Brave New World involves a debate about what makes my life go best. The society of the novel is constructed around the idea of happiness, using happiness (either in the form of pleasure or desire-satisfaction) as the yardstick for well-being. As the Director states in the first chapter, ". . . [T]hat is the secret of happiness and virtue-- liking what you got to do"(16). On the other hand, John, the outsider who everyone else considers a savage because grew up outside the world state (and was born and not hatched), rejects this measure. He rather proclaims a list of objective values that don't necessarily allow (and often make impossible) convenient comforts. He professes, " But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin"(240).
So, what is the novel telling us about happiness? Should we pursue it individually? As a society? Should we construct our politics around it? Is it the measure of well-being -- or is it something else? According to the novel, what makes my life go best.
Brave New World makes a claim that society operates better when one can be engineered to enjoy their career/lifestyle regardless of how lavish or destitute it is. The society within the book argues that people are happiest when their desires are satisfied. While there are a few exceptions to this philosophy within the novel, such as Hemholtz and Bernard, that belief is mostly true. In our modern society, it is impossible for everyone to have their desires fulfilled. That is because the desires in our society are far too agreed upon for everyone to experience their desires to be fulfilled. Not every person in society can have a large mansion, swimming pool, and retire by 35. There must always be someone mopping floors, bussing tables, and driving buses. This mentality of, “it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it” leaves many people feeling unfulfilled and ultimately less happy. However, in a society where desires can be manufactured, one can make a group of people desire to do the menial jobs required for a stable society. By using happiness as something to strive for and creating a system where happiness means stability, the global government has created a utopia. They have created a city where everyone is happy all the time. While it may be impossible to copy their society exactly, the book offers some lessons as to what we should change in our society. The clearest being that jobs that a vital to the stability of our society should be greatly compensated. Our societal goal should be making more menial jobs more desirable through boosting the compensation to an amount where they can pursue their other desires. It also teaches individuals that they should pursue a life where they can have their desires satisfied.
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