07 Mar 12
"In October of 1949, a few months after the release of George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four, he received a fascinating letter from fellow author Aldous Huxley — a man who, 17 years previous, had seen his own nightmarish vision of society published, in the form of Brave New World. What begins as a letter of praise soon becomes a brief comparison of the two novels, and an explanation as to why Huxley believes his own, earlier work to be a more realistic prediction."
From the excellent 'Letters of Note'.
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/03/1984-v-brave-new-world.html
07 Mar 12
Originally posted by DrKFI think in your case - The City and the City.
Never got round to it - but I might be going abroad with work for three months or so and need some reading to take with me - where should I start?
You might dig up his Marxist thesis take on international law while you're at it.
07 Mar 12
Originally posted by Bosse de NageIt's on the list, thanks.
I think in your case - The City and the City.
You might dig up his Marxist thesis take on international law while you're at it.
But another Marxist take on Il..? (A very good friend just returned to teach IL at the Uni where I live: his first assignment was to read 'On the Jewish Question'. Cue student bafflement...)
07 Mar 12
Originally posted by DrKFI'd go for the novel first, to be honest. It knocks other crime thrillers into a hatted cock, to purloin Will Self's immortal coinage.
It's on the list, thanks.
But another Marxist take on Il..? (A very good friend just returned to teach IL at the Uni where I live: his first assignment was to read 'On the Jewish Question'. Cue student bafflement...)
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09 Mar 12
Originally posted by DrKFI'm not sure that seeing 1984 as a prediction of the future is not a fundamental misunderstanding of the book. I read it rather as a dire warning for (at least parts of) the present.
"In October of 1949, a few months after the release of George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four, he received a fascinating letter from fellow author Aldous Huxley — a man who, 17 years previous, had seen his own nightmarish vision of society published, in the form of Brave New World. What begins as a letter of praise soon becomes a brief comp ...[text shortened]... planation as to why Huxley believes his own, earlier work to be a more realistic prediction."
Richard
10 Mar 12
Originally posted by Shallow BlueLike a Shakespearian drama, it borrows contemporary props to flesh out a classic (power) structure.
I'm not sure that seeing 1984 as a prediction of the future is not a fundamental misunderstanding of the book. I read it rather as a dire warning for (at least parts of) the present.
Richard
11 Mar 12
Originally posted by DrKF"The change will be brought about as a result of a felt need for increased efficiency."
"In October of 1949, a few months after the release of George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four, he received a fascinating letter from fellow author Aldous Huxley — a man who, 17 years previous, had seen his own nightmarish vision of society published, in the form of Brave New World. What begins as a letter of praise soon becomes a brief comp ...[text shortened]... lent 'Letters of Note'.
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/03/1984-v-brave-new-world.html
That is the key quote from the letter. The perceived need for ever greater efficiency causes people to submit themselves to ever greater losses of personal freedom. In effect they have become their own jailers by accepting that their enslavement to technological processes is for their own good. What is needed is not ever greater efficiency, but considerably less efficiency. Efficiency and freedom are mutually incompatible. A gain for one is necessarily a loss for the other.
11 Mar 12
1 edit
Originally posted by rwingettIs this why many technologies which are meant to save us time in fact consume our
"The change will be brought about as a result of a felt need for increased efficiency."
That is the key quote from the letter. The perceived need for ever greater efficiency causes people to submit themselves to ever greater losses of personal freedom. In effect they have become their own jailers by accepting that their enslavement to technological proce ...[text shortened]... ncy and freedom are mutually incompatible. A gain for one is necessarily a loss for the other.
time, like the car (sitting in traffic for hours) or the computer (endless hours of surfing
and blogging)
11 Mar 12
1 edit
Originally posted by robbie carrobieIt's not just that you waste time in traffic, or blogging, but that your entire life is reshaped to conform to the dictates of the technological processes that make the production of cars and computers possible in the first place. Taken to its extreme, the people in 'Brave New World' themselves have literally become products of the assembly line. They are bred and conditioned as tools for keeping that process functioning smoothly. It has become a case, not of humanity using technology to satisfy their needs, but of technology using humanity to satisfy its needs.
Is this why many technologies which are meant to save us time in fact consume our
time, like the car (sitting in traffic for hours) or the computer (endless hours of surfing
and blogging)
11 Mar 12
Originally posted by rwingettok, its worse than i thought, but you can always opt out, buy a cottage in the Scottish
It's not just that you waste time in traffic, or blogging, but that your entire life is reshaped to conform to the dictates of the technological processes that make the production of cars and computers possible in the first place. Taken to its extreme, the people in 'Brave New World' themselves have literally become products of the assembly line. They are b ...[text shortened]... hnology to satisfy their needs, but of technology using humanity to satisfy its needs.
highlands and forget the world.
12 Mar 12
Originally posted by rwingettYou are but an hypostasis of the technological sublime.
It's not just that you waste time in traffic, or blogging, but that your entire life is reshaped to conform to the dictates of the technological processes that make the production of cars and computers possible in the first place. Taken to its extreme, the people in 'Brave New World' themselves have literally become products of the assembly line. They are b ...[text shortened]... hnology to satisfy their needs, but of technology using humanity to satisfy its needs.