Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

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Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

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Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration. Born on July 26, 1894 Wealthy, privileged Son of famous biology scientist, Thomas Henry Huxley, who contributed to the Theory of Evolution. Related to published authors and educators, very educated family Attended Oxford, published collection of poetry - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

Page 1: Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

Aldous Huxley

Life and Inspiration

Page 2: Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

Growing Up Huxley

Born on July 26, 1894Wealthy, privileged Son of famous biology scientist, Thomas Henry Huxley,

who contributed to the Theory of Evolution. Related to published authors and educators, very

educated familyAttended Oxford, published collection of poetryTravelled between London and Italy, visited India and

US United States played big role in many of his ideas for

writing.

Page 3: Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

1984 BNW Sex forbidden Work is mundane No freedom Government enforces behavior

Constant war Nobody allowed to read

Shakespeare Winston has questions, seeks

answers

Limit information and control what is released

No need for progress. Status quo is preferred.

Sex enforced Vacation is mundane Excessive freedom Government and laws replaced

by behavior training. No war or conflict Nobody wants to read

Shakespeare Population takes soma anytime

something confusing disrupts their happiness.

Flood public with information and there is no need to modify

Misuse of science and technology masking as progress.

Page 4: Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

Huxley on 1984 Within the next generation I

believe that the world's leaders 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 them and kicking them into obedience. (Huxley letter to Orwell)

Page 5: Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

Upon visiting United States, Huxley observed a “generous extravagance” but he wasn’t so sure that he liked the way life moved in this bustling and busy country. “In places of public amusement, in dancing and motoring…there is so little conversation…It is all movement and noise, like the water gurgling out of bath, down the waste. Yes, down the waste.” Those thoughts about a world driven by self gratification inspired many of his works, but especially in his design of Brave New World.

Page 6: Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

Huxley’s Influences Mussolini’s policy towards banning

contraception for the improvement of man power in Italy.

He was also greatly interested in the recent advancements in behavior training especially BF Skinner and Pavlov.

His background with science combined with the fast movement of technology gave him interesting perspectives to consider about the direction of the human race.

It’s important to note BNW was NOT influenced by WWII, Hitler, Stalin, or Communism who would come after the book was published.

Page 7: Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

Brave New World was written in 1932 and considered one of the most popular dystopian novels.

Utopia is a term used to describe an ideal society. The phrase is coined by Sir Thomas More’s novel called Utopia (1516) that takes place on a fictional island.

The term ‘dystopia’ is a sarcastic play off of the term ‘Utopia’ and refers to a futuristic society that may ‘appear’ to show the components of an ideal society, but indeed is far from it. The term is negative and typically, in writing, technology, science, and human disregard for the important aspects of the human spirit are lost.

Dystopia vs Utopia

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Huxley is a critic and he writes the essay as a satire. Satires are meant to ridicule or draw out the absurdity of a particular topic and does not mean ‘funny’.

Even in 1932, Huxley had little faith that humans would be able to manage moderation and think about the cost of so-called ‘progress’.

One may think that Huxley’s novel could be newly published considering the many current topics that are at the forefront of our society today.