Brave New Millenium

Not sure if this should have gone into the Cafe Society forum or not but as its more about the issues raised than the novel itself I put it here. If its the wrong place please don’t break my legs.

This is inspired by a thread on a different website (which took a very unexpected turn)

This is the question:

After reading the book Brave New World, one is presented with an interesting moral question. For those who have not read the book, I will outline the basics of the world presented in the work. In the year of our Ford six-hundred something, humans are no longer born, they are grown. All people are divided into five social classes, from Alpha to Epsilon. The Alphas are the brains, and the Epsilons are the hard labor workers. The lower classes receive toxic substances when they are embryoes so that they are no more intelligent than a child. Once the embryoes have become children, they are seperated by class. Each group grows up together. These groups of children are exposed to speech in their sleep that isolates them from the other classes. For example, the speech tells the children that they should be glad to be an alpha, but those betas are ugly, the gammas are dumb, etc. This brainwashing makes them love what they will do in life. The Epsilons, who do the jobs that today no one else wants to do (garbage man, janitor, etc.), love their work, because of this brainwashing.

Basically, everyone in the world is happy, but really have no freedom. Now, I did a really bad job of outlining this story, so you’ll probably have to read the book, unless someone else can do a good job of outlining it.

So my question to you is this: Is this society desirable? Is it ethical? Is is right to take away everyone’s freedom, but give them happiness? Do the ends justify the means?

I’m asking this here because I was amazed at the majority of the responses on the other site. The general concensus was that the society depicted in BNW was extremely desirable with many people considering it a genuine utopia, personally I found it a more chilling dystopia than 1984 partially because in BNW most citizens are happy and content. Those people who are all for it probably imagine themselves as Alpha’s or Beta’s at the least…

On a side-note I saw a generally decent 1998 movie based on the book which had some interesting, and plausible, twists. It had a happy ending (unlike the book) but one I found satisfying as well.

shudders Personally, the world of Brave New World disturbed me a lot. I can’t understand how anyone could see it as a utiopia–the happiness is shallow and there seems to be nothing more to life than works, drugs, sex and brainwashing. Even if I were an Alpha or a Beta it would all be so meaningless. (I’m sure I wouldn’t care if I actually were one, but it’s chilling to contemplate.)

Essentially, I didn’t even really see much difference in the Alphas versus the Epsilons and the other classes–essentially everyone believed they’re better off with their lot in life, and intelligence just didn’t seem to matter so much in that society beyond a status marker.

personally the thought of it revolts me but i have to say to most people today there isn’t much more to life than “work, drugs, sex, and brainwashing” But in this world everyone is really satisfied with their lot in life.

look at it this way
You are completely content with your job,
the government encourages you to spend money
you are encouraged to have sex as often as you want with as many people as you want
the government gives you drugs
and all you have to do is sacrifice your ability to make the wrong decision and ruin your life and the lives of everyone near you.

I like my wrong decisions. I need my wrong decisions. They’re a part of who I am just as much as my triumphs and accomplishments. Without mistakes, there can be no growth. In a world of no wrong decisions, no one would learn to change their life for the better. It’s that kind of real, personal progress that the world of BNW lacks, and that’s what makes it so disturbing.

And I think that today there is a whole lot more to life than “work, drugs, sex, and brainwashing.” Those are just material (for lack of a better word) pleasures. Once again, there is no personal growth, no striving to become a better person, no self-examined life. That’s really what this is about. I lead (or I try to lead) a self-examined life. Constantly rethinking and improving and making better. And a necessary part of that process is screwing up along the way.

Before i get flamed to hell and back i just want to point out i’m playing the devil’s advocate here i don’t really think all that, just making the other sides point

Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society.