Societal Norms and Values in Brave New World

The society in "Schöne neue Welt" drastically differs from our present in various aspects:

Sexual Behavior:

• Childhood erotic play is encouraged and considered normal
• Adolescents engage in sanctioned erotic games
• Promiscuity is the norm, with monogamy viewed as abnormal

Vocabulary: Soma is a government-provided drug used to maintain happiness and social stability in the "Schöne neue Welt".

Government and History:

• A totalitarian system replaces democracy
• Ten World Controllers hold immense power
• History is banned to prevent criticism and doubt

Family and Relationships:

• The concept of family is eliminated
• "Everyone belongs to everyone else" is a central tenet
• Privacy is non-existent, and all desires are fulfilled through consumption

Emotions and Beliefs:

• Emotions are strictly controlled, often through the use of Soma
• Science and capitalism replace traditional religion
• Ford is revered as a deity figure

Quote: "A gramme is better than a damn" - This proverb encourages the use of Soma to avoid negative emotions.

The novel's exploration of these themes provides a stark contrast to our current society, prompting readers to consider the potential consequences of unchecked technological and social engineering.

Genetic Engineering and Social Control in Brave New World

In Aldous Huxley's "Schöne neue Welt", genetic engineering serves as a cornerstone of the World State's control over its population. The government's motto of "community, stability, identity" is achieved through the manipulation of human genetics and development.

Definition: Eugenics is the practice of selectively breeding humans to improve the genetic quality of the human population, which is a central concept in the novel.

The "Schöne neue Welt Kastensystem" is created through genetic engineering:

• Alphas are engineered to be intellectuals and leaders
• Deltas, Epsilons, and Gammas are intentionally made less intelligent to perform menial tasks

Highlight: Human reproduction is entirely controlled by the state, with natural childbirth eliminated.

Conditioning plays a crucial role in shaping behavior:

• In nurseries, children are conditioned to fear books and nature through electric shocks
• This ensures lower castes don't seek knowledge or free activities that don't involve consumption

Example: Deltas are conditioned to dislike books and nature to keep them focused on their assigned roles and maintain the capitalist structure of society.

Hypnopaedia, or sleep-teaching, is used for moral training:

• Audio messages played during sleep reinforce social norms
• Topics include "Elementary sex" and "Elementary class consciousness"
• Children learn about caste differences and appropriate social interactions

Quote: "History is bunk" - This attitude in the World State demonstrates their suppression of historical knowledge to maintain control.