1. The value of relationships and love
1.1. Family is an alien concept
1.1.1. "Father" or "Mother" is a taboo term in the society
1.1.1.1. The Director had to resign after his fathership was revealed
1.1.1.2. Asking about a person's parentage is considered a "dirty joke"
1.1.1.3. People are created with technology
1.1.1.3.1. Mass production
1.1.1.3.2. Total control
1.1.1.3.3. Addition of beneficial genes
1.1.1.3.4. Emotional bonds between parent and child removed
1.1.2. Without relationships: similarity to a robot?
1.1.2.1. The principle of mass production
1.1.2.1.1. Is it ethical? It it morally right?
1.1.3. The concept of commitmental relationships is abolished
1.1.3.1. "In civillised countries you can have girls without hoeing for them"
1.1.3.1.1. Definition of civilisation?
1.1.3.2. Promiscuity is encouraged
1.1.3.2.1. Females usually go out with a few men at once
1.1.3.2.2. Prevents anyone from having a "bond": relationships
1.1.3.3. "Everyone belongs to everyone else"
1.2. Moral values changed
1.2.1. Young children play erotic games
1.2.2. They cannot imagine a world where playing erotic games when young is deemed immoral
1.2.2.1. Erotic games viewed as children's amusement
1.2.2.2. "Poor little kids not allowed to amuse themselves?"
1.2.3. Sex is purely casual
1.2.3.1. "Ordinary erotic play"
1.2.3.2. Juveniles are encouraged to be sexually active
1.2.3.3. Remove consequences of sex
1.2.3.3.1. Remove humanity from the act that procreates humans
1.2.3.3.2. Remove sentiment, no love
1.2.4. Flirtatious and lusty behaviour is encouraged to provide pleasure
1.2.4.1. Love is suppressed; lust is encouraged
2. The Danger of totalitarian rule
2.1. The World State motto
2.1.1. Community
2.1.1.1. Community before self
2.1.1.1.1. Everyone exists to serve the state
2.1.1.2. "Everyone belongs to everyone else"
2.1.1.2.1. Is this really true?
2.1.1.3. "For I am you and you are I"
2.1.2. Identity
2.1.2.1. Lack of identity
2.1.2.1.1. Conformity
2.1.2.1.2. No one knows their own parentage
2.1.2.1.3. Multiple people created from same egg: same genes
2.1.2.1.4. "After all, what is an individual?(...)We can make a new one with the greatest ease-as many as we like"
2.1.2.2. Group identity is prioritised over individual identity
2.1.3. Stability
2.1.3.1. Achieved through conformity within their own social class
2.2. All aspects of life are determined by state
2.2.1. Abolishment of Religion
2.2.1.1. "God in the safe, Ford on the shelves"
2.2.1.1.1. Religion now is relegated to the privacy of one's mind
2.2.1.1.2. "Perfection of civilisation" removes their desire for God
2.2.1.2. Removal of belief conflicts
2.2.1.2.1. Creation of a harmonious society?
2.2.1.3. Removal of distinguishing ideals
2.2.1.3.1. Achieve absolute conformity within their own social class
2.2.1.4. Religion indicates a lack of something
2.2.1.5. Hope for a better age
2.2.1.6. Reliance on the state by abolishment
2.2.2. Suppression of individuality
2.2.2.1. Deportation to the islands
2.2.2.2. Exile from "civilisation"
2.2.3. Higher Utiltitarianism
2.2.3.1. Communist ideology
2.2.3.1.1. Based on the altruism of the human psyche
2.2.3.2. Self before others
2.2.3.2.1. Individual rights not taken into account
2.2.3.3. Strictly enforced by the government
2.2.4. Predestination
2.2.4.1. The state segregates the society into classes
2.2.4.1.1. Alphas (Plus and otherwise)
2.2.4.1.2. New node
2.2.5. Birth
2.2.5.1. "the operation undergone voluntarily for the good of society"
2.2.6. Governance
2.2.6.1. World controllers determine the laws
2.2.6.2. "But as I make the laws here, I can break them"
2.3. Parallel between:
2.3.1. Communism
2.3.1.1. Evidence
2.3.1.1.1. Names
2.3.1.1.2. The Ideology
2.3.2. Capitalism
2.3.2.1. Evidence
2.3.2.1.1. Henry Ford
3. Utopia vs. Dystopia
3.1. What differentiates them?
3.1.1. Is there a possible overlap?
3.2. Can a utopia ever be achieved?
3.3. Utopia: a perfect society
3.3.1. Science Utopia: science enables perfect conditions to be achieved
3.3.1.1. Absence of death and suffering
3.3.1.2. Humans have struck a perfect balance with technology
3.3.1.2.1. Technology merely used as enhancement to lives
3.3.1.3. Technology replaces natural processes with artificial means
3.4. Dystopia: a Utopia gone bad
3.4.1. Totalitarian government
3.4.2. Lack of individual freedom
3.4.2.1. Lack of freedom of thought
3.4.3. Constant state of violence
3.4.3.1. Violence arises from conflict
3.4.3.1.1. Conflict arises from differing viewpoints
4. Civilisation
4.1. What makes civilisation?
4.1.1. Conformity with the norms?
4.1.2. Use of technology?
4.1.3. Mustapha Mond was given the choice of being exiled or trained as a World Controller
4.1.3.1. What differentiates the government from the people they exile?
4.1.3.2. "But as I make the laws here, I can break them"
4.2. Symbolism of Shakespeare
4.2.1. Repeated motif
4.2.1.1. Title of the book from the Tempest
4.2.1.2. Various quotes from the savage throughout
4.2.1.2.1. Association of feelie with Othello
4.2.2. Symbolises the values of the old age
4.2.3. The banning of Shakespeare shows the rejection of old values
4.2.3.1. Regard past civilisations' works as insignificant
4.2.3.2. Which era is the more uncivilised one?
4.3. Is civilisation relative?
4.3.1. Who exactly is the savage in BNW?
4.3.1.1. The Savage Reservation
4.3.1.1.1. Has characteristics commonly associated with tribal societies
4.3.1.1.2. Wildlife Reservation-type environment
4.3.1.1.3. Oft-raised question: when one attempts to civilise these people, are we the ones who need to be civilised?
4.3.1.2. The world outside
4.3.1.2.1. Cold, hard science
4.3.1.2.2. Lack of committed relationships
4.3.1.2.3. The people have lost their humanity
4.3.1.2.4. The few exceptions go to the islands
4.3.1.2.5. Loss of love for
4.3.2. We empathise with the Savage's plea
4.3.2.1. Freedom in
4.3.2.1.1. Literature
4.3.2.1.2. Feelings
4.3.2.1.3. Relationships
4.3.2.1.4. Suffering
4.3.2.1.5. Thoughts
4.3.2.2. So what's is our attitude to the society?
5. Universal Happiness
5.1. Is it ever achievable?
5.1.1. Will it result in the loss of relationships?
5.2. "Instant Gratification"
5.2.1. Will it destroy our humanity?
5.2.2. True vs. False happiness
5.2.3. Work becomes meaningless?
5.2.3.1. Purpose/ meaning of life?
5.2.3.2. The creation of the Deltas/ Epsilons
5.3. Removal of sorrow/illness/fear/pain /obstacles
5.3.1. Death is taken lightly
5.3.1.1. Death can only have a meaning if life does
5.3.1.2. Life is almost worthless
5.3.2. Soma creates artificial happiness
5.3.2.1. Is this condition/ coercion of happiness amoral?
5.3.2.1.1. No logical reason
5.3.2.2. Drug-created happiness
5.3.2.2.1. Potential to permanently damage lives
5.3.2.3. Humans start to rely more and more on soma for happiness
5.3.2.3.1. They forget what real happiness is
5.3.2.3.2. False happiness/ delirium generated by soma
5.3.2.4. If happiness is induced, it is not happiness
5.3.3. Command economy
5.3.3.1. Notion of money is abolished
5.3.3.2. Money is the root of evil
5.3.3.2.1. Possible realisations on the negative influence of money?
5.3.3.3. Without money, what defines their economy?
5.3.3.3.1. Economy defined by want rather than need
5.3.3.3.2. Money is what defines capitalism
5.4. Pleasure vs Happiness
5.4.1. Pleasure from sex and soma does not equate to happiness
5.4.2. Pleasure may be mindless, but happiness is not
5.4.3. Pleasure is physical; happiness is psychological and emotional
5.5. "whoever he may have been, he was happy when he was alive. Everyone's happy now"
5.5.1. Have they obtained happiness?
6. Technology
6.1. Eugenics
6.1.1. Bokanovsky's Process
6.1.1.1. Is it right to produce humans simply for working?
6.1.1.2. Mass production of humans: its implications?
6.1.1.2.1. Are humans nothing but a tool used to improve society?
6.1.1.3. "Major instrument of social stability"
6.1.1.3.1. Stability through conformity
6.1.1.4. Why create humans?
6.1.1.4.1. Contribution to society
6.1.1.4.2. Affirm superiority
6.1.1.4.3. Only by creation of lower beings can one be superior
6.1.2. Selective breeding
6.1.2.1. Are we playing God?
6.1.2.1.1. Irony: science becomes the new religion despite discouraging it
6.1.2.2. Is it right to deprive any human being of a right to improve his life?
6.1.2.2.1. Is it right to deprive him of the will to improve his life?
6.1.2.3. Organ harvesting
6.1.2.3.1. Are the clones' organs of the same quality as those of the original person?
6.1.2.4. Can we clone feelings? experiences? mindsets?
6.1.2.5. Are clones still human?
6.1.2.5.1. "Not human enough?"
6.1.2.5.2. Prototype is more human than a clone?
6.1.2.5.3. Are they on the same level as humans? Equal to humans?
6.1.2.6. How will this affect human relationships?
6.1.2.6.1. Parent-child relationship
6.1.2.7. Will clones develop the same way after they are produced?
6.1.2.7.1. Nature vs Nurture
6.1.3. Determinism
6.1.3.1. Born for that role through conditioning
6.1.3.1.1. The Alphas are born into a privileged position
6.1.3.1.2. The Gammas and below are born for manual labour
6.1.3.2. Fate and Destiny
6.1.3.2.1. Can humans change fate?
6.2. Manipulation
6.2.1. "Every discovery in science is potentially subversive"
6.2.2. "even science must be treated as a possible enemy"
6.2.3. Is science controlling us or are we controlling it?
6.2.3.1. Can science be used to control human nature?
6.2.4. "Hypnopaedia"
6.2.4.1. "Neo-Pavolvian conditioning"
6.2.4.2. "The greatest moralizing and socializing force of all time"
6.2.4.2.1. Subtle "suggestions from the state"
6.2.4.2.2. Totalitarian state
6.2.4.3. "For that there must be words, and words without reason"
6.2.4.4. Elementary Class Consciousness
6.2.4.4.1. Children are taught to respect those in the class above them
6.2.4.4.2. Despise those in the class below them
6.2.5. Sterilisation
6.2.5.1. Prevent natural reproduction through women's wombs.
6.2.5.1.1. Maximisation
6.2.5.1.2. Removal of emotional attachment to babies