What Aldous Huxley said to George Orwell about 1984

maxmordon · Mar 6, 2012

http://io9.com/5890861/read-aldous-huxleys-review-of-1984-he-sent-to-george-orwell

I personally find it amusing since I've always felt A Brave New World was the antithesis of 1984, but seen how both deal with how the individual gets crushed by society, and especifically an elite, it's an understandable point of view.

William Haskins · Mar 6, 2012

thank you for posting this.

Stew21 · Mar 6, 2012

Macca · Mar 6, 2012

Really interesting. I've always thought the two novels complemented one another well: two sides of a multifaceted prism of how oppression and various forms of totalitarianism operate. 'We', which influenced both Huxley's and Orwell's texts, by Zamyatin is another interesting work from a slightly different angle again.

Thanks for posting.

defcon6000 · Mar 6, 2012

This is interesting, but slightly odd viewpoint. The idea that hypnotism actually works is still highly debatable, so how that would function in his vision of the New World Order raises some questions.

Honestly, I thought 1984 seemed more plausible because all we have to do is look to Syria to see it happening.

Jehhillenberg · Mar 6, 2012

That was an interesting read.

SOMA!

bettielee · Mar 6, 2012

1984 disturbed and bummed me out for weeks. Brave New World felt so unbelievable to me, it was almost like a farce. But since it didn't depress me, I think I liked it a little better.

Paul · Mar 6, 2012

defcon6000 said:
Honestly, I thought 1984 seemed more plausible because all we have to do is look to Syria to see it happening.

Hmmmm. Would say BN World scenario to be far more likely. ie genetic engineering to order.

totalitarian regimes are that bit easier to spot.

Paul · Mar 6, 2012

Within the next generation I believe that the world's rulers will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging and kicking them into obedience. In other words, I feel that the nightmare of Nineteen Eighty-Four is destined to modulate into the nightmare of a world having more resemblance to that which I imagined in Brave New World. The change will be brought about as a result of a felt need for increased efficiency. Meanwhile, of course, there may be a large scale biological and atomic war - in which case we shall have nightmares of other and scarcely imaginable kinds.

from the article.

Fun guy was Aldous. But he hit the nail on the head.

As to whether hypnosis will be used is irreverent. the technology for brain manipulation already exists - though in its infancy.

"the Devil sings sweet tunes of freedom from fear and comforting order. He dont clang pots together" (overheard. honestly)

kuwisdelu · Mar 6, 2012

defcon6000 said:
This is interesting, but slightly odd viewpoint. The idea that hypnotism actually works is still highly debatable, so how that would function in his vision of the New World Order raises some questions.

Honestly, I thought 1984 seemed more plausible because all we have to do is look to Syria to see it happening.

Paul said:
Hmmmm. Would say BN World scenario to be far more likely. ie genetic engineering to order.

totalitarian regimes are that bit easier to spot.

I agree that Brave New World is a far more likely scenario. Especially among developed countries. We're, like, 90% of the way there already.

Jehhillenberg · Mar 6, 2012

Yeah when I read BRAVE NEW WORLD, I thought, "wow something like this could actually happen." The nine years war (if that's the correct span of time) parallels this pointless war today, the caste system sounds very possible, genetic manipulation, government power, even socially accepted promiscuity sounds like a valid prediction of Huxley's, thinking back to the time the novel was published.

defcon6000 · Mar 6, 2012

Paul said:
Hmmmm. Would say BN World scenario to be far more likely. ie genetic engineering to order.

We haven't yet quite mastered genetic engineering, and I think we're a ways away from it. More likely to augment humans than to change their genetic fabric.

Paul said:
As to whether hypnosis will be used is irreverent. the technology for brain manipulation already exists - though in its infancy.

And what technology is this? Television programming for kids like Sesame Street?

Pallas Athene · Mar 9, 2012

defcon6000 said:
We haven't yet quite mastered genetic engineering, and I think we're a ways away from it. More likely to augment humans than to change their genetic fabric.

And what technology is this? Television programming for kids like Sesame Street?

I'm obviously not Paul, but things like transcranial stimulation, where electromagnets are used to stimulate certain portions of the brain, are already in use to treat diseases today. And I've seen images of words that were essentially 'read' straight from the brain although I can't remember the particular technology that was used.

Deizelcore · Mar 11, 2012

Thanks for the link!

Al Stevens · Mar 11, 2012

defcon6000 said:
And what technology is this? Television programming for kids like Sesame Street?

Subliminal advertising got a lot of attention in the 1950s. Many people believe that once it was exposed, it was made illegal. I wonder how they were conditioned to believe that.

What Aldous Huxley said to George Orwell about 1984

maxmordon

Penúltimo

William Haskins

poet

Stew21

Macca

defcon6000

Jehhillenberg

N/A

bettielee

I'm a sparkly fairy princess!

Paul

Paul

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World

Jehhillenberg

N/A

defcon6000

Pallas Athene

Deizelcore

This is not a user title

Al Stevens