is usually always the factor that limits opportunity for many.” It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being determines consciousness”.(Marx) According to this quote Marx states that depending on the class an individual belongs too , that will set their thoughts , ambitions, and perspective of reality. If someone is born into an aristocracy class then most likely all they would know is the “good life”. They won’t know what it means to struggle because no matter what they will always be looking down upon the other lower classes. Huxley shows this in Brave New World in the sense that individuals in the lower caste systems never questioned anything, they did as they were told or conditioned too without hesitating ever. They also had the help of the Soma that kept everyone in a relaxed “high” state. One of Huxley’s most significant concepts in Brave New World was religion. In the case of Brave New World it was "Fordship". Fordship originated from Henry …show more content…
Bernard was the only individual in the novel who felt as though he never belonged. Always isolated , felt that there was more to life that sex and soma. Bernard actually wanted to have an emotional relationship with Lenina which was unorthodox in this type of society because emotions meant weakness, and the government controller could never allow that. This relates back to Marxist theory of conscious awareness. If one individual begins to act different from the norm, that individual could have an influence on others, thus meaning challenging the status quo in Brave New World. It usually takes one individual to make a