A Solemn Warning Against Modern Society: Criticism Of Modernity In Brave New World

Since the last century, the issues of modernity have been increasingly exertingassignable influence on human society. Modernity refers to the experience created bymodern society, culture, politics and economy, which is completely different fromthe archaic society. Researches into modernity issues in the light of humanities helpsto reconsider the problems created within the development of modern technology,providing fresh perspectives of human beings’ existence today and tomorrow,rendering paths to a harmonious world combined by science and mankind.This thesis is dedicated to the famous British modern writer Aldous Huxley’sBrave New World dealing with the research problem: criticism of modernity in BraveNew World. It analyses the problems created by modernity in the World State via thefollowing four dimensions: science, spirit, society, freedom. Within the discussionpart, the approaches of psychoanalysis and power theory are utilized to help toarticulate the tragic suicide of savage John and the hierarchy society of the WorldState, unmasking the dark side beneath perfect and happiness world, criticizing theinhumanity, totalitarian, hierarchical, fettered world.The major issue of the thesis lies in the analysis of the author’s criticism ofmodernity. It falls into four chapters as follow:Chapter one “Disclosure of the Inhuman Science” focuses on the featuredtechnology in the World State, where people harness Bokanovsky and PodsnapProcesses to produce more embryos. They use Hypnopaedic method to teach andcondition embryos. They give death conditioning to people. They use medicine toproduce false happiness. In Modern world, science surpasses its original position.The relationship between science and human beings is severely altered. This partwould appeal to Heidegger’s view on technology to have a clearer idea on what istechnology, what kind of relationship is desired between science and human. Chapter two “Resentment against the Constrained Spirit” Criticizes modernityunder the approach of Freud’s psychoanalysis. On the one hand, John’s Suicide is acase to study via personality method and the Pleasure Principle; on the other hand,the shift of religion from God to Ford indicates the constrained spirit of men withinthe development of modernity.Chapter three “Criticism of the Power-based Society” will mainly adoptMichel Foucault’s power theory to discuss the form of society in World State. Inaddition, it falls into three sections: social class, racial segregation and gender. Lateron means of totalitarian and the social pattern are also discussed.Chapter four “Thirst for the Deprived Freedom” begins with the origin offreedom since The Enlightenment Movement. In this chapter, I will discuss thedeprivation of freedom in Brave New World in the following three sections:“TheMotto ‘Community, Identity, Stability’”,“Culture Terrorism of World State Citizens”,“Fake Liberation of Sexual Relationship”.