The Use of Technology to Control Society in Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

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Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, portrays a future society where people are no longer individuals but are controlled by the World State. The World State dominates the people by creating citizens that are content with who they are. Brave New World describes how the science of biology and psychology are manipulated so that the government can develop technologies to change the way humans think and act. The World State designs humans from conception for this society. Once the humans are within the society the state ensures all people remain happy. They program these humans to have needs and desires that will sustain a lucrative economy while not thinking of themselves as an individual. Huxley describes the Worlds State’s intent to control their society through medical intervention, happiness, and consumerism which has similarities to modern society. Designing life from conception is an intriguing concept. Brave New World’s World State is in control of the reproduction of people by intervening medically. The Hatchery and Conditioning Centre is the factory that produces human beings. Ovaries are surgically removed, fertilized and then fetuses are kept incubated in specifically designed bottles. There are five castes which include: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. Each caste is destined to have a different role; for example, an Epsilon, the lowest caste, is not capable of doing an Alpha’s job. This is because “the fetuses undergo different treatments depending on their castes. Oxygen deprivation and alcohol treatment ensure the lower intelligence and smaller size of members of the three lowers castes. Fetuses destined to work in the tropical climate are heat conditioned as embryos” (Sparknotes Editors). When producing ... ... middle of paper ... ...s to enjoy basic human rights that embrace family, personal relationships, and individualism. Today’s society is able to comprehend how with the technological advances Huxley’s world could be a reality, but with the privilege of a democratic society, civilization would not allow the medical intervention for reproduction, the conditioning for happiness and consumerism. Work Cited "Brave New World by Aldous Huxley : Barron's Notes." Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: Barron's Notes. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Great Britain: Chatto & Windus, 1932. Print. Pray, Leslie A. "Embryo Screening and the Ethics of Human Genetic Engineering." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. "Suicide in Canada." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

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