Plato the Republic and Huxley's Brave New World
IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE SOCIETY IN BRAVE NEW WORLD MOST CLOSELY PARALLEL THE IDEAL CITY DESCRIBED BY PLATO IN THE REPUBLIC?
In some modes the essence of The Republic is regarded as very complicated, however, it enjoins together completely to prepare the attitude of Plato on the society and government. It is transparent that the Platonic society is to be greatly hierarchical as is with the society in Huxley's World State. The model city state as per Plato had three hierarchal section. The 'Artisans' constitute the lowest class of the society, comprising of the laborers and artisans whose main objectives are concentrated in their sensations. Their immediate job is to attain skill in action upon the physical plane. The class above this lowest stratum is 'Auxillaries' comprising of the men who with their influential passions and attitudes are persistently struggling with themselves. Plato would entail such men the warriors of the nation thus according them the definite scope to develop the courage and fortitude essential at their stage of development. The administrative class known as 'Guardians' is consisting of those men who have acknowledged the way of governing themselves, and are therefore, suitable to govern others. (Ancient Landmarks: Plato) In the model of Huxley's Brave New World there also exist a hierarchical classification of the society. The society of Huxley comprises of the five primary categories or castes: such as alphas attaining the leadership status, Betas attaining the positions requiring high intelligence, Gammas and Deltas attaining positions that demand some intelligence and Epsilons are positions requiring no intelligence. (Chapter: Introduction to Aldous Huxley)
The society of Huxley's Brave New World is governed by the government. Similar to the Brave New World of Huxley, the ideal city of the Plato also exerts total regulation to the government. This government could visualize the philosopher kings and directed by their assistants implements a firm set of moral standards with an objective of teaching virtue and goodness to the common people. (Theme Analysis) The next line of advocacy is that the analysis of both Plato and Huxley had close resemblance in terms of freedom and choice. Huxley like Plato had always been related to threats to man's liberty and independence. He acknowledged that communism and fascism accords the state above the individual and requires total devotion to a cause. Acknowledging the hazards of communism and fascism, he corresponds to the ultimate consequence of this tendency in his fantasy and therefore, he was in and accorded sufficient significance to the government. (Chapter: Introduction to Aldous Huxley)
Another close proximity associates with the positions of women in the city-state of Plato and that of the society of Huxley. In the future society of Huxley the male scientists have completely exploited the material activity, declining the female role and giving rise to a female disempowerment. On the one hand while it is advocated that only deliverance from motherhood permits a woman to attain true equality, on the other hand in Brave New World the isolation between sex and reproduction does not seem to have liberated or empowered women. The Platonic New World State also appears to perpetuate the conventional sex-role inequality. In fact the only woman who captures a leading office and who is a member of upper class in a freemartin: she has thus attained the logical power by sacrificing her true femininity. (Platonism and Twentieth Century Literature) Education is a primary concern to Plato and Hexley in the city-state and society. It assists in preparing the people for life in the new world. (Science Fiction Studies) Thus while Huxley imagined of an ideal commonwealth instituted and maintained by careful control, Plato also signified on an ideal city-state exercised by necessary regulation.
WHICH OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS DESCRIBED BY HUXLEY DO YOU THINK PLATO WOULD HAVE USED IN HIS IDEAL CITY? WHY?
The mapping of Huxley with regard to a future world in which human life is regarded as a mass production by accurate engineering parameters in accordance with strict practical values attached to an emotional thread for Americans struggling with the assurances and heralds of modernity. (Brave New World: Soma, Shakespeare, and Suicide: The Terrors of Techno Utopia) At the moment Huxley indicated the Brave New World was only one of the relative few studies scientists were associated with conditioning, the significance of heredity and environment, and the influence of chemical imbalance on physical and mental development. Presently, governments, educational institutions...
He introduced the concept of the "Superman" when he argued how this individual is not only the ideal human of modern society, but he is also the model individual, for he was able to transcend the boundaries that morality and religion had put on humanity. Thus, for him, the "Superman" already existed during his time, though the feat of transcending and not believing in morality can well be under way
Aldous Huxley The purpose of this work is to explore Aldous Huxley's view of religion, his belief in "moderate" applicable use of mind-altering and mind-expanding drugs as well as the prediction he made for the future of mankind. This will be done through reading of his works, as well as one interview. Aldous Huxley has been described as many things such as the great "English novelist," "essayist," "iconoclast," "social prophet," and "proponent
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley carefully chose the names of his characters to reflect their political connotations. As his characters struggle with the inherent problems with their "utopian" society, the character names constantly remind the reader of important political, economic, and social figures. As such, Huxley's use of character names like Bernard Marx, Lenina Crowe, and Benito Hoover reflects Huxley's concern over the types of methods used to control
There will always be savages, and the attraction of savagery. Huxley wrote Brave New World as a warning. Today, in the age of test-tube pregnancy, genetic manipulation, powerful drugs and the mass media, it appears that his warning has gone unheeded and that America is on the road to the scientific utopia he describes. Certainly the world of the savages has been left behind, and for good reason. Modern Americans
He deplores the hiding of true violence. That hornet reference really came down to this, Huxley says; "in other words, to go and throw thermite, high explosives and vesicants [i.e. chemical weapons...] upon the inhabitants of neighboring countries before they have time to come and do the same to us." Another pet peeve of Aldous Huxley is the use of abstract entities like "man power" and "fire power"; and he
Whatever happened you vanished, and neither you nor your actions were ever heard of again" (Orwell, 1949, p.168). Capitalism Principles of mass production are very clear in the novels. Huxley for instance, applied the idea of mass production in human reproduction, since the people has abandoned the natural method of reproduction. Mass production as the conventional feature of capitalism and Huxley's novel reinforces such. He talked about the requirement of the
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now