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Ignorance is Strength: The Doublethink Dilemma Behind George Orwell’s 1984

By a Churchill Middle School Student

Third grade, Unit 1
Prompt: Creation of Dystopian Society

October 26th, 2020

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INTRODUCTION
Imagine a world where memories are useless. Where remembering only causes pain. Imagine
a place where society is immortal, and you will always belong because everyone is the same. In
the world of George Orwell’s novel “1984”, he offers us perspectives in the fields of
epistemology (study of human knowledge) and metaphysics (study of the existent and
non-existent) in his novel. Orwell creates a political party (referred to as the party) that has been
able to normalize ignorance of what we call solid facts. This has allowed the creation of an
environment malleable to believe their lies through the process of doublethink: Which uses in the
novel some psychological factors such as tribalism, the simplification of knowledge, and the
approval of hate to create a dystopian society.
To begin with, past societies before the one Orwell portrays have created a sense of
nationalism based on belonging and being part of a stronger society, however, the 1984 society
has gone further; it is rather the sense of tribalism based on being all as one. Tribalism in the
social sense can be defined as an internal process of identifying your own opinions as a trait in
your identity causing people to be “more emotional and less logical” (Javanbakht, 2019). In
Orwell’s book, O’Brien goes through different torture systems in history and explains that they
are very different from them due to that their system makes their victims succumb their minds to
the party instead of confessing (Orwell, 1949). This implies that the sense of belonging found in
1984 is stronger than in past societies: as the indifference past societies used to control their
enemies is rather channeled for the other people inside the 1984 society to generate higher
tribalism with the party.
In O’Brien’s discussion, it is also said that “Alone — free — the human is always defeated…
But if he can make complete, utter submission, if he can escape from his identity, if he can merge
himself in the party so that he is the party, then he is all powerful and immortal.”(Orwell, 1949
p.264). This shows us that the party seeks its society to be tribal as they associate their identity to
the beliefs of the party, making them feel even more part of it because it relates to them:
increasing their love and trust for it. As a disadvantage of this comes the loss of individuality
because to make people syntonize with the party’s thoughts they need their society to forget
about their own. And as seen in the novel, it is done through promoting the power of community
and the strict disapproval of individual, reflective activities (Orwell, 1949). From this we can see
that different from past societies, the 1984 society uses mind control to make their population
feel their identity is the party. And as this society defines that their minds are a part of the party,
they are giving their minds to the party; making it able for the party to control the truth and to
define the only truth as they want.
In addition to this, the 1984 society has also modified knowledge in such a way that everyone
thinks the same thoughts without the need to understand complex subjects. Firstly, in the novel,
the reality is changed by mind control: making us see that the interpretation according to the
party about the facts that we consider real are found in the mind and the conscious assimilation
of them (Orwell, 1949). This offers us a more open-minded perspective on metaphysics; as what
is considered as reality is not scientific or literal for this society as they do not believe in the laws
of nature and rather make their own rules with the use of the mind (Orwell, 1949). It is also said
that the party can control both of the sources that determine the past: human memories (through
doublethink) and records (through the modification of them) (Orwell, 1949). Therefore, as the
past is modified, the 1984 society takes a perspective based on the modification of history. Also,

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thanks to the tribalism (the fact they become their perspective) mentioned before, the party can
control the actions of their people.
This is very related to the quote repeated several times in the novel: “who controls the past
controls the future, who controls the future controls the present” (Orwell, 1949 p.248): as the
1984 society has controlled the past to control the future of the society, which for the party
desires is to keep the future always the same for the party to maintain and increase power. Thus,
since the minds of the society are already convinced that the party has the truth, the evidence can
be controlled by the society itself.
Finally, for the 1984 society, there is also an expectation of devotion in loving the party.
Ending up for hate for life and humanity; thus repeating the cycle of tribalism and gaining power
each time. Orwell in his novel talks about the anti-sex league and the eradication of the sex
instinct, as they want the people in the party to give their entire love to big brother (Orwell,
1949). Also, it is told, the education done to children is merely for the surveillance of their
parents and thus builds tension inside families (Orwell, 1949). All of those family and love
bonds are very related to what O’Brien says in the novel: “… If you want a picture of the future,
imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever.”(Orwell, 1949 p. 267). This is because they
show us that the party seeks the eradication of human traits such as love. After all, those bonds
are what reflect human identity (the human face) and invite you to “put the other one first”;
something that the party does not seek as it wants to have all the love of its people for itself.
This love is used by the party to gain power for defeating the “…heretic, the enemy of
society” (Orwell, 1949 p.268) due to the fact this ideological power the society gives to big
brother makes easier the making of peer pressure; especially when you are told through torture
and feel the weakness you have in comparison to the party, as Winston went through when
looking in a mirror, comparing his weak human body to his partyself (Orwell, 1949). Finally, it
can also be seen in room 101, where he was able to leave Julia because he felt very threatened
(Orwell, 1949). Therefore, the cycle of tribalism in comparison to other societies carries on due
to the fact there is nothing else to love unless big brother and that you cannot see elsewhere from
yourself because you are the party: however, as mentioned before, loving someone else returns
the people in this society into their human-selves; and thanks to the elimination of conscience
people prefer their party selves because it is more convenient and more in the comfort zone (like
in room 101), and thus, makes the party’s purpose triumph again.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the society we can see in the book 1984 has created an ideal where their
ignorance is strength thanks to manipulation done to create tribalism, unity of thought, and hate
in its people. This text offers us a different perspective on metaphysics and epistemology due to
the fact it shows how human conscience can be used for masses of people to change their
perception of their reality; as existence is perceived to be equal to human conscience and as long
as humans are aware, things will exist. Thus, conscience is everything in this world. This book
clearly expresses that when it is given up to something else bigger than you, society can find
equality. However, as uniqueness becomes a subject of more importance these days, taking care
of your conscience and seeking the things you love is more important than ever.

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REFERENCES:

Javanbakht, A. (2019, 19 march). The politics of fear: How it manipulates us to tribalism. The

Conversation. Retrieved from:

https://theconversation.com/the-politics-of-fear-how-it-manipulates-us-to-tribalism-1138

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Orwell, G. (1949). 1984. Signet.