anybody have any strong opinions on the issues expressed by Aldous Huxley in his books? i think H.G. Wells sucks for example, as Aldous Huxley adequately expresses in "Brave New World".
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aldous huxley
- Thread starter Forbidden To Starve
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its a Wellsian parody of sorts, i mean the format itself and the way in which a utopia is presented and there is a visitor of whom perceives things from a modern angle.
I haven't read the book in a while to adequately express deep opinion on anything in particular, but it is a good example of what communism or an intended utopia can turn into.
Generally, the creation of a communist state had to do initially with making life better for the proletariat (such as Soviet Union, Cuba). However, the leaders of these states eventually lost sight of what the individual actually wanted, and instead implemented what they thought would create happiness in far too general, or wide a spectrum, which eventually perverted and distorted this entailed "happiness". The result of this is like, in Brave New World, genetic engineering to create individuals, the use of drugs, "feelies", orgies, and what not as opiates to the masses, and brainwashed effect that comes from this, the conditioning process, and a subsequent lack of necessity and importance in the world.
Essentially, what comes of this is that since society is without strife, the dialectical process ends, and "happiness" is achieved for all. No longer is needed characteristics of intellect, artistic-ness, or strength in people like John the Savage, because they are simply not needed any more. These qualities are born as answers to strife and problems in the world, as an antithesis to the thesis, so they are no longer needed once the end is reached. These humanizing abilities, abilities that help define ourselves through comparison with others, are gone, and we become mere threads sucked into a community far larger than the now nonexistent individual. That sounds like communism to me.
Oh, and be careful with the Wells thing. He is a fantastic author, and Huxley in no way disliked him. BNW was a parody of Wells' utopian Men Like Gods, but it wasn't a hateful parody. "Imitation is the best form of flattery." H.G. Wells defined the sci-fi genre, and Huxley respected, but improved on this. In fact, the ideas in this book is similar to the ones in Wells' Time Machine, a great book.
Generally, the creation of a communist state had to do initially with making life better for the proletariat (such as Soviet Union, Cuba). However, the leaders of these states eventually lost sight of what the individual actually wanted, and instead implemented what they thought would create happiness in far too general, or wide a spectrum, which eventually perverted and distorted this entailed "happiness". The result of this is like, in Brave New World, genetic engineering to create individuals, the use of drugs, "feelies", orgies, and what not as opiates to the masses, and brainwashed effect that comes from this, the conditioning process, and a subsequent lack of necessity and importance in the world.
Essentially, what comes of this is that since society is without strife, the dialectical process ends, and "happiness" is achieved for all. No longer is needed characteristics of intellect, artistic-ness, or strength in people like John the Savage, because they are simply not needed any more. These qualities are born as answers to strife and problems in the world, as an antithesis to the thesis, so they are no longer needed once the end is reached. These humanizing abilities, abilities that help define ourselves through comparison with others, are gone, and we become mere threads sucked into a community far larger than the now nonexistent individual. That sounds like communism to me.
Oh, and be careful with the Wells thing. He is a fantastic author, and Huxley in no way disliked him. BNW was a parody of Wells' utopian Men Like Gods, but it wasn't a hateful parody. "Imitation is the best form of flattery." H.G. Wells defined the sci-fi genre, and Huxley respected, but improved on this. In fact, the ideas in this book is similar to the ones in Wells' Time Machine, a great book.
Huxley is just doing a simple dystopian model in Brave New World, not a true parody of Wells. personally i feel that Zamyatin's We was a much better (and earlier) representation of the dystopian model.
as for Huxley as an author, he was phenomenal. not only did his work is novels and short stories give a sense of true grit, but his essays (with my personal favorite collection being the Doors of Perception) were spellbinding.
as for Huxley as an author, he was phenomenal. not only did his work is novels and short stories give a sense of true grit, but his essays (with my personal favorite collection being the Doors of Perception) were spellbinding.