The conditioning of the members of these groups takes place from the time of fertilisation to through to the individuals formative years, this guarantees, in most cases (ofcourse there are always exceptions) the individuals complete aceptance of every aspect of life in the in the world in the world state. Since every individual is is conditioned by environmental and hereditory factors, and if these factors were to be then the individul is very like to be controlled also. Therefore if an individual is conditioned to think, to act and to react in a particular way to something then free will has been sucessfully been abolished.
A government office in the world state determines the number and kind of individual needed in various positions and in various parts of the world. The hatchery and conditioning centre determines the number and kind of individuals with particular characteristics, abilities and beliefs. In the words of the director " all conditioning aims at that making ppl like their inescapeable social destiny.
Therefore if they like it, then wot is so wrong with this sort of society.
Psychological conditioning of the citizens continues after birth. The mind is altered to accept the moral education of the government. The 2 processes the new world uses to control human judgement are the Neo-Pavlovian process and hypnopaedia. The Neo-Pavlovian process is named after Ivan Pavlov, a Twentieth Century Russian scientist who experimented with conditioned reflexes in dogs. The children, during early childhood, are trained to like and dislike certain aspects of life, nature, and science so that they can consume the maximum resources. Babies receive electric shocks in the presence of flowers and books so that they will "grow up with what the psychologists … call an ‘instinctive’ hatred of books and flowers … they’ll be safe from books and botany all their lives". The conditioning of the children forms a barrier in their minds, so that they are never free to decide for themselves, but are always bounded by the instructions of the state, and more times then not the people of brave new world do not even know it. Hypnopaedia is another form of psychological conditioning. It is used to teach moral education. While they sleep, the children of the new world are drilled with moral education such as "when the individual feels, the community reels, [and] …cleanliness is next to fordliness. These phrases are repeated thousands of times throughout childhood "till at last the child’s mind is these suggestions … the mind that judges and desires and decides…". Psychological conditioning in the new world is much like the television programs and advertisments of today. The programs repeatedly tell their viewers to consume name brand material and to follow the lifestyles of the characters in the programs while the true masterminds slowly take away their devoted members’ hard-earned wealth. The psychological conditioning limits the mental freedom of the citizens so that they are never at liberty to decide what they want for themselves.
Thomas Jefferson once said, "all men are created equal". Equality, however, fails to exist in the imperfect society created by humans. Just as there are social classes in today’s society, citizens of the World State are categorized into distinct social classes (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon) before they come into existence. The social classes, in turn, set a standard of prejudice. The people do not have the freedom to choose who or what they want to be, they have no choice but to follow the tracks preset for them.
In Brave New World we see Huxley’s own ideas and attitudes emerge throughout the novel, especially through the characters of the savage and the controller. It is obvious that Huxley fears a completely totalitarian government and a purely scientific society engineered in a laboratory. The novel seems to carry clear warnings against contemporary tendencies, especially those where science is used merely as a technological tool, we are also warned that social stability, the natural concern of a post-war generation, should not be valued at the expense of the expense of individuals freedom. Finally Huxley warns us against escaping realities, the growth of mindless entertainment, the advocacy of of free sex, and the increasing power of the mass media.
The title is therefore ironic as I don’t think Huxley sees the world as depicted in the novel as a brave or beauteous place. Instead of being a utopia, the brave new world becomes a utopia in reverse; it is less inviting then the old world order even with its own disadvantages.
This pessimistic view of the world makes us wonder if the the ignorant ‘happy’ lives they are living are worth it, are worth their cost.I think Huxley is trying to tell us that the advances that are almost universally hailed as progress are fraught with danger, and the ‘happiness’ caused by the progress cannot compensate for the cost which is needed-the loss of individuality and freedom of speech-man had built higher than he could climb; man had built power he was unable to control.
However, some people may be forced to consider that this life style may be the only soloution to peace. As although now there is no individuality, no personal response or opinion to anything, we must also recognise that there are also no wars, no murders, and no sadness even. The people of the Brave new world world seem to be living in bliss ignorance. There are no diseases for instance, so there is no physical pain, aswell as there being no physical pain it seems there is no mental or spiritual pain either. The entire population has sexual fulfilment also. But is it right to force people into ‘happiness’?
The entire core of the book is the argument on happiness between the controller and the savage. They argue like intellect scholars to name the name the nature of happiness in society. Bernard argues ‘why do u not let them read Othello instead?’ and then comes the directors explanaition, ‘….you cnt make tragedies without social instability. The worlds stable now. People are happy…’ these world underscore the whole idea of why human life is left to its own devices. We realise that everything is done so there is no rebellion against the state, and even the controller admits that Othello is better then the feelies but he says ‘but that’s the price we have to pay for stability…’
As they continue the conversation, (pg201) we begin to see that even the controller knows what ‘true happiness’ is, he realises that to be genuinely happy you need the fight against misfortune, a struggle with temptation, a fatal over throw by passion or doubt’ and he concludes ‘happiness is never grand’
Even now as science is ever growing People facing the 21st century are trying to determine whether these new realities of life will enhance it and bring life as they know it to a great unprecedented level, or if these new products will contribute and perhaps even cause the destruction of society and life.
