Elsa Jelkeby

IB 2A

How The Pursuit of Happiness has Destroyed Free Will

In the Dystopian Novel, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, The citizens of the
World State live a life of constant comfort and happiness, ensured by sex, drugs,
propaganda and genetic engineering. The society is portrayed as perfect at its outer shell,
as unemployment, diseases and even dirt are concepts of the past. Yet Behind the ideal
World States flawless facade , the citizens of the society have been converted into
products of a mass production,sustained through the manipulation of the citizens pursuit
for happiness. In this essay I will discuss how the World State has developed three
powerful methods of manipulating the pursuit of happiness with in the society, and how it
has destroyed the existence of free will in the World State in order to stabilize Power .

The first method used by the World State Government to guarantee universal
happiness, is the use of biotechnology and genetic engineering controlling the mental
capacity of the citizens as well as their idea of how “happiness” achieved. The minds of
citizens are conditioned at birth with in the confinement of glass bottle as each individual is
given a caste, with specific characteristics, mental capacity and jobs to for fill with in the
society. The predestination of the citizens is emphasized by Mustapha Mond as he states
“we decant our babies as socialized human beings, as alphas or epsilons, as future
sewage works or future directors of hatcheries “(10). By using conditioning, citizens are
guaranteed happiness only if they for fill their expected task in society, as conditioning “
makes people like their inescapable social destiny."(16). The citizens are there by
enslaved by their conditioned state, and unable to make independent decisions in how
happiness is achieved, as they are conditioned believe that they are “so glad they’re a
beta”(27).As a result, citizens will not question their roles in society as well as the society
itself because they receive direct bliss when they for fill their desired task with in their
caste. The citizens are turned into mindless slaves, oblivious to the their conditioned mind
set and believing that they are free, using their happiness to justify their freedom. This is
further conveyed by a crucial character, Lenina, as she claims “ I am free. Free to have
the most wonderful time. Everybody is happy nowadays. “ (79). Conditioning causes the
citizens to pursuit happiness without needing to consciously make decisions or inquire, as
well as only find happiness with in their labour with in the society, destroying any form of
free will out side the Governments demands.

Not only is conditioning used to manipulate the minds of the citizens, but also
methods of brainwashing during the infantile citizens sleep, known as hyponopedia is
crucial in manipulating the citizens idea of happiness to the cost of their free will.
Hyponopedia is used to implant moral education with in the minds of citizens without any
form of reason. From the use of hypnopedia, the citizens are discouraged from reasoning,
which is emphasized by Mustafa Mond as he believes “ moral education, which ought
never, in any circumstanced, to be rational “ (21). This removes the citizens ability to think
beyond their given mental capacity and question their happiness. Hypnopedia also
infiltrates how happiness is achieved, as through sayings such as “A gramme (soma) is
better than a damn."(54) eliminating human curiosity as well as rationalizing. Citizens are
taught to believe that happiness is only achieved through the norms of the government,
brainwashed by conditioning and hypnopedia to follow the norms of society, further
destroying the citizens free will.

! The citizens of the world state are not only governed and restrained mentally from
the use of genetic engineering, but also by external factors, such as laws and norms of the
society that aim to promote happiness yet limit free will.
The World State have removed any form of Intimate relationships between humans, such
as family, marriage and friendship. All the relationships mentioned require affection and
commitment, but also hold a risk of heart break, tears,potential sorrow and loss. In order
for the WS to guarantee a Happy society, all of these relationships are removed, and
replaced with promiscuous sex lacking any form of human commitment.
The importance of Casual Sex is demonstrated at an early age as the children of the
world state are thought lessons on “elementary sex” (11) and through out life take part in
sexual rituals such as orgyporgy (73). The Hyponopedic Slogans such as “everyone
belongs to everyone else “(pg 37) further strengthens the norm that sex has no emotional
value, and is an essential element in the pursuit of happiness. As a result, Relationships
are non existent, as is the value of chastity and love as it is considered "too
revolting...” (122). Instead, citizens are taught to believe that happiness is felt at state of
instant physical contentment, rather than from real human intimacy or emotion. Any form of
relationship blooms from the free will of an individual, and once humans relationships are
transformed into nothing but for sexual purposes, although physical bliss may be felt, free
will and emotional depth is suppressed. The removal of relationships in order to pursue
“happiness” also removes the possibility of any human influences on the citizens morals,
as motherly and family figures are removed. This means the morals of the citizens are
decided by their conditioning as well as laws of the government, leaving little human
influence on the citizens mentality , further limiting the free will . The sex provides the
citizens with a ecstatic happiness, and physical contentment, distracting them from the
enslavement of the society as well as maintaining their infantile mindset. The citizens are
simply “infants when feelings and desires are concerned”( 81)as they continuously
consume sex, avoiding any form of discomfort with in the society. The ecstatic bliss
received from sex further distracts the citizens from faults and suppression with in the
society, as the sex causes the citizens to surrender their individual self to the society, for
few moments of sexual ecstasy.

! When both conditioning and sexual pleasure fails, hallucinative drugs are used to
numb any form of sorrow with in the World state, used to create an artificial bliss far
beyond the citizens control. The drug soma, which also means “to sleep” is distributed to
all members of society, and play significant roles in all social gatherings and daily
routines. The citizens live by the saying "One cubic centimeter cures ten gloomy
sentiments,"(89) and constantly rely on soma to feel a momentary bliss and escape,
similar to sexual pleasure. Although the consumption of soma enables an ecstatic state of
happiness, it also results in the person loosing contact to reality as well as their inner
consciousness. The people instead experience happiness in an artificial bubble far from
reality in their “soma holiday” (72).The societies dependence of soma is seen in how
Lenina lacks the ability to confront the horrors of the savage reservation, and chooses to
consume excessive amounts of drugs rather than confronting the issues found with in the
society, suggesting to Bernard to ” take soma when you have these dreadful ideas of
yours” (89) .This shows how Soma is used effectively used to promote physical
contentment amongst the society and to simply escape from all forms discomfort instead
of confronting them, to the cost of self awareness and free will,as The citizens experience
an artificial happiness, far from their conscious state of mind and reality.
! The three methods of how to sustain happiness in the World State are strictly
monitored though an elaborate system of biological engineering as well as mandatory
rituals and propaganda for the purpose stabilizing power. Happiness with in the world
state is a single moment of physical contempt, no requiring any emotional depth that would
need the citizens to think and behave independently. The citizens are simply “infants when
feelings and desires are concerned”( 81) from their consumption of casual sex and drugs
and inability to with stand their desires similar to infants. The purpose of keeping the
citizens infantile, is to sustain stability with in the society, “Reducing the number of
revolutions per minute” ( 10). Happiness is used to conceal the totalitarian rule and the
enslavement of the citizens, as the citizens are fully dependent on the consumption of sex,
drugs or their predestined roles in society. Since the citizens are constantly contempt, they
feel no need for change or two challenge the government, resulting in a stable and
consistent society where the government is fully in power over it’s infantile citizens lacking
free will.

! The world state has sustained power from the use 3 strong methods ensuring
universal happiness, that results in a costly price of human free will.The World State is
able to manipulate the citizens happiness, with drugs, mandatory sexual rituals, as well as
genetic engineering, that although guarantee happiness, also deprive the citizens of free
will. Brave new world conveys how happiness is easily manipulated, and can be just as
powerful as terror and violence to maintain totalitarian control over a population.
Happiness is even conveyed as more powerful than terror, as the citizens use their
“happiness” to overlook their enslavement and loss of free will .Although the citizens have
functioning brains and beating hearts they lack the human characteristics to question, to
empathize and feel emotionally. The citizens are instead transformed into mindless
products of a mass production with in the society. Fine arts, relationships, as well as any
form of development fades as human free will is extinct, whilst the cycle of consumption
endlessly turns. Sex. Drugs. Work. Sex. Drugs. Work. Dystopian Literature serves as
possible looking glass into the future, seen in Brave new world as we are shown how our
desire for universal happiness can instead cause us to loose the experiences that we hold
dearest, such as family, friendship and high arts, also bringing up the question, what
lengths are we willing to go to achieve universal happiness? Although the book was
written in 1915, many of Huxley's warnings are visible in the society we live in today, such
as the consumption of drugs, casual sex, video games, TV shows, as we increasingly
escape reality into a moment of ecstasy, surrendering our free will.