January 6, 2014
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Remember when 'brave new world' was a good thing? All exciting and new? Automobiles... the first TV's... the first landing on the moon... eradication of Polio? The anticipation of things to come?
I wonder, can our current brave new world still be seen as a good thing?
Or are we teetering on the edge of the dangerous precipice?
"What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.
Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egotism.
Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance.
Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions." In 1984, Postman added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure.
In short, Orwell feared that what we fear will ruin us. Huxley feared that our desire will ruin us."
Comments (7)
That's interesting. Seems like both are ruining us. I think desire is better than fear, but the key to all things is moderation, right? Lord give us wisdom to know the difference!
Hi Miriam... odd hour for you to be around.
You're typically a middle of the night... erm, morning kind of person.
I have actually only heard of, but never read either of those classics. I like how you presented and contrasted them. Perhaps this year I should make effort & put them on my reading list.
Hi Crystal, Thanks, but it's not my work. I can't take the credit. That's why it's in quotes. It is something I was reading.
Very interesting ... and I agree that the way in which you presented them was especially so. I think that both extremes are dangerous.
I do remember the "newspeak" of 1984, but not much else...isn't there a great similarity to "political correctness.
Another book is "Fahrenheit 451" where all books were being burned, so certain people began memorizing one book each to preserve the writing. That was before the internet. Now, nothing that has been written will ever be totally lost....the bad part of that is that nothing that has ever been written will be lost....
I actually read some of his books and liked them.
Our brave new world is making us fat and sedentary.
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