Utopian societies are unrealistic and unattainable because man is inherently bad.
Instead of making life paradise, the World State creates contentment by conditioning and numbing individuals to their feelings. Since man is inherently prone to dissatisfaction, contentment can only be developed through conditioning and other unnatural processes. In the opening paragraph of the novel, it displays the consequences of unharnessed technology and man’s refusal to acknowledge the consequences (Watt). “But technology plays a supporting rather than initiating role. It is the tool of a philosophical and economic vision” (Posner). “Technology enables but does not dictate” (Posner). [Brave New World] Is a famous dystopia, sparking discussions on biotechnological …show more content…
Similarly, people do not go through the process of ageing, instead, they remain in perfect health until their sixties when they die in a special Hospital for the Dying, in a soma-induced ecstasy. Instead of burying dead bodies, they process them to create phosphor and other useful materials. The main values of the World State penetrate the World State and enable it to be successful. These values include community, identity, and stability. A main component to keep those traits in perspective is soma. “In Brave New World, soma stands for alienation, dehumanization and superficial mind-numbing pleasure.” This image reflects in many present day ethical commentaries that fear the dehumanizing and the authenticity corrupting effects of psychopharmacology (Schermer). The effects of soma are: escaping unpleasant situations, producing shallow feelings of well-being, no real happiness or fulfilment, distracting from any human effort or true mortality, promoting superficial pleasure, alienation from human life, keeps social order- substitute for religion, and contentment (Schermer). “Soma is not an innocent or ideal …show more content…
In America, Fordism is an economic, social, and cultural phenomenon that drives the material industry. It is a capitalist method with the purpose of securing uninterrupted production and efficiency through conditioning and reinforcement (Peller). In Brave New World, Huxley critiques this process through depictions of a society established on abundance, guilt-free sexual relations, a caste system based on knowledge limits, along with tasteless music, dancing, and sense-appealing entertainment (Peller). “Brave New World is a world dominated by Fordism in which workers achieve permanent happiness through biological conditioning, job performance, and leisure time to purchase commodities and pleasures.” Because of this, humans are preprogrammed to be content and unchanging despite their place in society. Influenced by Ford’s attempt to create a dependable workforce, Huxley takes it one step further in his novel by manufacturing embryos on an assembly line. By producing artificial births, the society is able to apply a constant focus on improving efficiency and the regulation of future workers (Peller). What annoyed Huxley so much about Fordism was its idea that the arts and intellectual discovery is unnecessary and wasteful. Additionally, irrational thoughts, artistic endeavors, the search for truth, and poetry are all worthless in Fordism. Contrary to Fordism, he believed imagination
Instead of making life paradise, the World State creates contentment by conditioning and numbing individuals to their feelings. Since man is inherently prone to dissatisfaction, contentment can only be developed through conditioning and other unnatural processes. In the opening paragraph of the novel, it displays the consequences of unharnessed technology and man’s refusal to acknowledge the consequences (Watt). “But technology plays a supporting rather than initiating role. It is the tool of a philosophical and economic vision” (Posner). “Technology enables but does not dictate” (Posner). [Brave New World] Is a famous dystopia, sparking discussions on biotechnological …show more content…
Similarly, people do not go through the process of ageing, instead, they remain in perfect health until their sixties when they die in a special Hospital for the Dying, in a soma-induced ecstasy. Instead of burying dead bodies, they process them to create phosphor and other useful materials. The main values of the World State penetrate the World State and enable it to be successful. These values include community, identity, and stability. A main component to keep those traits in perspective is soma. “In Brave New World, soma stands for alienation, dehumanization and superficial mind-numbing pleasure.” This image reflects in many present day ethical commentaries that fear the dehumanizing and the authenticity corrupting effects of psychopharmacology (Schermer). The effects of soma are: escaping unpleasant situations, producing shallow feelings of well-being, no real happiness or fulfilment, distracting from any human effort or true mortality, promoting superficial pleasure, alienation from human life, keeps social order- substitute for religion, and contentment (Schermer). “Soma is not an innocent or ideal …show more content…
In America, Fordism is an economic, social, and cultural phenomenon that drives the material industry. It is a capitalist method with the purpose of securing uninterrupted production and efficiency through conditioning and reinforcement (Peller). In Brave New World, Huxley critiques this process through depictions of a society established on abundance, guilt-free sexual relations, a caste system based on knowledge limits, along with tasteless music, dancing, and sense-appealing entertainment (Peller). “Brave New World is a world dominated by Fordism in which workers achieve permanent happiness through biological conditioning, job performance, and leisure time to purchase commodities and pleasures.” Because of this, humans are preprogrammed to be content and unchanging despite their place in society. Influenced by Ford’s attempt to create a dependable workforce, Huxley takes it one step further in his novel by manufacturing embryos on an assembly line. By producing artificial births, the society is able to apply a constant focus on improving efficiency and the regulation of future workers (Peller). What annoyed Huxley so much about Fordism was its idea that the arts and intellectual discovery is unnecessary and wasteful. Additionally, irrational thoughts, artistic endeavors, the search for truth, and poetry are all worthless in Fordism. Contrary to Fordism, he believed imagination