Abstract
The characteristics of what comprise a perfectly just society have been long debated and discussed since the time of Plato, particularly in his Republic. Plato has had a profound influence on political and philosophical thinkers. One such thinker is Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World. Huxley's Brave New World is the product of a meticulously planned and controlled society that seeks to provide happiness and productivity for its citizens. Huxley constructs this ideal society by genetically engineering, pharmaceutically anesthetizing, and conditioning people to accept their predetermined class within society. When Huxley's Brave New World is contrasted with Plato's recommendations for the best society, featured in his Republic, the effects of the two approaches are revealed. While there are similarities between Plato's Republic and Huxley's Brave New World with regard to Plato's tenets of a utopia, Huxley's Brave New World diverges from Plato in its conception of happiness.
Plato's tenets of a utopia include the following: perpetual peace, political authority reserved to those with a legitimate claim to exercise it, full satisfaction of basic human needs, communal sharing, and effortless civic virtue through education and eugenics (02/08/12, Dr. Grey). These features are exemplified in Huxley's Brave New World. Huxley creates a society where people are conditioned to accept the World State's motto of Community, Identity, and Stability (1). This conditioning has created a citizenry with an unwavering conviction for these values, which in turn fosters stability. As the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning states, "Bokanovsky's Process is one of the major instruments of social stability!" (7).
