Brave New World Blog I

1) Obviously, none of Huxley’s predictions have come true exactly. For that matter, none of The Jetson’s or Back to the Future’s predictions have come true exactly. Predicting the future is a tricky business, whether done seriously or in jest. However, there are elements of truth in Huxley’s vision of the world. Discuss some of these. Which aspects of Brave New World’s society seemed most relevant in 2009? Which most far-fetched? Why?

My version of Brave New World actually has a second book, BNW Revisited, attached to it, by the same author. It's basically a comparison of 1965 and the society of Brave New World. It's dense but kind of interesting.

Anyway. Some of the most far-fetched and unrealistic aspects of the Brave New World society are the free-for-all sexual attitude, the mass 'Bokanovskifying', the hypnopaedia and the World State. The first is unrealistic in today's world because there are a lot of 'conservative' (not in the sense of Republican vs Democrat political kind, more like the people who are more for family values and that sort of thing, even not fanatically or anything. Basically anyone who disapproves strongly of the promiscuous morality of Brave New World.) people who wouldn't stand for that kind of loosening of society's 'morality'. That kind of general, public promsicuouity (sp?) isn't likely to happen because even more 'liberal' people would think of it as a bit odd or wrong somehow.

I think we mentioned in class why the World State would be unrealistic in today's world. Basically, the world is too full of diverse cultures, people, governments and opinions to make such a World State be able to function. Imagine the Civil War (diversity between South and North) on a global scale. What a nightmare. Though I doubt any of the current governments would want to give up their nationality and independence (word from Dean's class: sovereignty!) to be ruled by some dude from somewhere else.

The mass-production of people won't happen because again there will be more 'conservative' (less progressive people, NOT in a bad way, most of us could be included here) people who will not want to sully the value of an individual or something by mass-producing them like cars. Also, nobody in their right mind would even dare suggest lowering the mental and physical standards of individuals in order to cram them into a caste system. At least in this country, anyway.

The hypnopaedia 'sleepteaching' is the same. Our society freaks out at the least accusation of corrupting people with subliminal advertising and whatnot. Brainwashing on any scale is probably actually a crime somewhere and I doubt (in this country) such a thing could happen on that large a scale. (Some mad scientist or dude somewhere could maybe secretly brainwash a few people or something, but certainly not the whole country).

Something that seems similar/relevant to today is the general cultural prejudice against thinking. Everybody nowadays gets jumped on for saying what they think because it 'offends someone' or is 'politically incorrect' or is too 'liberal' or 'conservative' or 'unpatriotic' or 'unsupportive' or whatever. If you're not generally considered to be right, then everybody hates your opinion. And nobody wants to actually hear what's going on. So nobody says what they think and nobody cares.

Also, the condescending attitude towards the Savages in BNW is similar to our society. Unfortunately, anytime we perceive someone/thing/place to be worse or more primitive or inferior or whatever in any way to ours, we demean it, consider it less worthy of respect and admiration and understanding.