Pleasurable diversions have the capability to create a society where people are distracted to the point where they can hardly notice that they are living in servitude. This is the essence of Aldous Huxley’s novel, which was published in 1931 (Huxley, 2004). At this time, he did not perceive the dystopia as an imminent threat. With time, however, an increasing number of people have concluded that such a world is possible in the near future. This is especially because of the rapid evolution of science and technology.
Huxley opines that dictatorships will be produced without the pain of war or concentration camps. Through deception and the use of pharmacological processes, the citizens will actually be dissuaded to support their own oppressors. The author states that they might, indeed, enjoy living in servitude because the desire to rebel will be suppressed through brainwashing and propaganda (Huxley, 2004). This is likely to be the last stage of the evolution of humankind.
New behaviors will be cultivated via the process of operant conditioning. Punishing people for deviances like those that George Orwell suggests is not as effective as rewarding them for exhibiting acts which are reinforced. Therefore, the conduct is best shaped using positive reinforcement, and hence, the reason Huxley believes that pleasure can be exploited by the controlling oligarchy to subjugate the rest of human beings (Huxley, 2004). By doing so, docility will be habituated and the likelihood of civil unrests will be reduced.
Control and Subjugation in Brave New World
In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley describes a dystopic future where nations across the world will have been merged into a super “World State”. The most remarkable aspect of life then is that everyone will be alike. Babies will be genetically engineered while in the womb and upon birth, infants will be placed in various castes. They will then be classically conditioned differently in readiness for the roles they are pre-ordained to play (Huxley, 2004). This kind of control will be a direct consequence of the unchecked development and expansion of the capitalist ideology.
The subjugation in the Huxley’s World State is relatively successful. Individuals feel like they are making the choices while, indeed, this is not the case. The kind of happiness everyone seems to be having is preconditions, and when it wanes, the exuberance is revitalized with a special drug called Soma (Huxley, 2004). The cabal that is in charge seem to find it absolutely necessary to keep the members of the society deluded.
Surprisingly, there are parts of the world where the science of genetically engineering embryos has not reached. In Savage Reservation, which is located in New Mexico, the supposedly backward people residents continue to believe in their gods, endure emotional suffering, as well as physical pain. They do also give birth normally, and the variations in lifestyles compel Bernard Marx and Lenina Crowne to start wondering if what they have back home in New London should qualify as happiness (Huxley, 2004). Apparently, the conditioning of these two, and possibly that of several other individuals, has not reached a point beyond which one cannot think for themselves.
There is evidence of people having lingering doubt about other dogmas as well. Marx had summoned Crowne to complain about her seemingly monogamous lifestyle, and he reminded her that an individual’s body is for meeting the needs of everyone in the society. This is rather contradictory, as he actually wants to establish a long-term relationship with her against the norms in New London (Huxley, 2004). Nevertheless, the level of control is still noteworthy because a majority follow what has been inculcated into them.
Comparison Between World State and the Contemporary World
There are clear differences between the dystopic future described by Huxley and the present world. Now, for instance, children are born naturally and without the advanced genetic engineering. It is also noteworthy that there are no caste systems in North America and Western Europe. Nonetheless, social classes do exist and some people find it quite difficult to progress. This is particular because of the influence that demographic factors have on an individual’s probability to acquire a university degree (Staniszewska et al., 2020). While some of these issues are attributable to historical injustices, nonetheless, it is highly unlikely that a cabal is conspiring to prevent some members of the society from achieving.
The most outstanding similarity between Huxley’s dystopic future and the contemporary world is how the citizens are being indoctrinated. The traditional and new media are being used by various groups of people to influence the make-up of what is deemed to be the mainstream culture. These are the ideas and customs which a majority tend to agree with (Staniszewska et al., 2020). Although some people have the habit of defending dogmas aggressively, they do not even share credible reasons why the views of others should be disregarded. It appears as if societies are evolving towards the World State, but with the approval and the support of the ordinary citizens who are actually moral policing their fellow countrymen and women.
Comparison between Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Huxley’s Brave New World
Brave New World and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four are comparable. In both cases, the powerful seek to redefine the roles of the state and the self, and subvert what have always been considered to be the universal truths (Orwell, 2021). The idea is to make the masses on the state with no one living their lives as they choose (Huxley, 2004). The lust for power is overwhelming, and hence, anything that obstructs its quest is removed.
The two literary works are themed around dystopias where there are serious injustices. Orwell’s country of Oceania is terrifying, particularly due to how the rulers crush freedoms and human spirit (Orwell, 2021). There are also constant wars, which lead to political instability and widespread hunger. On the country, the citizens of the World State are deluded. Even if some are having doubts about the appropriateness of their system, at least they are misguided into believing that they are in control of their lives (Huxley, 2004). Therefore, Huxley envisions a future where those in power will use technology and trickery to achieve their aims, while Orwell’s view is that the authoritarian regimes will prioritize on the use physical force in quelling any dissent.
In both World State and George Orwell’s future states, government policies will lead to the obliteration of family units. Free thinkers will be harassed, although such persecution is bound to be more severe in Oceania than in Huxley’s dystopia (Orwell, 2021). Pleasure is the guiding principle in the latter, while obedience is demanded in the former. At least for the people living in the World State, there is a solution for sadness which is in form of a drug. The citizens are also encouraged to have casual sex instead of forging long lasting relationships. These measures are geared towards eliminating anxiety among the populace.
The main difference between Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Huxley’s Brave New World is the methods used by the cabals to attain and sustain power. Orwell’s ideas do not seem to be workable in the long run. History shows that people tend to overcome fear, and when enough of them resist, the authoritarian oligarchy loses their authority (Huxley, 2004). On the contrary, Huxley’s dystopia seems to be more sustainable. There is an insignificant resistance, and the citizens seem to have conceded voluntarily. In essence, the deceit in World State is more dependable than relying on the use of force like Orwell suggests.
Life in the Brave New World Versus life in the Savage Reservation
Life in either World State or in Savage Reservation is unappealing. Even if there would be comparatively lesser pain among the citizens of the former than is the case with the latter, the consent of the people living in Huxley’s world is unqualified. They lack the necessary information to make credible decisions, and it is possible that most of them are unable to choose. The inquiry, therefore, is if living an automated life is better than embodying the faculty of reason, even though that means suffering emotional distress and physical pain from time to time.
The values that the citizens of the Savage Reservation esteem are remarkably different from those of the World State. For instance, their way of life is determined by cultural practices, which have been passed down from generation to generation. Making a transition is difficult as it is apparent that John the Savage, in spite of having parents who came from the brave new world is unable to survive in New London (Huxley, 2004). Lack of respect of familial bonds, life, nature, close personal relationships, and religion makes the World State intolerable for him.
It is noteworthy that even people like Bernard Marx who belong to the highest caste are frustrated with life in World State. He cannot fit into a society that has accorded him a lot more than most of his fellow citizens. His personal challenges could be what makes him cruel and petty at times. Similarly, Lenina Crowne is privileged and yet she is unhappy with life in the dystopia (Huxley, 2004). Although she, like everyone else in this society, uses sex as a means of interacting with others, she has an unorthodox behavior which makes her a misfit and unhappy.
In the Savage Reservation, the citizens do not experience serious personal conflicts. While they get frustrated from time to time, that seems to be similar to living in the contemporary society. The biggest advantage is that one has freedom, and this is in spite of living in an underdeveloped jurisdiction. Nevertheless, some cultural beliefs could be retrogressive, and the beliefs in gods may hinder scientific progress (Staniszewska, Czerwonka, & Kompa, 2020). There is a correlation between religiosity and socioeconomic wellbeing of a country, and it is based on this view that it is predicted that Savage Reservation could have the kind of problems not found in secular countries.
All factors considered, life in the Savage Reservation is preferable to living in New London. In the former, people have the freedom to pursue their own happiness, speak, and act as long as their behavior is not contrary to the cultural norms. The overall quality of life is presumably higher in the Savage Reservation than in World State. Indeed, with the passage of time, the fact that people living in the former are free to think and create would result into higher productivity than in the brave new world (Huxley, 2004). If the choice must be between these two civilizations, therefore, the Savage Reservation is recommended.
The Ultimate Flaw in the Brave New World
The characters in Huxley’s Brave New World indicate that there could be a great deal of unhappiness among the people living in New London. It does not seem like Soma is solving people’s problems as it is expected to do. Marx is perpetually concerned about his height and the fact that people ridicule him over it and Helmholtz Watson is highly talented and yet he cannot exploit his abilities. Linda dies after overdosing on the same drug, which was supposed to be helpful to her, and John the Savage is terribly unhappy following Linda’s death (Huxley, 2004). If these people are unhappy, and yet pleasure was believed to be the only thing, which could keep them subservient, it is unclear how the stability of the state is maintained.
In addition to the problems with the pleasure drug, not every citizen seems to be convinced that sex ought to be used as a means of casual interactions with others. It calls into question how their programming was done, and why it seems not to have succeeded. It is also logical to wonder if the extent of the drawback is pervasive, and if it can cause World State’s disintegration.
Huxley should have explained in details how this contradiction is resolved. It does not make sense that the citizens will continue working hard to sustain a system that hardly serves them. This is particularly the case if such pockets of ‘backwardness’ as the Savage Reservation remain. The dispirited can always seek-out alternatives given that they already know of other civilizations. Huxley also fails to determine who between the savages and the civilized wins. Had these issues been addressed, the author’s case for the dystopia would have been more convincing than it is at the moment.
Conclusion
Huxley’s Brave New World is a civilization where positive reinforcement will be used to shape people’s behaviors as per the aspirations of the controlling oligarchy. Indeed, the powerful cabal will start by having human beings produced using artificial wombs where they are genetically engineered. Habituation will be done in a bid to fit individuals in specific castes, which means that their destiny will have been decided prior to their birth. The main difference between livings in World State in George Orwell’s dystopia is that the controlled ones will believe that they are free.
In Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, the suppression is obvious and the rulers use physical force to subjugate people. Huxley believes that the use of such might is counterproductive, and hence, it would undermine the stability of the country. The essence of Huxley’s argument is that through a carefully designed system, there will be no need for restraints. On their part, the citizens will see no need for revolving, which means that the cabal will have realized their lust for power without bloodshed.
References
Huxley, A. (2004). Brave New World. Coradella Collegiate Bookshelf.
Orwell, G. (2021). Nineteen Eighty-Four. BoD – Books on Demand.
Staniszewska, A., Czerwonka, M., & Kompa, K. (2020). Rational behavior of dictators – evidence on gender and religiosity. International Advances in Economic Research, 26(3), 289–301.