Society

Society has its hidden secrets that many philosophers before our time have tried to piece together. Yet there is no certainty as to what is right from wrong. We can only go by what is more relevant today by those visions of others. Neil Postman contrasted the visions of the future by two philosophers work, Aldous Huxley’s novel, Brave New World, and George Orwell’s mental picture in his novel, 1984. Postman was in fact correct by making the affirmation that Huxley’s vision is more relevant today than is Orwell’s. Orwell’s vision might have been true at some time in history, but we can relate Huxley’s with the society that we live in today.
As Huxley suggest, “people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” [Postman 11] In the society that we live in today, we are surrounded by all sorts of technological advancement that have facilitated the work of man. The people have grown accustomed to them and they have become a part of the everyday life. A students’ work at school for instance is no longer as arduous thanks to the help of devices such as computers, calculators, and the internet. Worldwide resources are at reach with the click of a button, a calculus problem won’t be as difficult to solve with the use of a calculator, and an essay due the next day will not need the use of a pencil but instead of a keyboard. Such technologies have cut off some time from such tasks and in a way they have undone our capacities to think since the need is no longer there thanks to these devices. Yet, society has grown to love them because we are not so much concerned as to how much it affects our capacities to think, but how much time it saves us.
Another one of Huxley’s visions was that “there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.” [Postman 13] Many years ago the typical family past time was to read. The average American family was interested in the work of many great writers of poetry, novels, or just news. Now, this pastime has been replaced with television, videogames, and social networking websites. More people become almost addicted to these past times that the need to read is almost out of use. The majority of students will not read for their own pleasure unless they are required to do so by a school teacher. Books are no longer seen as enjoyment of the arts, but a torture to those who don’t find it in themselves the need to read. As the endless numbers of books in libraries collect dust sitting on a rack, people in society lay around at home killing time with their typical pastimes. The delight of reading has been dying out throughout the years that Huxley’s vision is more than true; it has become this society’s reality.
“What we love will ruin us.” [Postman 23-24] Huxley could not have been more precise in his vision than with this statement. Indeed, the things that we love hurt us the most. They do so because we allow them to. Sometimes the love that we have for others is so strong that we tolerate the wrongs that they do to us, because in fact that love is so great. Eventually the pain and suffering that comes along with all of this profound love will do nothing more than ruin us. It will become uncontrollable and take over our lives. To unleash yourself from this bond is almost nearly impossible. It is what makes it so strong that keeps hurting us, and yet you allow it to, because you love it. The love that you have for others permits their harm to reach you, leaving you vulnerable to all damage and eventual ruin.
Huxley’s vision of the future could not have been more precise. It is almost as if he seen everything through our time. Although his vision can be eye opening it doesn’t stop it from being true. Postman was right in considering Huxley’s vision as the most relative to the society of our time. Huxley was able to uncover the secrets of this society through his visions and are now true in this time. Will this current society’s way of life change throughout time? If so, will there be others who will predict the time coming, and have their visions become a reality? Only time will tell.