“But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.” ― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
@@saurabhpericherla5454 there’s no possibility of sin if you are in a society that endorses all pleasure. So in a certain sense it’s paradoxical but there’s no feeling of breaking the rules if there are no rules so it makes psychological sense.
This is why I’ve always thought Brave New World is a more realistic than 1984. Instead of imposing power on people, just make them very comfy so they won’t want to rebel. Amazing book.
The first book I ever read cover to cover as a young adult. I think about it more each year as we move closer toward that society. We already have SOMA. The show handled that part well for its many failings
In 1984, the givernment controly people by hurting them and causing pain and suffering. But in Brave new world, the governments control people by giing them pleasure.
When I locked everyone down in Australia, the people did not rebel. Soon the government will have complete control over our money and no one can say anything against the government. 1984 is very true.
@@ClipCoyote True, It's a sedative drug and is very addictive. However the drug came on the market over 20 years after Brave new world was released, so maybe that's some weird coincidence.
North Korea is 1984, China is largely 1984 with some sprinkles of Brave New World, whilst Canada is mostly Brave New World, with a dash of 1984. The U.S is very much like Brave New World, but especially in regard to language and doublethink, both Canada and the U.S are linguistically adopting a very 1984-esque culture. Sorry for my bad English 🙏
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
I read Brave New World. I am surprised about how prescient it is! Especially considering the fact that Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1931 and published Brave New World in 1932.
I believe that governments around the world are now more willing to legalize use and possession of marijuana because it is essentially the real life Soma. Governments want populations to be docile, intoxicated, indolent and passive. When I see especially how common frequent marijuana use is in the American black community, I just think that they have thrown off their chains of steel and voluntarily replaced them with ropes of hemp. All these rap videos showing kids smoking pot like it's some sort of act of rebellion when it's simply voluntary enslavement.
@@markallen2984until now I thought about pot as a simple drug of fun, that is almost harmless compared to alcohol, but you actually put first time an actual idea that I never thought about.
Read this book in high school, so about ten years ago for me, and I remember even back then finding the ideas presented in it disturbing and creepy. It's alarming to see how much closer we've gotten to it now.
I remember reading Brave New World in High School... and I hated it. I found the whole idea of the society disgusting, and I actually decided I wouldn't even read the rest because it was so disturbing to me. (I read it an in depth summary of it for school though lol) Regardless, I think it's actually something that everyone should read these days... Maybe it'll help them understand the sick and twisted ideas being pushed in modern society. Pleasure is not joy, and it never has been.
That’s interesting, because I remember reading it and I loved it. I loved it because it showed how disgusting a world that is described in the book actually is. It showed the importance of free agency, and how we need to go through the pleasure and pain of the consequences of our own choices and even those of others in order to grow as an individual.
I’ve read both 1984 and Brave New World and I agree with Ben that our society is heading towards Brave New World. That makes AI very scary because conditioning humans will be easier. I think 1984 is more of a N Korea and Cuba society. China seems to be even closer to Brave New World than us.
Conditioning has always been easy. Propaganda, marketing, and learning all use the same principle. Association through repetition. Edward Bernays was the nephew of Sigmund Freud. Goebbels allegedly studied Bernays. Walter Lippman, Ivy Lee, Gustav Le Bon. People are highly impressionable stemming from the appeal to self preservation
A kind of agree with you, 1984 is more of an imposed power on people and making them suffer like Cuba and North Korea, Brave New World is more of a birth control state and consumerist society and also and technological advanced society, in which I think mostly relates to China nowadays.
I disagree, I think China is closer to 1984 and we're closer to BNW. Chinese are still very socially conservative and hookup culture is far less intense there.
Aldous Huxley had a profound understanding about human nature and society. All humans have desires. It is what guides us. But as i was once told 90% of humans need to be told what to do which is why they would rather choose a job. They don`t need to think just follow a daily routine. Ben will share his opinion based on his beliefs as would anyone else. Each belief will have it`s own ideas how the world should function. If we are born into particular culture we will embrace those beliefs as our own. Aldous Huxley was able to see past these beliefs and see what human nature is, good or bad. The doors to perception helps us to see past all these human beliefs and rather look at things from a conscious perspective.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner, egg/sperm donation, surrogacy). And here we are......
How well do I remember having to read that book in 10th grade...as a scrawny, geekish teen it didn't really strike a chord with me, but that was a thousand years ago, in 1975! My oh my how the times have changed, and in this case, the world we live in is now trying to imitate art, the fashion our society into the image of "Brave New World!"
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner,egg/sperm donation, surrogacy ). And here we are......
I would like to recommend Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves To Death”, written in 1986 in which a big part of the book compares Brave New World to 1984. His conclusion was we are more BNW
Trying to recall the mid 1980s I remember microcomputers, feeling Stagflation, and the energy crisis easing while unemployment was still with us. The Soviets continued to rapidly build their nuclear arsenal. Korean Flight 007. "The Day After", and "Threads". Chernobyl. We are closer to authoritarian communism now than we ever were under Reagan. Over the pandemic, I saw how close we were approaching an authoritarian (1984) regime. Over the past month, I can see Brave New World in our youth that has been caused by feminism, and the Woke. Maybe not an engineered state as it is a decline in society.
I have always thought that everyone should read Brave New World and 1984. Very different books of a very different imagined future, but both are themed with the diminishment of individuality and the trivialization of humanity
I am so glad that Shapiro recognized this book! I think it is a highly unappreciated work and most people I’ve talked to have never even heard of it. Our pleasures control us…
If you like audiobooks, try Steve Parker audiobooks. His Brave new world version is next level. Read along with it or just listen, you will not be dissapointed.
Social caste systems form naturally. Do you really think you are as important to society as a "pro athlete" or Arianna Grande? We actively disrupt these systems in every arena where blacks generally do not excel. Now, how we treat people according to our ability is what matters. I am at the mercy of someone more capable than me as are those who are less capable than me. It is a fact but as a Christian, God is my Alpha and His righteousness and judgement is greater than any man.
Brave New World inspired so many dystopian stories. Aldous Huxley is one of my favorite authors. He also predicted the Great Depression and WWII pretty accurately (at least timeline-wise) in a novel he wrote in 1928 (Point Counter Point).
It's kinda messed up to realize just how much wiping away problems and bad feelings with drugs resonates with society today, particularly with women. This predicted our problem with SSRIs today
Yeah I remember reading BNW right after I had graduated high school and it chilled me to the bone back in 2013. That book left a huge impact on me and it's a book that ignited my love for Dystopian literature like 1984, We, This Perfect Day etc etc.
Read it, but it was never forgotten... 1972... I was 17... and though I didn't completely understand it, it has come home to roost. How telling the book would be in 2022.
I'll have to save this for after I have read it. I re-read 1984 this past (?) year and it was amazing and depressing as always. But Brave New World is one that I somehow haven't yet read. I did buy nice editions of both books, in case they are ever "cancelled." You can never be too careful these days!
The fact that your half jest of cancellation, another commenter's suggestion of keeping a copy under the floorboards, and present events causing the same thoughts in my mind makes me realize how close we are approaching that time. 1984, and its ilk are no longer required reading. How many understand the story, or simply echo phrases, and quotes?
I love Brave New World. Perhaps the closest novel to the world we are currently in today. Or all least the world we're careening towards. After Brave New World, the final next step is the world found in Anthem by Ayn Rand. This final is the last step. Two incredible books.
Our society is much closer to Brave New World than 1984. And it makes sense because the dystopia of Brave New World is much more insidious and subliminal.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner,egg/sperm donation, surrogacy ). And here we are......
Would be kinda cool if you did a book reading every week. Just pick a book you think would be interesting and read it. You could do little teasers of your books even to get people wanting to read the rest of it. So they will go out and buy a copy.
Zuckerbergs Metaverse would be a perfect addition to this books foundation. He wants everyone to be stuck in their own world without emotional or physical interaction in anything besides sex. No wonder it's failing miserably. People with half a brain can see where it was going...S.M.H
BNW is a very heavy book. I bought it when I was bored working at food market. Couldn't finish. My mom works at Russian tv and one of Russian propangandists gifted her this book. She also couldn't finish reading it because of how heavy and realistic it is. 1984 is an antiutopia and not even remotely as hard to read because there's an external force at play. A party that oppresses people. And people just try to live their life under given conditions. In bnw people enjoy their lack of freedom and choice. They love it, they genuinely enjoy participating in any act as long as they're part of the crowd. Clockwork orange is another very realistic novel. The worst thing is that you can see both “predictions” being true almost all around the world.
I think its popularity is because it's a satire of an idea that we've held onto for over a century: utopia through industrial advancement. It's a world where everything is automated, everything is optimized, and everything is geared to make a life that's as full of pleasure and free of pain as possible. The end result, however, a soulless world that's devoid of genuine emotional attachment and personal fulfillment.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner,egg/sperm donation, surrogacy ). And here we are......
You are so right, Ben. I read Brave New World as a high school student and found it deeply troubling -- a shallow and meaningless future. I consider it to be our most likely future, the result of Ray Kurzweil's coming "singularity."
The one thing that strikes me about both 1984 and Brave New World is at the heart of both totalitarian systems, the destruction of the family is key to much of the state’s ambitions and machinations. The only only differences between is that one is patriarchal and the other matriarchal in distinction.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner, egg/sperm donation, surrogacy). And here we are......
in my 11th grade english class we had the option to read 1984 or Brave New World.. I was one of only 3 people to read Brave New World and I remember it being soooo good. I need to read it again!
Based on We by Zamyatin We (Russian: Мы, romanized: My) is a dystopian novel by Russian writer Yevgeny Zamyatin, written 1920-1921.[2] It was first published as an English translation by Gregory Zilboorg in 1924 by E. P. Dutton in New York, with the original Russian text first published in 1952. The novel describes a world of harmony and conformity within a united totalitarian state. It influenced the emergence of dystopia as a literary genre. George Orwell said that Aldous Huxley's 1931 Brave New World must be partly derived from We,[3] although Huxley denied this
The title of an old South Side Johnny and the Asbury Jukes tune comes to mind, "All I want is everything." Also, the reprogramming of Alex in "A Clockwork Orange."
Orwell feared the banning of books. Huxley feared there would be no need to ban books, since no one would desire to read one. I find that idea far more terrifying than banning books
Thanks for the great work, DW warriors. As we approach Dec 11 (Solzhenitsyn's birthday), I am motivated to think that a separate DW channel that does nothing but read 1984, Brave New World, and Gulag Archipelago (if it's legal to do so), would be just as informative as the great work you guys do. Maybe it would be less entertaining, but just as useful.
Something I would have loved to hear is Ben's take on the last chapter of the book. It was the one that threw me for a loop more than the rest of the book, because Huxley seems, rather than painting the pleasure delusion as the only evil, to be also condemning the pendulum swing to pain instead. I didn't expect the ending of the Savage
That is impressive work Ben. I've always appreciated Huxley's intellect and I appreciate your's as well. If you can convince Americans to read good books you will have accomplished something extraordinary in itself. The fact that Huxley was writing this book 100 years ago helps illustrates that the subject matter is nothing new. I hope you do a book show on Allan Bloom's "Closing of the American Mind." You remind me of Maimonides in some ways, which is huge compliment and no small responsibility, or burden, Ben. You know Ben, a whole lot of Americans want the very thing that Huxley tried to warn against.
In Canada, sometime around 1977-1979 I read only 2 required books in school. One was The Outsiders, the other was Rumble Fish. I didn't read any counter culture books until I was about 44, Ya, a little late, but better than never.
I am so glad you covered this , I am writing a paper on this book in my final Language arts class, with a liberal teacher and trying to put my spin on it without ruining my grade
Read this in two days after watching this for 3 minutes. I'm still disturbed by it all. Excellent suggestion Ben. The correlation between his world and this one now is boggling. Albeit ours is through “entertainment” be wise. Be careful.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner, egg/sperm donation, surrogacy). And here we are......
Anyone looking for a good audiobook version of Brave New World check out Steve Parker audiobooks. He has also done 1984, Animal farm, Frankenstein among many others. I promise that his is the best version of all of these by a mile, second place is not even on the radar.
Wow. I've read 1984 but not A Brave New World. I will now. Very thought provoking. Excellent asthetics in this video. The color pallet perfectly captures the somber tone of the topic. Brilliant.
Neil Postman said in his book "Amusing Ourselves To Death" that the difference between Brave New World and 1984 is that 1984's threat comes from an outside source (the government), while Brave New World's comes from the inside
There’s also a short story, ‘Harrison Bergeron’. It’s about the uglification of mankind, and the diminishing of our potential and prowess to make ‘others’ feel comfortable in mediocrity.
I really was born sexual and suffered frustration throughout my childhood into adulthood. It’s not fair that society puts this guilt on us children. One girlfriend told me she was having a gay relationship at 7. She being the female. If we are going to talk about such things then we must accept that there are kids as with me who have these feelings and I always wanted a women with their big hips. I was never interested in children.
I remember my required reading from so many years ago. Each put a different color in my mind as I read them. Brave New World - White & only white, 1984 - levels of grays, Animal Farm - brown, Catcher in the Rye - dark yellow & Lord of the Flies - red. Other books were filled with many colors yet those books were disturbing enough to be imagined in a single color.
Interesting. I thought it was only me. Looking back it seems logical. Antiseptic white, shades of gray depression, earthy barnyard brown, various emotions associated with red plus the Nazis flag.
Ben, Thank You as always for your take on a Book. Your Analysis is Spot on as usual. As a man Married 42-Years and 5-Children 2-Boys, 3-Girls we have raised our Family living a Devout Catholic Life and Home Schooled for 31 years. Moderation being continually taught as it keeps all the other Virtues in Check, and all extremes are to be avoided . It’s so evident that Aldous Huxley seemed to have a Prophetic Vision that is in uncandidly accurate. Truly our current generation of FOMO youths are not taught to control their appetites for pleasure. You have said it best Ben “ How about if we start with the Ten Commandments for our Start for our Societal rules “ just love you have told all these College Tours you made this truth to live by. Great Book Review and May God Bless you and your Family 🙏
What seems to separate the Liberal mind from the Conservative is that the Liberal is raving, angry, aggressive, destructive and warlike. The Conservative mind seems to focus on the status quo in which everyone can pursue their highest dreams and intellectual pursuits.
I read this in high school. I thought it was so stupid. If you want something more indicative of where America has gone, go watch Idiocracy. You’ll laugh then cry because of how accurate it is.
You've missed the point of the novel, if you think it's "so stupid". Ben outlines it beautifully. Did you listen? I think Idiocracy is great, too. But give this novel a fair chance.
@@winstonsmith11 I think he meant that when he read it in high school he thought it was stupid then… depending on that person's age, it’s very feasible to understand why they thought it was stupid… I read 1984 when was in the 8th grade, 35 years ago… I thought it was stupid back then… but now, it’s not so stupid… today if I were to, for the first time, read both books, "Brave New World" and "1984," I would not think them to be stupid… you have to remember that most of the people who read those books did so back in middle school and High school… their teenage brain is not fully developed at that age and may not be able to see what is happening around them, much less apply what they have read to compare it to a possible future… 🤷🏼♂️
The governments of 1984 and BNW both want the same goal of absolute order and power by a central authority. When I read about BNW ten years ago I thought it was sad because the people just 'got high' all day rather than living a full life.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner, egg/sperm donation, surrogacy). And here we are......
When I read the brave new world when I was a teenager l couldn't get over this book for 5 years. And at that time which was almost 30 years ago, living in Poland, which till this day is not as woke as US now, I thought that the book was a description of the reality
I think this really shows the limits of saying “right vs left.” I find myself deeply rooted in values of family, of treating sex as sacred, of believing in liberal values. I think a brave new world is the kind of society we want minus the drugs, destruction of family, etc.. In many ways, society needs to have human flourishing as it’s main objective and it needs to bring scientific and empirical data to bear on solving social problems. If a brave new world really was meant to maximize human flourishing, it wouldn’t force people to do things that didn’t yield that for them. Ostensibly, empirical data would reveal that women are happier in monogamous relationships or that some people are and others aren’t. We could theoretically design humans to either desire monogamous relationships more or we could choose to engineer them the other way whether socially, genetically or otherwise. It just depends which of those things allows for more flourishing. We’d constantly be optimizing society and individuals to live in such a way that maximized flourishing. Obviously the pain/pleasure concept is pretty effective, but it would ultimately prove insufficient just as it is now. This idea that drugs solve everything or that mindless pleasure is the goal just means this society has the wrong goal. The goal is flourishing, not pleasure. What I’m saying is that a brave new world is ultimately the beginnings of a society all of us should want. It just gets a lot of the specifics wrong and even our best description of a perfect society today will get things wrong. We won’t know until we figure it out. And it really is only in a society that maximizes flourishing where true freedom can exist. Suffering will be something you can opt into rather than having it forced upon you. And I say all of this while having many of the same objections Ben has to all of the principles held in this dystopia. And I say this while considering myself a liberal as well. I consider myself on the left and yet I agreed with pretty much everything Ben said here. I’m pro choice because I want planned families, I want women to have the option because sometimes it’s the lesser of two evils, and ultimately, I believe the only way to truly end abortion is to keep it legal and study ways to make it unnecessary or find better interventions etc. I want happy and functional families. I believe in secularism not because I’m anti religious, but because I believe empiricism does a better job describing physical reality and can largely inform us on how to reform our Christian values over time and love one another better. I also believe in the freedom of religion which means we have to be secular when it comes to matters of policy and public social institutions. I believe people should have equal rights regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, intelligence, political ideology, sexual orientation, age, or physical ability. I believe we should have equality of opportunity. All of these things are generally considered liberal. And yet I see the problems with drugs, alcohol, sex, addiction, and lack of discipline. I see the value in the individual, responsibility, self-sufficiency, individual identity, tradition, religion etc. where does that leave me?
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner,egg/sperm donation, surrogacy ). And here we are......
I remember reading that in high school and writing a paper about how people in the book seemed to lose their individual identity in the community mentality.
I read Brave New World in High School. It was in the early 70's. Not many understood the main context of it, which I did. It the 60's and 70's the world was, I believe more in context of the story. The years of drugs and free love. So when I read it, it was closer to life then, than it is now. Look back at Woodstock, Greenwich Village, California. The lifestyle then was much closer to Brave New World than it is today. My question in the lifestyle it portrays, better than the world we live in today. Leftist thought, terrorism, hatred, racial boundaries. We also have CRT being taught, teaching children what their true gender is. How many kids would play doctor because they had urges and wanted to see differences. Sneaking Hustler and Playboy magazines. My point is, are we better off in the current direction this world is headed or would a world of Huxley's novel be a safer less stressed out world. Through the years remembering the Novel, it begs the answer of which road would be a better choice.
The difference between the individualism in Brave New World and that personified by Ayn Rand's John Galt and Howard Roark is that the former is based in the Id and the latter in the Ego. The former sinks into the debasement of the animal while the latter seeks to elevate humans to their highest achievement.
Intelligent organisms being produced in a lab with a societal purpose in mind seems like a better solution than having intelligent organisms be the product of randomly combined DNA, wandering aimlessly through the society to figure out where they can be of service, and then endlessly questioning with anxiety if they made the right choice when they do find a societal role to fill. Society would be more productive, and the organisms would be able to wake up every day with confidence, knowing their existence was created for a divine purpose in a greater society. I’m surprised that this is an unpopular opinion. It seems like the general consensus is that BNW is a dystopia deprived of freedom, but absolute freedom is chaos deprived of any kind of existential meaning.
I think as usual we can't see the wood for the trees. It's a common problem we have. The thing is with the Huxleys is, that they were in with the whole progressive California Esalen milieu that promoted the very ideas we find in the novel. They moved very much among those who would become architects of our current "Brave New World". Laura Huxley for example mixed with esoteric psychologists who followed Alice Bailey; being a mystic who espoused the idea of Heirachy etc... So it appear Huxley is against something he was working towards - a kind of Gnostic Utopia. So there is something we are missing somewhere.
Conservatives want to uphold socially conditioned gender norms and social traditions, it seems that Shapiro is more offended by the sexual norms instilled by the govt of brave new world than the purpose for which they are instilled. The book does ring somewhat true today, that people live shallowly and without self-reflection and growth, beholden to pleasure. But to take away the point that this social malaise is just like the trans movement is disingenuous. The entire book is about how people are sorted into caste systems and bombarded with pleasure and propaganda to keep themselves in their assigned class. I don’t think the society of the novel would welcome people forging an identity that defies the social order and their biological “group”. Huxley’s point of view is more complex than we must resist these specific norms because they are “deviant.” He criticizes both old world and new world ideology, whether it is the self-flagellation of traditional religious values, or modern pleasure focused post-scarcity values. “Christianity without tears” is used to describe soma, the village of “savages” use religious symbolism and pain to bring about control by means of the ecstasy of spirituality, while the modern society emulates this, both attempt to do the same thing, to keep people in their place. The “savage” commits suicide because *neither* society accepts free thinkers or any deviation from the norm, he is destined to be forever outcast. I think Shapiro’s analysis ignores why the book is dystopian, instead just uses similarities between the book and real life to complain about his favorite grievances. When in reality, the book is a warning that we should resist the ways in which the social order, whether today’s or tomorrow’s, exerts control over us and prevents us from living freely and meaningfully. I think everyone who’s read this book needs to pay close attention on a rereading to the section on the reservation, it opens up the meaning of the text a lot.
I think there's a part of the Left that values the fine arts, values music, art, and literature, values rationality and wit. This is part of the consciousness of the Left. And the esteem for these things is by and large lost in Brave New World. I think one of the things that may make BNW a little misleading is that I don't think people would actually be as happy or satisfied as they seem to be portrayed by Huxley, living in that kind of society. Why? Because our souls yearn for something higher: things that don't just provide physical pleasure but resonate with the heart and bring inspiration and illumination to the mind.
@@thatpalmettoguy5696 I read it over a decade ago and had kind of forgotten about Bernard until you mentioned him. So, point taken! I think I'm remembering now... isn't there an island that they sent other people who felt similarly? I think Mustapha Mond mentions it towards the end of the book.
@@deepsupport11 It's been a while since I've read it too. Can't remember if there were others before Bernard who were sent to the savages, but he was at least the first in the book. Him along with John the savage are my favorite part of the book, their humanity is strong enough to fight the powers wanting to destroy it.
Here we are yet again. The Right misinterpreting a book. Look at interviews with Aldous Huxley, please. He was not against a safety net or good Government in service to the people. He was against things that would numb and desensitize people so much that they forgot about community and the social aspects that get us to relate to others and enjoy life on a deeper level. The book though is primarily a warning against the dangers of too much technology. He shows a world where technological advances have solved all of society's problems, but at the cost of their humanity. Huxley warns too much technology while bringing comfort could ultimately obscure beauty and truth.
His review of Brave New World overlooks a crucial aspect of Aldous Huxley’s novel: its critique of industrialism and consumerism, symbolized by the figure of Henry Ford. Huxley uses Ford as a metaphor for the dangers of a society that prioritizes efficiency, mass production, and consumerism over individuality and human connection. The novel's dystopia is built on the dehumanizing effects of these values, where people are treated like products to be conditioned, controlled, and made to conform to a rigid social hierarchy. This is a direct critique of the industrial-capitalist ideologies, often aligned with modern conservative views that emphasize market efficiency, unregulated capitalism, and the importance of consumer-driven economies. The novel warns against a world where human desires are commodified, individuality is sacrificed, and material wealth becomes the central measure of societal success. The review’s overemphasis on the novel’s exploration of sexual freedom and pleasure as the core critique misses the broader warnings Huxley provides about the dangers of industrialism. By focusing primarily on the personal and sexual freedoms, the review downplays how Brave New World critiques consumerism and capitalism, which erode individuality by turning people into products of mass production and constant consumption. Additionally, the review inaccurately presents the novel as being more relevant to leftist ideals when, in fact, Huxley critiques both ends of the political spectrum. His critique of Fordism highlights the pitfalls of unchecked capitalism, class hierarchy, and a society obsessed with material comforts-all concepts deeply tied to modern-day conservative ideologies.
“But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.”
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
Is it possible to ask for and have both sin and God? Intriguing 🤔
@@saurabhpericherla5454 there’s no possibility of sin if you are in a society that endorses all pleasure. So in a certain sense it’s paradoxical but there’s no feeling of breaking the rules if there are no rules so it makes psychological sense.
There's no sin in hell.
@@seriousmonkey5654 what do you mean by that please?
@cypresse1620 everything goes. Society is hell. There's no such thing as good or bad, sort of thing. Only pleasure and discomfort.
This is why I’ve always thought Brave New World is a more realistic than 1984. Instead of imposing power on people, just make them very comfy so they won’t want to rebel. Amazing book.
With drugs of course, many people in America is very drug in this times
The first book I ever read cover to cover as a young adult. I think about it more each year as we move closer toward that society. We already have SOMA. The show handled that part well for its many failings
In 1984, the givernment controly people by hurting them and causing pain and suffering. But in Brave new world, the governments control people by giing them pleasure.
When I locked everyone down in Australia, the people did not rebel. Soon the government will have complete control over our money and no one can say anything against the government. 1984 is very true.
@@ClipCoyote True, It's a sedative drug and is very addictive. However the drug came on the market over 20 years after Brave new world was released, so maybe that's some weird coincidence.
Nihilism and pleasure, the perfect foundation to build up a dystopia.
Or paradise
@@dbefore7165 Reject degeneracy and weakness, or when the shit hits the fan, The Strong, Will Reject You.
@@dbefore7165 epicureans would agree with the pleasure part, but nihilism on a societal level would be terrifying in true practice.
@@dbefore7165 That "paradise" falls under the dystopia category so let's just call it as it is.
"We are Nihilists -- We believe in Nothing!" Great line from a great movie.
North Korea is 1984, China is largely 1984 with some sprinkles of Brave New World, whilst Canada is mostly Brave New World, with a dash of 1984. The U.S is very much like Brave New World, but especially in regard to language and doublethink, both Canada and the U.S are linguistically adopting a very 1984-esque culture.
Sorry for my bad English 🙏
“Everyone belongs to everyone “. Crazy quote and it’s mentioned throughout the book
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
That is leftist though to a tee. Or maybe to a "T"
I read Brave New World. I am surprised about how prescient it is! Especially considering the fact that Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1931 and published Brave New World in 1932.
I believe that governments around the world are now more willing to legalize use and possession of marijuana because it is essentially the real life Soma. Governments want populations to be docile, intoxicated, indolent and passive.
When I see especially how common frequent marijuana use is in the American black community, I just think that they have thrown off their chains of steel and voluntarily replaced them with ropes of hemp.
All these rap videos showing kids smoking pot like it's some sort of act of rebellion when it's simply voluntary enslavement.
@@markallen2984until now I thought about pot as a simple drug of fun, that is almost harmless compared to alcohol, but you actually put first time an actual idea that I never thought about.
Scientific Outlook - Bertrand Russell 1931
Yes.. one of the best books and a warning for all. I guess this is why most schools don't make this one required reading anymore..
They still require people to be able to read?
I read this in English in 2008 and it's on my yearly reading list.
reading it right now in my english class lol
Well, the GOP have banned the book everywhere they can...
same lol@@whatsonyofeet
Read this book in high school, so about ten years ago for me, and I remember even back then finding the ideas presented in it disturbing and creepy. It's alarming to see how much closer we've gotten to it now.
One of my favorite childhood books. I remember it well. Really made me think. A very well written novel.
Same. It was part of my syllabus.
Same except I decided to read it on my own
Brave New World is my favorite dystopia of all time. Is terrifying in it's analysis. Thank you for covering it, Ben.
Agree, yet maybe not completely with his analysis.
Wow, I have an oral exam about this book literally in 3 days. Awesome Ben.
Lol
Time to plagiarize 🥵
Thank you for showing it's still needed read in hs that's good to know :) I'm glad it's not gone yet
@@leonid5021 its an easy read. can be read in 3 days and higly recommended.
A TH-cam audiobook is available.
Btw: Steve Parker Audiobooks has a dramatized version of 1984, if you are interested.
I remember reading Brave New World in High School... and I hated it. I found the whole idea of the society disgusting, and I actually decided I wouldn't even read the rest because it was so disturbing to me. (I read it an in depth summary of it for school though lol) Regardless, I think it's actually something that everyone should read these days... Maybe it'll help them understand the sick and twisted ideas being pushed in modern society. Pleasure is not joy, and it never has been.
Spark Notes
That’s interesting, because I remember reading it and I loved it. I loved it because it showed how disgusting a world that is described in the book actually is. It showed the importance of free agency, and how we need to go through the pleasure and pain of the consequences of our own choices and even those of others in order to grow as an individual.
Demolition man
Our world is becoming very much like brave new world. The alphas, the betas, the sigmas...
"The giver" was great kids book along these lines. Really recommend for the younger kids.
i loved the Giver, if I had a kid I would make Sure he she read it !
Ditto...👍
Good book. What age do you recommend this for? Been a while since I read it
@@lexie9109 I was around ten, but I was a strong reader.
Great compliments to the people who made the background. Fits perfectly with the theme.
I’ve read both 1984 and Brave New World and I agree with Ben that our society is heading towards Brave New World. That makes AI very scary because conditioning humans will be easier. I think 1984 is more of a N Korea and Cuba society. China seems to be even closer to Brave New World than us.
Conditioning has always been easy. Propaganda, marketing, and learning all use the same principle. Association through repetition. Edward Bernays was the nephew of Sigmund Freud. Goebbels allegedly studied Bernays. Walter Lippman, Ivy Lee, Gustav Le Bon. People are highly impressionable stemming from the appeal to self preservation
A kind of agree with you, 1984 is more of an imposed power on people and making them suffer like Cuba and North Korea, Brave New World is more of a birth control state and consumerist society and also and technological advanced society, in which I think mostly relates to China nowadays.
I disagree, I think China is closer to 1984 and we're closer to BNW. Chinese are still very socially conservative and hookup culture is far less intense there.
Aldous Huxley had a profound understanding about human nature and society. All humans have desires. It is what guides us. But as i was once told 90% of humans need to be told what to do which is why they would rather choose a job. They don`t need to think just follow a daily routine. Ben will share his opinion based on his beliefs as would anyone else. Each belief will have it`s own ideas how the world should function. If we are born into particular culture we will embrace those beliefs as our own. Aldous Huxley was able to see past these beliefs and see what human nature is, good or bad. The doors to perception helps us to see past all these human beliefs and rather look at things from a conscious perspective.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner, egg/sperm donation, surrogacy). And here we are......
I always preferred Brave New World to 1984. It always felt more tangible to me. Huxley had a brilliant understanding of human nature
How well do I remember having to read that book in 10th grade...as a scrawny, geekish teen it didn't really strike a chord with me, but that was a thousand years ago, in 1975! My oh my how the times have changed, and in this case, the world we live in is now trying to imitate art, the fashion our society into the image of "Brave New World!"
I might add 1984, and Fahrenheit 451. Even the "equality of outcome" in "Harrison Bergeron" seems relevant.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner,egg/sperm donation, surrogacy ). And here we are......
I would like to recommend Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves To Death”, written in 1986 in which a big part of the book compares Brave New World to 1984. His conclusion was we are more BNW
Why not both?
I actually got it last week!!
Trying to recall the mid 1980s I remember microcomputers, feeling Stagflation, and the energy crisis easing while unemployment was still with us. The Soviets continued to rapidly build their nuclear arsenal. Korean Flight 007. "The Day After", and "Threads". Chernobyl.
We are closer to authoritarian communism now than we ever were under Reagan.
Over the pandemic, I saw how close we were approaching an authoritarian (1984) regime. Over the past month, I can see Brave New World in our youth that has been caused by feminism, and the Woke. Maybe not an engineered state as it is a decline in society.
I have always thought that everyone should read Brave New World and 1984. Very different books of a very different imagined future, but both are themed with the diminishment of individuality and the trivialization of humanity
Me also I have always thought that everyone should read Brave New World and 1984
Agreed. Must reads.
And Fahrenheit 451 is a nice in between of the two hahaha
I am so glad that Shapiro recognized this book! I think it is a highly unappreciated work and most people I’ve talked to have never even heard of it. Our pleasures control us…
Thank you for refreshing our memories and pointing out the differences in the books. Going back for a reread.
If you like audiobooks, try Steve Parker audiobooks. His Brave new world version is next level. Read along with it or just listen, you will not be dissapointed.
I talked to a guy defending the cast system of Brave New World. He got everything and thought it was a great idea.
Social caste systems form naturally. Do you really think you are as important to society as a "pro athlete" or Arianna Grande? We actively disrupt these systems in every arena where blacks generally do not excel. Now, how we treat people according to our ability is what matters. I am at the mercy of someone more capable than me as are those who are less capable than me. It is a fact but as a Christian, God is my Alpha and His righteousness and judgement is greater than any man.
*caste** system
@@prot07ype87 I'm not a native speaker, thank you for the correction. 👍🏻😃
Because.. it is a good idea? I am not sure what are you insinuating? Are u saying the caste system was a bad thing?
Brave New World inspired so many dystopian stories. Aldous Huxley is one of my favorite authors. He also predicted the Great Depression and WWII pretty accurately (at least timeline-wise) in a novel he wrote in 1928 (Point Counter Point).
I'm writing a film script of "Brave New World", its a shame that no one has made an accurate modern version of this classic!
DailyWire should try to do it, drawing more paralles to gnostic, hermetic theology of Marx.
The 3 hr 1980 TV movie was not exact but pretty close.
They released a 2020 TV series on Peacock. No one will be picking up a re-hash for another 5 years at least.
And yes, it was not accurate.
Hollywood won't portray it accurately anytime soon. It goes against everything they've been pushing for the last 50 years.
I think some young people read the book and say, "This sounds amazing! I don't see anything wrong with this."
I knew a guy in college who said he thought the society in Brave New World was actually a utopia and he was dead serious.
I actually read a goodreads review like that.
That's correct.. Too much pleasure is torture
It's really sad but true, not just young people too but adults.
It's kinda messed up to realize just how much wiping away problems and bad feelings with drugs resonates with society today, particularly with women. This predicted our problem with SSRIs today
Reading this for my capstone in MA. One of the best books I’ve ever read. And thank you Ben for deepening my understanding of it.
I found it horrific when I had to read it for my senior project in high school in 1989!!
Yeah I remember reading BNW right after I had graduated high school and it chilled me to the bone back in 2013. That book left a huge impact on me and it's a book that ignited my love for Dystopian literature like 1984, We, This Perfect Day etc etc.
Read it, but it was never forgotten... 1972... I was 17... and though I didn't completely understand it, it has come home to roost. How telling the book would be in 2022.
I also read it but I never forget about it
HA, me too, same year, same age, also read "Soul On Ice" and "The Hobbit" that year.
I'll have to save this for after I have read it. I re-read 1984 this past (?) year and it was amazing and depressing as always. But Brave New World is one that I somehow haven't yet read. I did buy nice editions of both books, in case they are ever "cancelled." You can never be too careful these days!
Just like the disappearance of left wing fascism on the internet including Wikipedia. Hope i printed it and have it somewhere
Me also I have to save it also
Give it a go....
Make Sure you have a copy of Fahrenheit 451 tucked under the floorboards just in case. 😁
The fact that your half jest of cancellation, another commenter's suggestion of keeping a copy under the floorboards, and present events causing the same thoughts in my mind makes me realize how close we are approaching that time. 1984, and its ilk are no longer required reading. How many understand the story, or simply echo phrases, and quotes?
I love Brave New World. Perhaps the closest novel to the world we are currently in today. Or all least the world we're careening towards. After Brave New World, the final next step is the world found in Anthem by Ayn Rand. This final is the last step. Two incredible books.
And you are whom, again?
'Brave new world' or as I call it 'The world of the Meta-modernistic savage'. It doesn't roll off the tongue but you get the drift.
Our society is much closer to Brave New World than 1984. And it makes sense because the dystopia of Brave New World is much more insidious and subliminal.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner,egg/sperm donation, surrogacy ). And here we are......
Say Yes If You Like Ben Shapiro❤
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Si
Would be kinda cool if you did a book reading every week. Just pick a book you think would be interesting and read it. You could do little teasers of your books even to get people wanting to read the rest of it. So they will go out and buy a copy.
Steve Parker Audiobooks
Zuckerbergs Metaverse would be a perfect addition to this books foundation. He wants everyone to be stuck in their own world without emotional or physical interaction in anything besides sex. No wonder it's failing miserably. People with half a brain can see where it was going...S.M.H
BNW is a very heavy book.
I bought it when I was bored working at food market. Couldn't finish.
My mom works at Russian tv and one of Russian propangandists gifted her this book. She also couldn't finish reading it because of how heavy and realistic it is.
1984 is an antiutopia and not even remotely as hard to read because there's an external force at play. A party that oppresses people. And people just try to live their life under given conditions.
In bnw people enjoy their lack of freedom and choice. They love it, they genuinely enjoy participating in any act as long as they're part of the crowd.
Clockwork orange is another very realistic novel.
The worst thing is that you can see both “predictions” being true almost all around the world.
I think its popularity is because it's a satire of an idea that we've held onto for over a century: utopia through industrial advancement. It's a world where everything is automated, everything is optimized, and everything is geared to make a life that's as full of pleasure and free of pain as possible. The end result, however, a soulless world that's devoid of genuine emotional attachment and personal fulfillment.
Because without the pain, we would not know pleasure. Without struggle, we would not know satisfaction.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner,egg/sperm donation, surrogacy ). And here we are......
1984:
War is peace
Freedom is slavery
Ignorance is strength
Brave New World:
Community, Identity, Stability
I couldn't wait to see this! Brave new world has been my favorite book since I was twelve. It is so clever and original.
You are so right, Ben. I read Brave New World as a high school student and found it deeply troubling -- a shallow and meaningless future. I consider it to be our most likely future, the result of Ray Kurzweil's coming "singularity."
The one thing that strikes me about both 1984 and Brave New World is at the heart of both totalitarian systems, the destruction of the family is key to much of the state’s ambitions and machinations. The only only differences between is that one is patriarchal and the other matriarchal in distinction.
Just read it. It horrified me, and I cried a few times EXACTLY because it shared many similarities to the world today…😔
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner, egg/sperm donation, surrogacy). And here we are......
in my 11th grade english class we had the option to read 1984 or Brave New World.. I was one of only 3 people to read Brave New World and I remember it being soooo good. I need to read it again!
I just got a Ben Shapiro ad on a Ben Shapiro video. Congratulations, you have ruled over all algorithms
Based on We by Zamyatin
We (Russian: Мы, romanized: My) is a dystopian novel by Russian writer Yevgeny Zamyatin, written 1920-1921.[2] It was first published as an English translation by Gregory Zilboorg in 1924 by E. P. Dutton in New York, with the original Russian text first published in 1952. The novel describes a world of harmony and conformity within a united totalitarian state. It influenced the emergence of dystopia as a literary genre. George Orwell said that Aldous Huxley's 1931 Brave New World must be partly derived from We,[3] although Huxley denied this
And our Soma is the internet.
Soma is Disney material and the internet** lol
Good one 😆
Such a powerful book. I definitely didn't get any of that when I read it in high school
I would like to live in the Brave new world
The title of an old South Side Johnny and the Asbury Jukes tune comes to mind, "All I want is everything." Also, the reprogramming of Alex in "A Clockwork Orange."
Aldous Huxley wrote a letter to Orwell stating that his version of an apocalyptic world is much more horrifying than that of 1984.
Orwell feared the banning of books. Huxley feared there would be no need to ban books, since no one would desire to read one. I find that idea far more terrifying than banning books
Thanks for the great work, DW warriors. As we approach Dec 11 (Solzhenitsyn's birthday), I am motivated to think that a separate DW channel that does nothing but read 1984, Brave New World, and Gulag Archipelago (if it's legal to do so), would be just as informative as the great work you guys do. Maybe it would be less entertaining, but just as useful.
I've been waiting for this review for a while now. The parallels are frightening
It sounds like currently certain Western European Countries have been practicing some of these principles already.
Something I would have loved to hear is Ben's take on the last chapter of the book. It was the one that threw me for a loop more than the rest of the book, because Huxley seems, rather than painting the pleasure delusion as the only evil, to be also condemning the pendulum swing to pain instead. I didn't expect the ending of the Savage
There are a lot of interesting parallels between Brave New World and Dostoevsky's The Grand Inquisitor in The Brothers Karamazov
That is impressive work Ben. I've always appreciated Huxley's intellect and I appreciate your's as well. If you can convince Americans to read good books you will have accomplished something extraordinary in itself. The fact that Huxley was writing this book 100 years ago helps illustrates that the subject matter is nothing new. I hope you do a book show on Allan Bloom's "Closing of the American Mind." You remind me of Maimonides in some ways, which is huge compliment and no small responsibility, or burden, Ben. You know Ben, a whole lot of Americans want the very thing that Huxley tried to warn against.
In Canada, sometime around 1977-1979 I read only 2 required books in school. One was The Outsiders, the other was Rumble Fish. I didn't read any counter culture books until I was about 44, Ya, a little late, but better than never.
I am so glad you covered this , I am writing a paper on this book in my final Language arts class, with a liberal teacher and trying to put my spin on it without ruining my grade
Read this in two days after watching this for 3 minutes. I'm still disturbed by it all. Excellent suggestion Ben. The correlation between his world and this one now is boggling. Albeit ours is through “entertainment” be wise. Be careful.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner, egg/sperm donation, surrogacy). And here we are......
Anyone looking for a good audiobook version of Brave New World check out Steve Parker audiobooks. He has also done 1984, Animal farm, Frankenstein among many others. I promise that his is the best version of all of these by a mile, second place is not even on the radar.
You are awesome, thank you.
@@seanhawthorne65 You are welcome.
I enjoyed his work so much, I think everyone who likes that form of "reading" should experience what he creates.
I don't think all leftists are into polygamy guys
Wow. I've read 1984 but not A Brave New World. I will now. Very thought provoking. Excellent asthetics in this video. The color pallet perfectly captures the somber tone of the topic. Brilliant.
I've always said that culture currently is a perverse mixture of 1984 and brave new world
Neil Postman said in his book "Amusing Ourselves To Death" that the difference between Brave New World and 1984 is that 1984's threat comes from an outside source (the government), while Brave New World's comes from the inside
There’s also a short story, ‘Harrison Bergeron’. It’s about the uglification of mankind, and the diminishing of our potential and prowess to make ‘others’ feel comfortable in mediocrity.
Me getting recommended this video right after attending a four hour long lecture on Freud 👍
War is peace, weakness is strength, diversity is unity.
I really was born sexual and suffered frustration throughout my childhood into adulthood. It’s not fair that society puts this guilt on us children. One girlfriend told me she was having a gay relationship at 7. She being the female. If we are going to talk about such things then we must accept that there are kids as with me who have these feelings and I always wanted a women with their big hips. I was never interested in children.
I remember my required reading from so many years ago. Each put a different color in my mind as I read them. Brave New World - White & only white, 1984 - levels of grays, Animal Farm - brown, Catcher in the Rye - dark yellow & Lord of the Flies - red. Other books were filled with many colors yet those books were disturbing enough to be imagined in a single color.
Interesting. I thought it was only me. Looking back it seems logical.
Antiseptic white, shades of gray depression, earthy barnyard brown, various emotions associated with red plus the Nazis flag.
Ben, Thank You as always for your take on a Book. Your Analysis is Spot on as usual.
As a man Married 42-Years and 5-Children 2-Boys, 3-Girls we have raised our Family living a Devout Catholic Life and Home Schooled for 31 years.
Moderation being continually taught as it keeps all the other Virtues in Check, and all extremes are to be avoided . It’s so evident that Aldous Huxley seemed to have a Prophetic Vision that is in uncandidly accurate.
Truly our current generation of FOMO youths are not taught to control their appetites for pleasure.
You have said it best Ben “ How about if we start with the Ten Commandments for our Start for our Societal rules “ just love you have told all these College Tours you made this truth to live by.
Great Book Review and May God Bless you and your Family 🙏
What seems to separate the Liberal mind from the Conservative is that the Liberal is raving, angry, aggressive, destructive and warlike. The Conservative mind seems to focus on the status quo in which everyone can pursue their highest dreams and intellectual pursuits.
Man, I came here to hear a literary critique not a political rampage
for real
I swear bro, I stopped four minutes in, I agree with much of what he said, but the book is what I'm interested in.
That's an...ambitious set you've got there, Ben.
I read this in high school. I thought it was so stupid. If you want something more indicative of where America has gone, go watch Idiocracy. You’ll laugh then cry because of how accurate it is.
Damn... True.
You've missed the point of the novel, if you think it's "so stupid". Ben outlines it beautifully. Did you listen? I think Idiocracy is great, too. But give this novel a fair chance.
@@winstonsmith11 I think he meant that when he read it in high school he thought it was stupid then… depending on that person's age, it’s very feasible to understand why they thought it was stupid… I read 1984 when was in the 8th grade, 35 years ago… I thought it was stupid back then… but now, it’s not so stupid… today if I were to, for the first time, read both books, "Brave New World" and "1984," I would not think them to be stupid… you have to remember that most of the people who read those books did so back in middle school and High school… their teenage brain is not fully developed at that age and may not be able to see what is happening around them, much less apply what they have read to compare it to a possible future… 🤷🏼♂️
@@ZippedUpKitz I agree 👍
Yes. That movie completely foretold your average right-winger today.
Brilliant summation of an important book that accurately reflects our culture now.
The governments of 1984 and BNW both want the same goal of absolute order and power by a central authority. When I read about BNW ten years ago I thought it was sad because the people just 'got high' all day rather than living a full life.
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner, egg/sperm donation, surrogacy). And here we are......
When I read the brave new world when I was a teenager l couldn't get over this book for 5 years. And at that time which was almost 30 years ago, living in Poland, which till this day is not as woke as US now, I thought that the book was a description of the reality
I think this really shows the limits of saying “right vs left.” I find myself deeply rooted in values of family, of treating sex as sacred, of believing in liberal values. I think a brave new world is the kind of society we want minus the drugs, destruction of family, etc.. In many ways, society needs to have human flourishing as it’s main objective and it needs to bring scientific and empirical data to bear on solving social problems. If a brave new world really was meant to maximize human flourishing, it wouldn’t force people to do things that didn’t yield that for them. Ostensibly, empirical data would reveal that women are happier in monogamous relationships or that some people are and others aren’t. We could theoretically design humans to either desire monogamous relationships more or we could choose to engineer them the other way whether socially, genetically or otherwise. It just depends which of those things allows for more flourishing. We’d constantly be optimizing society and individuals to live in such a way that maximized flourishing. Obviously the pain/pleasure concept is pretty effective, but it would ultimately prove insufficient just as it is now. This idea that drugs solve everything or that mindless pleasure is the goal just means this society has the wrong goal. The goal is flourishing, not pleasure. What I’m saying is that a brave new world is ultimately the beginnings of a society all of us should want. It just gets a lot of the specifics wrong and even our best description of a perfect society today will get things wrong. We won’t know until we figure it out. And it really is only in a society that maximizes flourishing where true freedom can exist. Suffering will be something you can opt into rather than having it forced upon you. And I say all of this while having many of the same objections Ben has to all of the principles held in this dystopia. And I say this while considering myself a liberal as well. I consider myself on the left and yet I agreed with pretty much everything Ben said here. I’m pro choice because I want planned families, I want women to have the option because sometimes it’s the lesser of two evils, and ultimately, I believe the only way to truly end abortion is to keep it legal and study ways to make it unnecessary or find better interventions etc. I want happy and functional families. I believe in secularism not because I’m anti religious, but because I believe empiricism does a better job describing physical reality and can largely inform us on how to reform our Christian values over time and love one another better. I also believe in the freedom of religion which means we have to be secular when it comes to matters of policy and public social institutions. I believe people should have equal rights regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, intelligence, political ideology, sexual orientation, age, or physical ability. I believe we should have equality of opportunity. All of these things are generally considered liberal. And yet I see the problems with drugs, alcohol, sex, addiction, and lack of discipline. I see the value in the individual, responsibility, self-sufficiency, individual identity, tradition, religion etc. where does that leave me?
BNW was written in response to the Protestant English church's acceptance of artificial birth control. AH knew societal acceptance of ABC would create a sexualized world which prioritizes adult pleasure and priorities at the expense of intact families. Look around to see how right he was. Ppl moving from partner to partner, intact family for kids be damned. All manner of sexual disorder now normalized (abortion, LGBT, straights going from marriage to marriage, partner to partner,egg/sperm donation, surrogacy ). And here we are......
Just finished this book and one of the best reads I've read
Wow, that's a great-looking jacket and matching background set. So professional
I remember reading that in high school and writing a paper about how people in the book seemed to lose their individual identity in the community mentality.
the foreword to the second edition is great
Definitely had to use headphones rather than just playing it outloud when reading this audiobook.
1984 never really scared me, Brave New World scared me to death, because it is so realistic. It could be our future (I hope it is not)
I read Brave New World in High School. It was in the early 70's. Not many understood the main context of it, which I did. It the 60's and 70's the world was, I believe more in context of the story. The years of drugs and free love. So when I read it, it was closer to life then, than it is now. Look back at Woodstock, Greenwich Village, California. The lifestyle then was much closer to Brave New World than it is today.
My question in the lifestyle it portrays, better than the world we live in today. Leftist thought, terrorism, hatred, racial boundaries. We also have CRT being taught, teaching children what their true gender is. How many kids would play doctor because they had urges and wanted to see differences. Sneaking Hustler and Playboy magazines.
My point is, are we better off in the current direction this world is headed or would a world of Huxley's novel be a safer less stressed out world. Through the years remembering the Novel, it begs the answer of which road would be a better choice.
The difference between the individualism in Brave New World and that personified by Ayn Rand's John Galt and Howard Roark is that the former is based in the Id and the latter in the Ego. The former sinks into the debasement of the animal while the latter seeks to elevate humans to their highest achievement.
Intelligent organisms being produced in a lab with a societal purpose in mind seems like a better solution than having intelligent organisms be the product of randomly combined DNA, wandering aimlessly through the society to figure out where they can be of service, and then endlessly questioning with anxiety if they made the right choice when they do find a societal role to fill. Society would be more productive, and the organisms would be able to wake up every day with confidence, knowing their existence was created for a divine purpose in a greater society. I’m surprised that this is an unpopular opinion. It seems like the general consensus is that BNW is a dystopia deprived of freedom, but absolute freedom is chaos deprived of any kind of existential meaning.
I think as usual we can't see the wood for the trees. It's a common problem we have. The thing is with the Huxleys is, that they were in with the whole progressive California Esalen milieu that promoted the very ideas we find in the novel.
They moved very much among those who would become architects of our current "Brave New World". Laura Huxley for example mixed with esoteric psychologists who followed Alice Bailey; being a mystic who espoused the idea of Heirachy etc... So it appear Huxley is against something he was working towards - a kind of Gnostic Utopia. So there is something we are missing somewhere.
Absolute comfort is the cessation of struggle and with that the atrophy of the soul.
Ok I just have to give props to Ben’s stylist cuz that blazer is AMAZING great color combo
I swear you and Bernard look similar. You could have played him😅
I'll be honest I zoned out on the set around Ben, like dayum that shit is fire. Who ever did that set needs a raise.
A brave new world begins with the ideal that pleasure is valued.
I also recommend "It Can't Happen Here" -Sinclair Lewis.
Conservatives want to uphold socially conditioned gender norms and social traditions, it seems that Shapiro is more offended by the sexual norms instilled by the govt of brave new world than the purpose for which they are instilled. The book does ring somewhat true today, that people live shallowly and without self-reflection and growth, beholden to pleasure. But to take away the point that this social malaise is just like the trans movement is disingenuous. The entire book is about how people are sorted into caste systems and bombarded with pleasure and propaganda to keep themselves in their assigned class. I don’t think the society of the novel would welcome people forging an identity that defies the social order and their biological “group”.
Huxley’s point of view is more complex than we must resist these specific norms because they are “deviant.” He criticizes both old world and new world ideology, whether it is the self-flagellation of traditional religious values, or modern pleasure focused post-scarcity values. “Christianity without tears” is used to describe soma, the village of “savages” use religious symbolism and pain to bring about control by means of the ecstasy of spirituality, while the modern society emulates this, both attempt to do the same thing, to keep people in their place. The “savage” commits suicide because *neither* society accepts free thinkers or any deviation from the norm, he is destined to be forever outcast. I think Shapiro’s analysis ignores why the book is dystopian, instead just uses similarities between the book and real life to complain about his favorite grievances. When in reality, the book is a warning that we should resist the ways in which the social order, whether today’s or tomorrow’s, exerts control over us and prevents us from living freely and meaningfully.
I think everyone who’s read this book needs to pay close attention on a rereading to the section on the reservation, it opens up the meaning of the text a lot.
Ben Shapiro's book club looks incredible.
I think there's a part of the Left that values the fine arts, values music, art, and literature, values rationality and wit. This is part of the consciousness of the Left. And the esteem for these things is by and large lost in Brave New World. I think one of the things that may make BNW a little misleading is that I don't think people would actually be as happy or satisfied as they seem to be portrayed by Huxley, living in that kind of society. Why? Because our souls yearn for something higher: things that don't just provide physical pleasure but resonate with the heart and bring inspiration and illumination to the mind.
What you're describing is the sole purpose of Bernard Marx's character lol
@@thatpalmettoguy5696 I read it over a decade ago and had kind of forgotten about Bernard until you mentioned him. So, point taken! I think I'm remembering now... isn't there an island that they sent other people who felt similarly? I think Mustapha Mond mentions it towards the end of the book.
@@deepsupport11 It's been a while since I've read it too. Can't remember if there were others before Bernard who were sent to the savages, but he was at least the first in the book.
Him along with John the savage are my favorite part of the book, their humanity is strong enough to fight the powers wanting to destroy it.
@@thatpalmettoguy5696 I love that... BNW makes us realize how much we value our humanity, although sometimes it means accepting pain, too.
Here we are yet again. The Right misinterpreting a book. Look at interviews with Aldous Huxley, please. He was not against a safety net or good Government in service to the people. He was against things that would numb and desensitize people so much that they forgot about community and the social aspects that get us to relate to others and enjoy life on a deeper level. The book though is primarily a warning against the dangers of too much technology. He shows a world where technological advances have solved all of society's problems, but at the cost of their humanity. Huxley warns too much technology while bringing comfort could ultimately obscure beauty and truth.
Yeah fr. I think Ben’s talking about the wrong book lol
His review of Brave New World overlooks a crucial aspect of Aldous Huxley’s novel: its critique of industrialism and consumerism, symbolized by the figure of Henry Ford. Huxley uses Ford as a metaphor for the dangers of a society that prioritizes efficiency, mass production, and consumerism over individuality and human connection. The novel's dystopia is built on the dehumanizing effects of these values, where people are treated like products to be conditioned, controlled, and made to conform to a rigid social hierarchy. This is a direct critique of the industrial-capitalist ideologies, often aligned with modern conservative views that emphasize market efficiency, unregulated capitalism, and the importance of consumer-driven economies. The novel warns against a world where human desires are commodified, individuality is sacrificed, and material wealth becomes the central measure of societal success.
The review’s overemphasis on the novel’s exploration of sexual freedom and pleasure as the core critique misses the broader warnings Huxley provides about the dangers of industrialism. By focusing primarily on the personal and sexual freedoms, the review downplays how Brave New World critiques consumerism and capitalism, which erode individuality by turning people into products of mass production and constant consumption. Additionally, the review inaccurately presents the novel as being more relevant to leftist ideals when, in fact, Huxley critiques both ends of the political spectrum. His critique of Fordism highlights the pitfalls of unchecked capitalism, class hierarchy, and a society obsessed with material comforts-all concepts deeply tied to modern-day conservative ideologies.