This Brave New World

7/28/2019 This Brave New World

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THIS

BRAVE

NEW

WORLD

DAVID SWIFT


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Take twice daily or a healthy uture.


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Ever since our species began humans have speculated about the future.

At frst it was merely a practical kind o thinking e.g. where will I get ood or shelter

tomorrow? However that gave way to a more metaphysical approach to thinking. What

will lie be like when I am older? What will happen to me and my tribe? What does the

great unknown hold in store?

The science o studying the uture or uturology has become a staple o lie since

the 20th Century. Art orms that deal in science fction oten look to the uture and

postulate what could occur. One such book is Aldous Huxleys Brave New World.

The Novel was written in 1931, but it remains extremely current in the developmento its themes. Set in London o AD 2540, the novel anticipates developments in

technology, societal attitudes and the rame work o human lie. The novel deals with

many subjects that are poignant, especially in the context o the great technological

advances seen in our lietime. Issues around Globalisation, Promiscuity, Genetics,

Drugs, Consumerism and Waste among others.

This book will look at some o the issues discussed in Brave New World and relate

them to current uture trends to discuss and highlight what i anything can be done to

better our society.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE


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CONSUMERISMI


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I do love new clothes

The act of trading between one

individual and another has been an

underpinning of human society ever

since our species began.

In act the capitalist model relies on

the buying and selling o goods and

services. Trade could thereore be

seen as ingrained within us all and

has contributed to the advance o our

species. However, consumerism is

the ugly side o this human behaviour.

Driven by corporate interests and the

advertising industry we are encouragedto buy and consume more and more.

In the pursuit o purchasing the best

and latest items and services, we

orget that this does not necessarily

lead to happiness in lie. A uture

with a consumerist culture run riot will

inevitably lead to more individual

unhappiness, increased debt, and an

unstable volatile world.

Rhymeusedto

conditionindividualswithinthe

societyintocon

sumingmuchmorethantheyn

eed.


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APIL

LFO

REVE

RY

STATEO

FMIND


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Medicaing moods


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A gramme is better than a damn

In the last century or so, medicine has grown leaps and

bounds in curing and even in some cases eradicating illness.These external diseases can easily identifed and thereore

treatments are sought. However, until very recently the

problems caused by mental illness has been largely ignored

and remained unidentifed. One o the great advances o the

last ew decades have been to acknowledge mental health

as important as the rest o the body. Clinicians have exposed

this hidden problem and subsequently a whole host o drugs

became available that has helped suerers.

However, a disturbing trend that may have implications on

uture generations is the over prescription o certain mood

stabilisers. More and more individuals (many o which are

children) are being treated by Big Pharma. Ater this gradual

habituation generations to come may see the little white pill

as the solution to all their problems. Whereas this type o

treatment is more o a sticking plaster, and neglecting the

underling problems will only lead to the disorder taking hold

and a possible uture dependance on these drugs.

In reerence to the drug SOMA that is used extensively by the population


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Theamoun

tofchildrentakingRitalindoubleseverytwoyears.


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Prod

uctionofRitalinhasincrea

sed500%i

nthepast5yea

rs.


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T H R O W A W A Y

C U L T U R E

Ending is better than mending. The more stitches the less riches


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Partiall

yduetothepromotionofa

consumeristculture

andas

anitisedlandscapethathid

esthevastamounts

ofwast

eweproduce,wehavebecomeoblivioustoour

impact

ontheworld.

Theefficiencybywhichwecandisposeofthevastquantitiesof

itemsw

ethrowawayhasbeenagrea

tleapforwardinhuman

healthc

are.Ithaspreventeddisease

andotherhealthrisksto

spread

amongstourpopulation.Howeverithasalsomeantwe

havebecomesomewhatremovedandillinformedaboutwhat

happen

safterweputoutthegreenbineveryWednesday.

Westernsocietieshavebeguntotrytochangeattitudesand

recycle

rateshaveincreased,whichisapositivestep.Although

consum

ersarestillfarremovedfromtheprocessesinvolvedin

cleaningupaftertheirlifestyles.Very

fewpeopleknoworcare

whatha

ppensaftertheyhandoverth

eirbrokenphonetobe

recycled.Somecompanieshaveuse

dthisignorancetotheir

advanta

gebydumpingvastquantitiesofrecyclablematerialin

poorco

untriesfarfromourWesternb

ubble.Apossibleglimpse

ofourfuturecanbeseenwhengoo

glingplaceslikeGuiyu,

China.Thereyoucanseethepotentialsocialandhumancostif

wecontinueonthiswastebinge.


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NOWLiving in the


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Technological and social advances have

meant that we in rich societies live in one

o the most comortable times our species

has ever seen. It is great that we can

now enjoy more o lie and enjoy lie inthe present, with little worry o the uture.

This, however, has had its downside.

Living this way has resulted in individuals

becoming less adaptable to change.

In this volatile boom and bust world, some

preparation or the uture is essential.

Saving or the hard times might seem

alien in a world where items are plentiul

and at our ingertips at the press o a

touch screen, but in the words o Bob

Dylan times they are a changing.

An understanding o who we are can

surely only be achieved when reviewing

where we have been and where we

are going. True happiness will only be

achieved when you as an individual

lead an analytical lie looking to the past

present and uture.

Was and will make me illA rhyme used to promote little thought for the past and present


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GLOBALISATIONThe homogenisation of cultures


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GLOBA

LISATIO

N


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Capitalism through globalisation has done a

tremendous amount o good in the world. Overall

peoples lives has been improved, lie expectancy

has increased, terrible diseases have been

eradicated, inormation is a click away, individuals

social circles can now be global, among other things.

However we have to also accept that all o these

wonderul advances have come at a price. A price

paid or by the neglect o the poorest and most

vulnerable members o the global community.

Globalisation has out-sourced most o our poverty to

the East and South. While we continue to consume

technology constructed by childrens hands we are

oblivious to the pressures and poverty suered by

the majority o the world.

Globalisation and corporate interests have also had

a worrying eect or the uture. A tremendous amount

o wealth and subsequently power have become

concentrated in the hands o the ew. Although the

internet was seen as the great equaliser, it has

become appropriated, i not ully understood, by

these interests.

HAPPINESS HAS GOT TO BE PAID FOR


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It would seem the prohibition on illegal drug usage has ailed. The war on dugs, an

extension o laws and attitudes prominent at the turn o the 20th Century, has madethe issue more divisive than ever. In act it has really only served to criminalise

sections o society.

It is true that drug usage should be discouraged as this behaviour can negatively

impact those with chaotic liestyles urther complicating their existing problems.

However people can take some o these illegal drugs saely and without much

disruption to their lie and whats more they want to take these substances. Thereore

these substances should be treated in the same manor as alcohol, tolerated,

regulated and taxed to help curb the negative eects on certain individuals, the

health service and society as a whole.

This has ar reaching implications on uture trends o drug usage. It is clear that the

attitudes o large proportions o society are changing and becoming less negative

towards drug usage. Simply criminalising the action does nothing to address the

overall problem. Along side tight regulation o the industry, sensible and credible

education should be enacted to provide inormation on sae usage and the potential

dangers. Unless the correct actions are implemented there will be an increase in

dangerous drug usage and uture generations will suer.

Recreational drug usage.

All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defectsSOMA

Recreational drug usage.


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Genetic ulationmanip


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The last pieces of the human genome were deciphered

in 2003. Since then scientists have been exploring

and identifying areas of the sequence that could have

enormous benefits in the future.

Gene therapy has the potential to help those with geneticdiseases and illnesses to be treated at the genetic level curing

not simply treating the symptoms. In act, potentially, embryos

could also be identiied as at risk even beore insemination

takes place. These treatments could also be used to improve

the human condition in general, making us smarter, stronger

and aster.

The uture benefts to health care and human advancement

are almost immeasurable. However, as advancements to these

technologies continue there will be some issues society will

have to address. Will uture parents have the right to decide,

how their child will physically look? What will be classed as

a deect that could result in the selection or destruction o

embryos? This technology may also undamentally change

what it means to be human. The richest in our society will have

access to drugs and technology that potentially make them

physically and mentally superior than the rest o society. Will

urther class divisions emerge?

No social stability without individual stability


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PROMISCUITY

However institutional attitudes and education have

not ollowed in step. So individuals attitudes towards

sex have become more liberal, but their education

about sex is stuck in the Victorian schoolhouse.

This mismatch has had negative eects on the

population as a whole, with increases in disease

and unwanted pregnancies. This will ultimately

have a negative impact in the uture development osocieties. To combat this generations to come will

have to embrace sex education and become more

open with their children.

Individuals have benefited greatly from

dispelling the myths, prohibition and religious

shame around having sex. It has made

individuals happier and allowed people to enjoy

and explore their sexuality.


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"Every one

belongs

to every

one else"


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The Future Is Hard To See.


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This book has shown that the great technological advances experienced by our

society have had a great impact on who we are and who we are going to be.These advances should be welcomed as it has in most cases led to a better way

of life for the global community.

However there is always a trade-o, be it in the orm o great disparities between the

rich and poor or the metaphorical minefeld that genetic ethics throws up.

The global community must learn to work together on negating the potential harm

caused to individuals and society as a whole. We must join together and ace the

uture directly, taking the great unknown on and prevailing as best we can.

The Future Is Hard To See


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Venture into the great unknownTake twice daily or healthy uture.

Ph t h & T t b D id S it

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This Brave New World