Research paper secondary sources (10 notecards)
"The first stop is in the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms, where infants are conditioned to associate certain objects with fear, thus guaranteeing their dislike of said object throughout their adult life. This method of conditioning draws from the work of Ivan Pavlov, a Russian scientist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Through his study of the behavior of dogs, Pavlov demonstrated the existence of "conditioned reflexes," or responses that seem instinctive to an adult but are actually the result of some previous, repetitive association," (Blooms) Bloom, Harold. "Brave New World." Brave New World, Original Edition, Chelsea House, 2019. Bloom's Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17659&itemid=WE54&articleId=574085. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020
In Bloom's 'Brave New World' article, he gives background to the psychological idea generated by Ivan Pavlov. He used a bell and dog food to classically condition them to salivate at the ring of a bell. This idea is extremely useful when trying to generate a specific response to a specific stimulus. Although it has been proven as unethical on humans, Huxley gives insight as to what a world with limitless desires and technological advancements looks like.
"The embryos are conditioned in numerous ways while on the conveyer belts: those destined to become Epsilons and Deltas are given less oxygen, thus stunting their neurological and physical growth. . . Embryos undergo Heat conditioning, preparing them physically to work in specific latitudes. . . " (Blooms) Bloom, Harold. "Brave New World." Brave New World, Original Edition, Chelsea House, 2019. Bloom's Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17659&itemid=WE54&articleId=574085. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020
In Bloom's article, 'Brave New World', he alludes to the idea of how psychological advancements are taking part of the mass production of humans in order to modify them and prepare them for their chosen life. This quote also establishes the loss of individuality with the biomedical engineering of humans.
"After the alarms and electricity cease, the children are again offered the books and roses, but this time they are terrified by the sight. This exercise will be repeated two hundred times while the infants are in the nursery, forever linking terror and pain with books and flowers," (Blooms) Bloom, Harold. "Brave New World." Brave New World, Original Edition, Chelsea House, 2019. Bloom's Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17659&itemid=WE54&articleId=574085. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020
In Blooms article, 'Brave New World', he expands on this idea of psychologically conditioning infants in order to achieve a utopian society. The repetition of conditioning causes the unethical response of fear that is irreversible.
"John Savage is usually deemed the most individualistic character in the novel. However, his actions are not so much prompted by the desire to confirm his individuality but, rather, to integrate into society," (Brown) Brown, Elke. "Individual and Society in Brave New World." Encyclopedia of Themes in Literature, 3-Volume Set, Facts On File, 2010. Bloom's Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17659&itemid=WE54&articleId=38950. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.
In Brown's article, 'Individual and Society in Brave New World', he highlights the idea of conforming to fit societies wants and goals. Although we may believe that all humans posses individuality, this novel excludes that from society. It isn't seen as a right, but rather an entity with no meaning.
"Like the Orwell novel, this book introduced new words into common usage, including soma, which refers to the use of psychoactive drugs to condition citizens of a future world into conforming to the dictates of society," (D'Ammassa) D'Ammassa, Don. "Brave New World." Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Second Edition, Facts On File, 2013. Bloom's Literature online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17659&itemid=WE54&articleId=37787. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.
In the article 'Brave New World' written by Don D'Ammassa, the idea of psychoactive drugs are introduced. This comments on the fact that not only are the hierarchal people promoting psychological conditioning, but they are also promoting drugs to condition the future in order to fit their ideal picture of what a society should look like.
"In many ways, Brave New World demonstrates the result of transplanting the growing ideals of mass production onto humanity itself, rather than simply humanity's machines. This is something to keep in mind throughout the novel; the narrator's opinion of the society that he describes becomes more obvious as the story progresses," (Blooms) Bloom, Harold. "Brave New World." Brave New World, Original Edition, Chelsea House, 2019. Bloom's Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17659&itemid=WE54&articleId=574085. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020
In this article, 'Brave New World', Bloom comments on the idea of mass production and how it can be achieved in the aspect of humanity if we allow technology to continue to advance without stopping it. This gives insight to the idea that although something is achievable, it shouldn't be achieved.
"It has become a kind of byword for a society in which the values of scientific technology are dominant, and which has therefore has reduced man to species of machine," (Firchow) Firchow, Peter. "Science and Conscience in Huxley's 'Brave New World.'" Contemporary Literature, vol. 16, no. 3, 1975, pp. 301-316. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1207404. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.
The idea of technological advancements that lead to increased machinery of humanity in Firchow's 'Science and Conscience in Huxley's 'Brave New World', highlights the same idea of mass production. This alludes to the fact that technology is achievable but shouldn't be achieved.
". . . Huxley's scientific prophecies are not likely to be fulfilled is reached not on scientific but on social grounds. In fact, Huxley's main argument that man is genetically modifiable and psychologically conditionable has, if anything, gained in scientific authority," (Firchow) Firchow, Peter. "Science and Conscience in Huxley's 'Brave New World.'" Contemporary Literature, vol. 16, no. 3, 1975, pp. 301-316. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1207404. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.
This article highlights the idea of both psychology and technology in "Brave New World" and how it can be used to create an entire uniform society.
"The reviewer finds "prophecy" in Huxley's novel, and is disappointed with the simplicity of it. But Huxley insisted that Brave New World was not a prophetic novel, but a cautionary one. He saw the rapid changes that scientific advancement was allowing in his society and, aided by a strong scientific background, imagined how much further it might go," (Bloom) Bloom, Harold. "Background to Brave New World." Brave New World, Original Edition, Chelsea House, 2019. Bloom's Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17659&itemid=WE54&articleId=574111. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.
This portion of Bloom's article, 'Background to Brave New World', alludes to the idea of technological and scientific development and how it can lead to our societies destruction.
". . . "uncivilized" elements already exist in the society, and they exist in the minds of the most powerful. Some people, such as Mond, realize that conditioning is not a moral decision, but a practical one, and that it does come with a price—new ideas and progress. . ."(Blooms) Bloom, Harold. "Brave New World." Brave New World, Original Edition, Chelsea House, 2019. Bloom's Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17659&itemid=WE54&articleId=574085. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020
This quote suggests the idea of hierarchy and unethical decisions in 'Brave New World". Although they understand the unethical traits of this system, they do nothing to stop it, but rather enforce it to help civilization.