Regression And Stability

Aldous Huxley is an English novelist and critic gifted with an acute and far-ranging intelligence whose works are notable for their wit and pessimistic satire.His work Brave New World marks the apogee of Huxley’s abilities as a satirist.In the New World,endless sensory enjoyment has become a new fashion while comprehensive development of mentality becomes a taboo.Moreover,the advanced biotechnology is applied to the reproduction of humans who will be physically and mentally designed to play a predestinated role in this world.Through the permeation of sleep teaching and ceaseless political propaganda,every individual from each hierarchy believes that they are living in happiness.There is no need for opposition and stability could maintain itself everlastingly.The novel just exhibits a dehumanizing world under obscurantist policy.This thesis takes the social criticism of Herbert Marcuse as theoretical foundation.Through the explanation of the New World motto “Community,Identity,Stability”,a thread running through the novel,it interprets how the New World citizens suffer a regression of Eros and rationality to achieve stability.In terms of “Community”,the explanation of the erotic phenomenon in the New World through Marcusean theory of Eros exposes that the declared ideal community based on sexual relationships is illusory and channeling Eros into the domain of sexuality,which prevents Eros from quantitative and qualitative development.In terms of“Identity”,through one-dimensionality theory,the thesis illustrates that the higher identities have achieved biotechnological manipulation of humans out of technological rationality which is innately irrational and the lower identities have suffered regression of rationality as they live in a closed universe of discourse without opposition.In terms of “Stability”,the thesis illustrates the utilization of hedonistic nirvana whose flourishment is based on the regression of Eros and rationality,to maintain stagnant stability which necessitates ignorance and inaction.The thesis concludes that humans are successively stepping into a moderate version of the New World — an advanced industrial society,and have to be on guard against the dehumanizing manipulation in the real life hidden behind the declaration of a stable,better life as such life could be an indulgence in immediate,sensory pleasure at the expense of Eros and rationality.