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Technological Progress in Brave New World

 

            The world in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" has one goal: technological progress. The morals and aspirations of the society are not those of our society today - such as family, love, and success - but instead are focused around industry, economy, and technologic growth and improvement. The citizens are not concerned with themselves as individuals; they have been conditioned to see the world as a collective and technologically oriented. This society is one which Neil Postman, the author of Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology, would consider a 'Technopoly.' But Postman also perceives cultures in the world today to be nearing this socio-technologic status. What can be seen about Brave New World and its comments on technological advancements as well as their effects in society, when we examine it from the perspective of Postman's Technopoly? The medical advancements in Huxley's novel and its concepts of educational standardization carry drastic similarities to society today as well. Sir Ken Robinson's discussions on education elucidate these congruencies. Through these scholastic perspectives it can be seen that the novel is a dangerously accurate prophesy of technology's capacity to dominate society, and how this domination is silently changing the goals, moralities, and values of our culture.
             The most prevalent themes in Brave New World are centered around the industrial and economic systems in novel, and how technology has brought the advancements of these themes to fruition. The mentality of the society is that progress, through invention, is the key goal of mankind. Consumerism and productivism are the purpose of life in Huxley's industrial utopia. The consumerist ideals of the society can be captured by one of the hypnopaedic proverbs demonstrated in this quote from the novel: "'But old clothes are beastly,' continued the untiring whisper. 'We always throw away old clothes.


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