Brave New World Technology

Brave New World Technology Aldous Huxley, a well-known novelist, was best known for his dystopian novel Brave New World that emphasized his dark visions of the technological advancements in the future. Even though technological growth is inevitable in our future, it could become a possible threat to our morals. In Brave New World, many people are consumed with the latest inventions that they gave up their freedom to technology in order to fulfill their common goal - social stability. People saw their world as technologically oriented thus they remained ignorant of its empowerment over them. Our society needs to face the reality of the totalitarian influence of technology because it is capable of moving towards the future Brave New World predicted. First, technology has supremacy over the world’s reproduction unit through technological interference in the medical field. Second, technology has been reinforced on the people for worship as it keeps the society in an industrial environment as it leads people away from religion. Third, medical and psychological technology created drugs has become one of the biggest contributors to the people’s obliviousness. Principally, technology has made its way to dominance with varies components that can dangerously impact the people’s perspective of the world. In the world state society of Brave New World, technology provided alternative medical methods in the reproduction process. The natural way of reproduction was looked down upon for being a threat to stability for the community and it slowed process of obtaining workers for factories. Technology led the society to focus methods such as surgical removal of ovaries, the Bokanovsky Process, and hypnopaedic conditioning in order to keep up with the industrialization of the World State. “By controlling all aspects of a child 's birth and upbringing and by keeping adults in a condition of infantile dependency on a large social body, Huxley 's imaginary state has taken over the role of parent and robbed the child of his or Oedipal potentialities. Indeed, it could be argued that the active suppression of the Oedipus complex is the principal tool of social stability practiced in this future”( Buchanan) – how is it that this is not possible in our industrial society? In our world, we already have technology that is utilized to remove fetuses and ovaries and manipulate genetics. Because people look to simpler methods to handle the natural process of human life, we will soon rely only on technological advances in human reproduction. Human cloning could become the next social norm because of its fast development and advantage in the workforce. We might be drawn away from the idea of family as long as we get our economic benefits. Not only can clones made for their uses in the economy, but also for the society to be ensured that it will not face any potential rebellion. “The children started, screamed their faces were distorted with terror. And now, the Director shouted (for the noise was deafening), now we process to rub in the lesson with a mild electric shock.”(Huxley 21) Like Brave New World, from “birth”, children can be conditioned to hate books and flower to ensure a future free of knowledge and nature. Rather, the children will learn to love working while they accept and practice the authorities’ tenets. Our government had already taken our personal freedom with their secret evidence and warrantless surveillance. If they can still keep the people ignorant of this, it is likely that they can start to social condition children and others to ensure that personal freedom remains taken. Our people will not be able to think for themselves, thus ensuring any lack of confliction on a World State potential society. Essentially, technology proves its dangerous influence as it obtains a strict power over reproduction. Technology can be used to supply the people with machineries that would give the people their pleasure in working for the industry as religious principles are impacted. Because people in Brave New World have been conditioned to enjoy working for the industrial and economic system, they focused their lives mainly on technologic advances and inventions. “The case of Little Reuben occurred only twenty three years after Our Ford’s first T- Model was put on the market”( Huxley 25) - their people did not look to religion for their faith and hope as the closest acknowledgement to “god” is Henry Ford. Our world can soon encourage its people to worship technology as it is the main factor of the society. We have the Internet, mobile phone networks, social media, and modern medicine. Internet, mobile phone networks, and social media allow us to get information and connection fast and the distribution of modern medical practices to alleviate disease and suffering. Compare to religion whose beliefs come with an uncertain future, more people will soon rely more on technology as it gives the certain information and cure they need. “Chastity means passion, chastity means neurasthenia. And passion and neurasthenia mean instability. And instability means the end of civilization,” – this displays that controllers of the world state believe that religion is a threat and that technology has an everlasting source that can empower religious values such as god, love, and family. It’s possible that our people could abandon religious values because they also come with distress. Everyday people are losing their faith to religion because sometimes, they encounter more disappointment than they expect to while they were worshiping god. Technology is always progressing with success and answers, thus having a faster advantage to our problems. Overall, technology can perilously impact the religious principles of the society. Our world’s technology has psychological and medical advantages that are potentially hazardous like soma in Brave New World. Soma is a non-addictive drug substance that the leaders of the World State created for people to escape emotions such as pain, discomfort, embarrassment, sadness or anger and to enhance happiness and arousal. "By this time the soma had begun to work. Eyes shone, cheeks were flushed, the inner light of universal benevolence broke out on every face in happy, friendly smiles. Even Bernard felt himself a little melted, " – soma is used to empower the people with its happy effects, even the Bernard, a unique thinker, has succumbed to the drugs to avoid his feeling of loneliness and isolation. In reality, people in our society might resort to the same situation because we have non- depressive drugs such as Prozac. In the future, we will develop better drugs that will cure from depression and enhance happiness because we live in an industrial world. Soon, we would have drugs like that would not only give people their “happiness,” but also prevent them from becoming individuals and learning to deal with difficult situations. Not only are the people giving up their emotions and individualities, but also their freedom. "I don 't understand anything, she said with decision… why you don 't take soma when you have these dreadful ideas of yours. You 'd forget all about them. And instead of feeling miserable, you 'd be jolly. So jolly,"(Huxley 92) – the world state people are living in a false reality as soma is an essential source in the people’s life as it is refer to be "Christianity without the tears." In reality, the leaders of the World State encouraged soma so they can control the people. Our leaders could end up perfecting drugs like soma and use them as tools in controlling the population because they reward people happiness in exchange for their individual freedom. It’s a way for our current leaders to ensure there will be no revolts as long as everyone is “happy.” Principally, technology has shown its psychological and medical effects on people as it trapped them in a false reality. The growth of technology impacted our world as it leads us to a path of ignorance and no freedom of thought. Technology can alter our way of reproductions with new methods that will enhance the human process. It can also keep us away from our religion, a factor that guided us on path of faith and beliefs of god for centuries. Lastly, technology can lead us to depend on substances that will ensure false happiness and give our freedom. Essentially, technology can damage our views of the society and keep us ignorant so we have to be more cautious or our society will continue develop into Brave New World’s society.