Some early ideals of conservation saw protected areas as wild and pristine landscapes whose natural resources were strictly managed. The field of conservation has similarly focused on rigid scientific goals in its pursuit of conservation outcomes. Ironically, it was the pursuit of a rigidly defined “happiness,” Huxley alluded, which lead to unhappiness and threatened the long-term stability of his utopian world. Huxley described a deeply disturbing society that operated largely on numb autopilot disconnected from the natural world.

Happiness was pursued above all other goals through “objective” science with nonconformists being cast away to islands to live as freethinking “savages.” Despite the promises of this “Brave New World,” all was not well. Societal roles were defined quite literally at conception, eliminating the anxiety of making decisions. In 1931 Aldous Huxley invented a world where science was used to maximize people’s happiness and comfort. Here, the place of Bernard's and Helmholtz's banishment.Key words: conservation justice well-being INTRODUCTION Here, Mustapha Mond uses the word humorously to describe his lowly position early in his career.įalkland Islands a small group of islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South America. Scullion a servant doing the rough dirty work in a kitchen. In Chapter 17, however, Bernard will return, humbled but in better spirits, ready to face his punishment.Ĭhary careful or cautious not given freely.Ībjection a state of misery and degradation. Silent and anxious throughout the discussion, he panics and breaks down when he hears the sentence of banishment. In contrast, this chapter reveals Bernard at his lowest point, with all his former daring and rebelliousness evaporated. Both men respect each other, clearly, and Mond even envies Helmholtz his interesting future in banishment, outside the confines of conformity. John debates Mond directly and intelligently, without lapsing into name-calling or violence as he has with Lenina and later with the Deltas.įor his part, Helmholtz forges a bond of understanding with the World Controller. John seems interested to find someone in the brave new world who can understand (if not share) his values and is even familiar with Shakespeare. Note the different ways in which each of the three characters responds to Mond. Mond's satisfaction with his own view of the dystopia is apparent, but Huxley leaves the matter of freedom and justice open to the reader. Mond's declaration that in his society everyone is happy - even (and, he argues, especially) Epsilons - recalls the image of the Epsilon elevator-operator, sighing in joy at his brief glimpse of the roof before being sent back down into the darkness again. The best society, he explains, 'is modeled on the iceberg - eight-ninths below the water line, one-ninth above.' John's proposal that the predestinators could, at least, make everyone an Alpha meets with an immediate rejection by Mond. In an extraordinary lecture, Mond defends the society's repressive control over its people - even the development of deliberately brain-damaged fetuses - in the name of human happiness. Stability, rather than truth or beauty, represents the true human value in this age. But he objects to the poetry on social grounds Shakespeare's tragedies require a dangerous instability, now an outdated concept.

Comparing the feelies and Shakespeare, Mond unhesitatingly comes down on the side of Shakespeare. In debating with Helmholtz and John, Mond concedes the validity of their literary loyalties. As someone who controls the dystopian world while remaining aware of its flaws, then, Mond is the perfect character to answer the objections of Helmholtz and John. Choosing a position of responsibility in preference to banishment - a decision he regrets at times - Mond explains that he consciously took on the duty of making others happy through social engineering. Mond came to an acceptance of dystopian values, he confesses, after a radical youth, during which he experimented with forbidden science. In a sense, this is the conversation both John and Helmholtz have been waiting for - the explanation of everything dissatisfying about the supposedly ideal social system.Īs a World Controller who makes - and, accordingly, can break - the laws, Mond reveals his own anti-social tendencies. In this chapter - the aftermath of the soma riot - Mustapha Mond discusses the importance of happiness and stability, even at the cost of truth and freedom. Bernard panics, but Helmholtz accepts the new life, far from the pressures of conformity. After they discuss the reasons for social control, Mond banishes Bernard and Helmholtz to the Falkland Islands for their role in the riot.

In this chapter, John, Bernard, and Helmholtz submit to the judgment of Mustapha Mond.

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