Aldous Huxley the famous English writer lived between 26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963. Some details @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley
Brave New World written by Huxley in 1932 is a brilliant satire on the dehumanizing effects of Science and materialism.The story is set in A.F. 632 that is 632 years after Henry Ford (1863-1947) .Ford is the presiding God in this stable world. His Model T (1908 -1927) the highly successful automobile was the first to to be manufactured using purely mass production methods such as conveyor belt assembly and specialized labour.
Huxley uses these ideas to deliver a scathing indictment of both capitalism and communism. He denounces the herd mentality bred by capitalism and mandated by communism .He argues for independent and free thinking in a striking manner. Like all satires Brave New World reveals more with each reading and with more awareness of the world around us. He makes his analogies really detailed with A.F (After Ford) instead of AD , "His Lordship" becoming "His Fordship", the sign of the cross replaced by the sign of the T etc.
He has created a futuristic world where genetics has brought the human race to perfection. "From Alpha plus mandarin class to the Epsilon- Minus Semi Morons designed to perform menial tasks man is bred and educated to be blissfully content with his predestined role." This from the blurb on the book. He has replicated the inherent class system we see in all walks and layers of life. Everybody is happy as they are conditioned from birth to like what they do, to take "Soma" vacations , to never look aged, to take death in its stride etc. The reaction of such people on seeing an aged person and to death is so stupid it shocks you. Contrast this with what happened to Prince Siddharth when he met the poor , the aged and the dead. He became the Buddha . Herein lies the beauty of free thinking .
The book raises so many philosophical questions. And can be debated and discoursed umpteen number of times. An always happy state is a stupid state. The manufacturing of genetically controlled preconditioned people gives birth to a stable world but dumbs you down as a person.And so on. Ayn Rand's "Fountainhead" is also a damning indictment of the herd mentality and a tribute to Individualism. Ayn Rand left Communist USSR and embraced US and Capitalism .
In Brave New World the storyline gets sublimated in the ideas and questions that it throws up . Brilliant. It is a classic and a great read.
Brave New World written by Huxley in 1932 is a brilliant satire on the dehumanizing effects of Science and materialism.The story is set in A.F. 632 that is 632 years after Henry Ford (1863-1947) .Ford is the presiding God in this stable world. His Model T (1908 -1927) the highly successful automobile was the first to to be manufactured using purely mass production methods such as conveyor belt assembly and specialized labour.
Huxley uses these ideas to deliver a scathing indictment of both capitalism and communism. He denounces the herd mentality bred by capitalism and mandated by communism .He argues for independent and free thinking in a striking manner. Like all satires Brave New World reveals more with each reading and with more awareness of the world around us. He makes his analogies really detailed with A.F (After Ford) instead of AD , "His Lordship" becoming "His Fordship", the sign of the cross replaced by the sign of the T etc.
He has created a futuristic world where genetics has brought the human race to perfection. "From Alpha plus mandarin class to the Epsilon- Minus Semi Morons designed to perform menial tasks man is bred and educated to be blissfully content with his predestined role." This from the blurb on the book. He has replicated the inherent class system we see in all walks and layers of life. Everybody is happy as they are conditioned from birth to like what they do, to take "Soma" vacations , to never look aged, to take death in its stride etc. The reaction of such people on seeing an aged person and to death is so stupid it shocks you. Contrast this with what happened to Prince Siddharth when he met the poor , the aged and the dead. He became the Buddha . Herein lies the beauty of free thinking .
The book raises so many philosophical questions. And can be debated and discoursed umpteen number of times. An always happy state is a stupid state. The manufacturing of genetically controlled preconditioned people gives birth to a stable world but dumbs you down as a person.And so on. Ayn Rand's "Fountainhead" is also a damning indictment of the herd mentality and a tribute to Individualism. Ayn Rand left Communist USSR and embraced US and Capitalism .
In Brave New World the storyline gets sublimated in the ideas and questions that it throws up . Brilliant. It is a classic and a great read.
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