George Orwell vs. Aldous Huxley, Who will win in the future? |
 May 20 2010, 04:09 PM
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#1
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 Senior Member  Group: Administrator Posts: 2,648 Joined: Apr 2008 Member No: 639,265  |
I found this comparison of the writings of George Orwell (1984) to Aldous Huxley (Brave New World) to be interesting:
 Are we on a path towards 1984 or Brave New World? |
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May 20 2010, 07:31 PM
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#2
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 Vae Victis Group: Official Member Posts: 1,416 Joined: Sep 2006 Member No: 460,227 |
Easily the latter. Hell, we're already there.
It's worth mentioning, though, that those same indicators typical of the degradation of Western culture would actually be signs of progress in Orwellian societies. As someone who experienced totalitarianism firsthand I suspect that Orwell would have seen a state of cultural "cheapness" to be much less grave a living situation than Spanish fascism. |
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May 20 2010, 08:10 PM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Administrator Posts: 2,648 Joined: Apr 2008 Member No: 639,265 |
I think context does apply in this analysis. For example, as far as the West goes, I think the UK is edging more towards a 1984-style future (appropriate, since Orwell was British), whereas the US is more Huxlian in nature.
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May 21 2010, 12:48 AM
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#4
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 Live long and prosper. Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 10,142 Joined: Apr 2007 Member No: 514,926 |
I've never read brave new world. Didn't know this before now. I think Huxley was more on the ball.
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May 21 2010, 08:55 AM
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#5
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 I'm Jc Group: Mentor Posts: 13,619 Joined: Jul 2006 Member No: 437,556 |
oh yeah i like this, i posted this on my blog once too. i think we're way more in line with huxley.
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May 21 2010, 10:54 PM
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#6
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 f your couch Group: Official Member Posts: 3,089 Joined: Dec 2006 Member No: 491,301 |
agreed. 1984 was so drab i could hardly pay attention. if we ever get near the point when we're being controlled and watched like in the book i'm going to leave the continent. possibly go live in the mountains.
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May 22 2010, 03:07 AM
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#7
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Vae Victis Group: Official Member Posts: 1,416 Joined: Sep 2006 Member No: 460,227 |
1984 was one of the most badass books I've ever read. You obviously didn't get to the prison scene where the punishment for eating over one's portion of bread includes a bodybuilder security guard (specially employed for infractions like this) calmly walking up to the offender and punching him in the face. That's on top of the story villain lamenting the main protagonist for having too small biceps, the police arresting the characters for being too lovey-dovey, the subtle message of self-betterment as Winston goes from a sniveling emotional pussy to an upstanding member of the militaristic industrial complex... the list goes on. It's like someone saw a picture of gigantic testicles and told Orwell "Hey, make a society based on these."
Writer Czesław Miłosz actually handed out copies to the underground resistance in communist Poland and they couldn't believe Orwell was a Brit not born under fascism, so succinct and realistic was what the book described. |
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May 22 2010, 10:16 AM
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#8
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 Sarcastic Mr. Know-It-All Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 2,089 Joined: Dec 2003 Member No: 29 |
You're all wrong. The world is heading towards Soylent Green.
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May 22 2010, 11:03 AM
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#9
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 Senior Member Group: Official Member Posts: 1,938 Joined: Jul 2008 Member No: 667,832 |
What irony I just finished reading both those book for school
I like how 1984 showed rebellion against their society (with sex) as for brave new world they used it to keep away from individualism by telling people to be intimate with many partners (like jogging), but man was brave new world out of there :p drugs and orgys |
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May 22 2010, 11:34 AM
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#10
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 poison Group: Official Member Posts: 4,806 Joined: Mar 2008 Member No: 629,020 |
QUOTE(kryogenix @ May 22 2010, 11:16 AM)  You're all wrong. The world is heading towards Soylent Green. SOYLENT GREEN IS MADE OF PEOPLE! |
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