Brave New World: The Science that Controls Us

Written by Sidnee Bell

Illustration by Hrishita Das

In 1932, Aldous Huxley wove words together to create the perfect world, one void of suffering, pain, and conflict. The novel Brave New World presents a world in which existence is mediated by science, and science has been allowed to flourish without restraint. Despite the portrayal of the world as a perfect utopia, many would argue that Huxley’s world is a dystopian one. Interestingly, though, Huxley’s “dystopia” is not upheld through fear or violence. Instead, biology, psychology, and technology combine to engineer compliance and social order. In doing so, Huxley posits that global peace can be obtained through the sacrifice of individual autonomy. Although such a society has been widely regarded as dystopian due to the absence of individual autonomy, it becomes a compelling means by which we may begin to examine the role of science in our world today.

"We also predestine and condition. We decant our babies as socialized human beings, as Alphas or Epsilons, as future sewage workers or future…"

In Huxley’s world, all individuals are produced in bottles via genetic engineering and familial units are nonexistent. Intelligence is carefully determined based on oxygenation of embryos, and individuals are assigned an occupational role at birth based upon an intellectual hierarchy. This all begins with the Bokanovsky process, a procedure during which a single embryo is split into dozens of identical beings. 

Although we do not mass produce human beings through some highly scientific process, modern genetic advancements echo this temptation. CRISPR gene editing has allowed for the treatment and elimination of certain diseases, but has raised several ethical concerns related to eugenics and who truly has the right to decide which traits are desirable.

The National Health Institute does not currently fund gene editing of human embryos, primarily due to the moral and religious objections many have raised. Still, some see value in editing human embryos to ascertain important information about human biology, so long as this technology is not used for the purpose of human reproduction. Some countries have already authorized research with nonviable embryos, and others with viable embryos.

“And if ever, by some unlucky chance, anything unpleasant should somehow happen, why, there's always soma to give you a holiday from the facts. And there's always soma to calm your anger, to reconcile you to your enemies, to make you patient and long-suffering.”

The citizens of Huxley’s world frequently took soma, a psychoactive drug individuals used to “take a holiday” from their daily lives. This drug has no consequences and quietly stifles all discomfort quickly so that it does not grow with time.

We live in a world that increasingly medicates discomfort. According to the CDC, in 2020, 6.3 billion prescriptions were filled over the course of the year. This equates to about 19 prescriptions per person. This increasingly high dependence on prescription drugs has been linked to factors such as increases in medicalization, the rise of chronic diseases, and population aging. Polypharmacy, the practice of taking at least 5 medications simultaneously, has been met with great caution due to largely unknown long-term effects.

This emphasis on drugs to quickly alleviate any and all discomfort reflects the same impulse present in Huxley’s world. Antidepressants and stimulants, while often lifesaving, are also prescribed rapidly to allow individuals to function within the constraints of systems that demand constant productivity. These drugs aren’t always about healing, and in many cases, they are about maximizing productivity. As we frequently search for ways to alleviate all discomfort, it becomes interesting to note how this pursuit has established a new, productive, social order.

“The child’s mind is these suggestions, and the sum of the suggestions is the child’s mind. And not only the child’s mind. The adult’s mind too—all his life long. The mind that judges and desires and decides—made up of these suggestions. But all these suggestions are our suggestions!”

In Huxley's world, the built environment was harnessed to condition individuals to have particular dispositions and desired behaviors. These controlled, external influences led to the desired developmental outcomes to promote social order.

Architecture has been shown to have a similar power of suggestion in influencing human behavior and emotional outcomes.  Perhaps most readily seen is that a poorly designed room lacking space, lighting, or excessive noise can induce negative feelings of stress and anxiety. Lighting is one of the most important determinants of human behavior. In particular, natural light can increase productivity and improve mood. Poor lighting can induce stress and fatigue. This understanding has led to a rise in the usage of artificial lighting, consciously stimulating productivity through cool bright lights and closeness through warm lighting.

Beyond eliciting certain emotional outcomes, architecture also directly influences human behavior outcomes. While open layouts promote communication and positively impact social interactions, they tend to also induce more aggressive behavior among individuals. On college campuses, open courtyards encourage gathering while narrow hallways prevent large groups. Lighting choices affect where people choose to linger at night. In cities, “hostile architecture” (such as armrests on benches) discourage rest and influence who occupies space. These physical designs mirror Huxley’s world, where “we also predestine and condition” encompasses the restriction of choice to yield desired outcomes.

“No social stability without individual stability.”

With such an emphasis placed on the way scientific discovery created the perfect world, Brave New World becomes a fascinating lens through which we can begin to examine the role of science in our daily lives. Whether you are looking for your next great read or a dark perspective on science and technology, Brave New World will surely capture your interest. In the novel, science enabled the cultivation of a society that denied individual autonomy, engineering complacency to uphold peace. And in some ways, our world threatens to do the same. 

CITATIONS

DOKO, F. & Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Philology, University of Tetova. (n.d.). SCIENCE AND SOCIETY IN BRAVE NEW WORLD. In Original Scientific Paper. https://eprints.unite.edu.mk/1336/1/FILOLOGJIA%2020-21%202023-82-89.pdf

Ho, J. Y. (2023). Life course patterns of prescription drug use in the United States. Demography. https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-10965990

Nhgri. (2019, March 13). What are the Ethical Concerns of Genome Editing? Genome.gov. https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Genome-Editing/ethical-concerns

The dangers of polypharmacy and the case for deprescribing in older adults. (2021, August 24). National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/dangers-polypharmacy-and-case-deprescribing-older-adults