Un libro espléndido de ideas finamente argumentadas y entramadas. Tiene altibajos, pero sus altas compensan con creces sus escasos momentos planos. Es una magnífica radiografía política de la época moderna que también alcanza a explicar la supuesta época posmoderna, que en la realidad no ha sido sino un fracasado esfuerzo por romper el modelo de uniformidad de la época de la que surge. Huxley escribe sobre las causas que determinaron el dominio absoluto de las masas de Hitler, pero al mismo tiempo, nos está explicando, paso a paso, el triunfo del deleznable Donald Trump. El Maestro inglés siempre fue un genio de la "literatura de anticipación", hasta en sus ensayos.

DNF and am not planning on picking it back up anytime soon. This book was gross and unoriginal, and it doesn’t help that Huxley actually AGREED with some of the ideologies in this book. Maybe someday I will get around to finishing it since it is a Classic, but I just can’t understand why when there are so many better Dystopian novels out there.

I hadn’t looked into this book before reading it and thought it was a follow up novel to the original Brave New World. Not even close. It was a collection of thoughtful essays that addressed the central themes of his original work and that of Orwell’s 1984. I purchased this book and will be adding it to my collection.

If you enjoyed "Brave New World", only because it is a fiction, this book, which is psycho-analysis, if you will, of the Brave New World and our World in general, might not be for you. I personally enjoyed this one, because I didn't look at the Brave New World as strictly a fiction novel, but a warning sign, an example and explanation of scientifically induced soft tyrannical society. The world is painted in the bright lights and happiness, but at the same time lack of individual decision making, choices or freedom. You are expected, as per your preconditioned state, to act, work, live and play a certain way according to you caste. Since I saw Brave New World through a lens of reality, the Brave New World Revisited was a must read for me and anyone who saw it in the same light, with the pinch of reality. I do recommend that if you haven't read Brave New World, do that first, to understand what Revisited (collection of assays packaged into a book) is all about and also, read 1984, since Huxley does reference it here as well, so that you can draw your own conclusions better.

Brave new world vs 1984. Both draw distinct definition of "Utopian" society. Where social structure, conditioning and interaction is controlled. Even though one is "beautiful" at a first glance and the other is very despotic and dark, they are not much different in the outcome or "social justice" forced upon centralized ruling body. Moral of both is that an individual freedom is discouraged and suppressed, which is the utmost source of basic human nature. To be him/her person is one thing that pro "Utopian" writers tend to dismiss or choose to suggest that can be controlled, but not negative "Utopian" writers, like Huxley and Orwell, who point out that eventually a human spirit tends to search to be distinct and FREE. Any other society, whether painted in fake Utopian colors or forced on everyone, is the same and carries the same meaning, hence outcome. Whether it is soft tyranny, as in "Brave New World", or it is despotic tyranny as in "1984", the human spirit is contained which begs to search for it's path to freedom. Every person defines freedom in his or her way, so which ever way the forced tyranny is induced, the human spirit wants something else and something that will provide way out of that tyranny.

I know, it is not a big book, but it took me a bit slower to read it, because I want to devour every word. It is brilliant. I didn't know what to expect, but I was just amazed on how remarkable it is. Huxley points out that in the more modern world, the tyranny and take over would be more likely like "Brave New World", rather than "1984". Through "this is good for you" notion, tyranny will flourish / sort tyranny. In laments turns Huxley compared that "you can catch more bees with honey than vinegar", not in so many terms.

He also analyzes ways and methods in which the governments already have, at the time of him writing this book, and eventually will, as we see now in the current time, will use propaganda, induced conditioning and methods to sway the public opinion. He was so close on many levels when he wrote "Brave New World" only 27 years prior to this book, that he points out what he has predicted, what he hasn't foreseen, but thought of and what came true faster than he even expected, in his wildest "fictional Utopian" dreams. Over all, I am fascinated with this book and analysis he has provided to that and more, which I describe in this review.

Uff... Durísimo.

Tardé casi medio año en leerlo, no porque sea difícil, sino porque es demasiado para procesar... sería genial poder sentarme a debatir con bocha de gente la ideología del Huxley desde que escribió Un Mundo Feliz hasta esta crítica de su propia obra.

No coincido plenamente con su pensamiento, pero si entiendo que el tipo en su momento (estamos hablando de los años '60), plantea que abramos la cabeza, que la usemos críticamente y así, nos vuela el marulo. Bah, eso me pasó a mí....

Destaco algunas citas, para que se den una idea cómo nos manosea la cabeza y nos hace pensar; principalmente, valoro más su lucha por nuestras libertades individuales:

[CAPÍTULO III: EXCESO DE ORGANIZACIÓN]

La organización es indispensable, pues la libertad existe y tiene sentido únicamente dentro de una comunidad autorregulada de individuos que cooperen libremente. Pero, aunque indispensable, la organización también puede ser fatal. La organización excesiva transforma a hombres y mujeres en autómatas, sofoca el espíritu creador y suprime la misma posibilidad de la libertad. Como de costumbre, la única fórmula segura es la del término medio, entre los extremos del laissez faire y de la regulación absoluta.

[CAPÍTULO IV: LA PROPAGANDA EN UNA SOCIEDAD DEMOCRÁTICA]

La comunicación en masa, en pocas palabras, no es ni buena ni mala; es simplemente una fuerza y, como toda fuerza, puede ser bien o mal utilizada.

y

[CAPÍTULO XI: EDUCACIÓN PARA LA LIBERTAD]

[...] Una verdad sin interés puede ser eclipsada por una falsedad emocionante.

(hablame de Posverdad, Huxley...)

[CAPÍTULO VI: EL ARTE DE VENDER]

Los seres humanos actúan de muy diversas maneras irracionales, pero todos ellos parecen capaces, si se les da la debida oportunidad, de optar razonablemente a la luz de las pruebas disponibles. Las instituciones democráticas funcionarán bien únicamente si todos los interesados hacen cuanto esté en sus manos para impartir conocimientos y fomentar la racionalidad. Sin embargo, en nuestro tiempo, en la más poderosa democracia del mundo, los políticos y sus propagandistas prefieren convertir en pura estupidez los procedimientos democráticos y recurrir casi exclusivamente a la ignorancia y la irracionalidad de los electores.

Y hablando un poco más de libertad...

[CAPÍTULO XII: ¿QUÉ PUEDE HACERSE?]

Todo pájaro que aprenda a organizarse una buena vida sin necesidad de usar sus alas pronto renunciará al privilegio del vuelo y permanecerá por siempre en tierra. Algo parecido pasa con los seres humanos. Si se les procura con regularidad y abundancia el pan tres veces al día, muchos de ellos se contentarán con vivir de pan únicamente o, al menos, de pan y circo únicamente. "Al final –dice el Gran Inquisidor en la parábola de Dostoievsky–, pondrán su libertad a nuestros pies y nos dirán: 'Hacednos vuestros esclavos, pero alimentadnos'". Y cuando Aliosha Karamazov pregunta a su hermano, que es quien hace el relato, si el Gran Inquisidor habla irónicamente, Iván contesta: "¡Nada de eso! Sostiene que es un mérito para él y su Iglesia haber vencido a la libertad y que lo han hecho para hacer felices a los hombres." Sí, para hacer felices a los hombres, "pues nada –insiste el Gran Inquisidor– ha sido nunca para un hombre o una sociedad humana más insoportable que la libertad".

Y me quedo justamente con su última frase...

n  Tal vez las fuerzas que amenazan actualmente a la libertad son demasiado fuertes para ser resistidas por mucho tiempo. Sin embargo, tenemos el deber de hacer cuanto podamos para resistirlas.n

Me gustaría volver a leerlo unos años más adelante, si es que todavía puedo, para ver cuánto luchamos como sociedad para que nos dejen de manipular cual títeres los medios/gobiernos-de-turno.

Bevor mensch sich auf dieses Werk stürzt, sollte mensch sich bewusst sein, dass es sich hierbei nicht um eine Fortsetzung von Brave New World im herkömmlichen Sinn handelt. Es ist auch kein Roman, sondern ein politisches und gesellschaftliches Sachbuch.

Etwa 30 Jahre nach Veröffentlichung von BNW schaut Aldous Huxley auf sein Werk zurück und zieht Stellung, wie und wohin sich die Gesellschaft unterdessen entwickelt hat. Trotz des Alters des Buches sollte man Revisited nicht vorschnell beiseite legen.

Denn die Themen, die Huxlex hier anspricht, sind noch immer aktuell. Und wahrscheinlich noch brennender als beim Erscheinen des Buches. Noch immer suchen wir nach Lösungen für unser Energieproblem, gegen die Umweltverschmutzung, den weltweiten Hunger und wenn der Autor über das Thema der Überwachung sprach, hatte ich u.a. Russland und seine Internettrolle im Kopf.

Was Huxley wohl zu Facebook, Insta & Co. sagen würde?

Natürlich sind unterdessen viele Quellen und Daten, auf die der Autor sich bezieht, unterdessen überholt, aber die grundlegenden Beobachtungen und Gedanken Huxleys sind noch immer brisant und lesenswert.

Was ist aus der Schönen Neuen Welt geworden? Oder ist sie bereits geworden?

“Niciodată nu s-a întâmplat ca atât de mulți oameni să fie atât de manipulați de atât de puțini oameni.”

"There seems to be no good reason why a thorougly scientific dictatorship should ever be overthrown."

Reading Brave New World nowadays in more important than ever. The unsuspecting reader would think Huxley was merely describing the 21st century as he saw it, but then would come to know that the book was published in 1958. Aldous Huxley writes in a series of essays about his prospects for the future, how technology will develop to concentrate power in the hands of few and how information media and related methods of mind-control will be used to standardize the individual to the benefit of a Power Elite (C. W. Mills).

"Whenever the economic life of a nation becomes precarious, the central government is forced to assume additional responsibilities for the general welfare. (...) and if, as is very likely, worsening economic conditions result in political unrest, or open rebellion, the central government must intervene to preserve public order and its own authority. More and more power is thus concentrates in the hands of the executives and their bureaucratic managers."

I had longed to read this book since I've read Brave New World for the first time, in 2009. I have read the book thrice since then. Lately, I heard that Olavo de Carvalho saying that Brave New Word Revisited was the most important book to understand the state of things in which we currently live. In times of the so-called "experts", Big Tech censoring dissident voices and governments curbing the freedom of its subjects in the smoothest manner possible, I was sure that Olavo was right.

One fact standa out: people are not educated for freedom. The great majority would prefer someone to think for it. As the saying goes: "give us unlimited pleasure, but don't bother us with responsibility". It has never been easier to conform the minds of the majority to a single thought. In opposition to the world of 1984, which is in a permanent state of war, in the dystopia described in Brave New World, war does not exist; people live in a constant state of euphoria and, hence, do not bother with matters of State or public freedom. In its world, "the Soma habit was not a private vice; it was a political institution, it was the very essence of the Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness guaranteed by the Bill of Rights".

Since thinking for oneself has become rare these days, most authoritarian regimes will take the form of democracies with all of its institutions, but power will be increasingly concentrated and individual liberties will be, so often, "delegated" to fewer individuals. For something to be, it will have to be named properly and confirmed by a few specialist hither and tither. For instance, which of the two would you think has an authoritarian government: The Republic of Korea of the People's Democratic Republic of Korea? Even when governments restrict personal freedoms in the name of life and public health, they will still be called democracies. Petting and smooth-talking have never been so effective.

Does it ring a bell?

"Even if communism has never been invented, this would be likely to happen. But communism has been invented."

Já andava para ler este livro há quatro anos, desde que li a "obra-mãe", o Admirável Mundo Novo. Finalmente, perdi as desculpas pelo caminho e investi alguns dias a ler o Regresso ao Admirável Mundo Novo, do escritor inglês Aldous Huxley.



Desde as primeiras páginas que li escritas por Aldous Huxley que soube que esta distopia seria um dos meus livros favoritos por muito tempo - ainda é! Por isso, já sabia que Huxley só pode ter sido um visionário no seu tempo. É certo que algumas das conclusões do autor são generalistas, mas temos de pensar que este livro foi escrito há sessenta anos e que o mundo se tem alterado a enorme velocidade nas últimas duas ou três décadas.


Além disso, achei o comentário à sua própria obra e a comparação feita com 1984 (de George Orwell) muito elucidativos. Note-se que Admirável Mundo Novo foi escrito antes da 2ª Guerra Mundial e o Regresso foi escrito depois. Desta forma, só falta Huxley dizer "eu tinha razão"... Porque tinha. As ditaduras aconteceram, a indústria do entretenimento aconteceu, a manipulação das mentes aconteceu, até uma tentativa de engenharia genética aconteceu. E não foi preciso muito tempo, apenas uma década depois da publicação da distopia!


Os dois últimos capítulos, sem previsões, mas sim baseados em conselhos e ideias para o futuro, continuam actuais. Chamam-se "Educação para a liberdade" e "Que podemos fazer?". Desafio-vos a lerem-nos, mesmo que não leiam as duzentas páginas anteriores. Após tantas notas negativas acerca do presente de Huxley, ele decide deixar-nos qualquer coisa em que pensar no pós-guerra. Fica a ideia de resistência contra a opressão e o desenvolvimento urgente dum espírito crítico através do questionamento e instrução escolar (independente de ideologias) dos cidadãos.

Mais em: https://fuiprocrastinar.blogs.sapo.pt...

I picked up Huxley’s classic dystopian utopia Brave New World as part of my ongoing pursuit of the classics. His analytical non-fiction follow-up (some thirty years after the novel) was included in the back of the paperback version I was reading, and it immediately piqued my interest, in some ways even more than the novel. Although I ultimately disagree with much of Huxley’s worldview, this collection of essays–which analyzes the possibility and probability of the events in the novel–is fascinating, both as a glimpse into his writing process and from the hindsight viewpoint of a still further sixty years into his future.

Brave New World Revisited: Aldous Huxley - A rare collection of thoughts about his own work published previously which was groundbreaking

I bought BNWR (Brave New World Revisited) (1958) and BNW (Brave New World) (1932) by Aldous Huxley as a vintage publication from Sarasavi Bookshops Online and Sarasavi Bookshops Gampaha branch. Both books have a unique cover design which is pretty awesome.

The novel BNW published in 1932 is far ahead in terms of predicting a fictionalized future rather than his collection of essays BNWR (1958) published after thirty years which have several predictions gone wrong due to political changes in the global setting compared to the 1950s to 2022.

The first chapter "Overpopulation" suggests that due to this issue of the rising population there will be an obvious bias toward communism of nations' policies and due to this there will be a negative impact on the United States of America (USA). But with the fall of the Soviet Union, many of the communist nations changed their policies to capitalism leading to the end of the cold war. It reflects that many of Huxley's arguments are political rather than being world view. Many of the issues like overpopulation are now tackled by concepts like sustainable development in economics.

Chapters like "Quantity, Quality, Morality" and "Over-organization" discusses very valuable and insightful facts. Many concepts are highly connected to the modern world today.

Aldous Huxley's knowledge and intelligence are unparalleled as it is depicted in his collection of essays related to BNWR. It emphasizes the thought process of the 1950s to 1960s and also analyses many foundations of knowledge he used in BNW.

For a bird's eye view of the novel following list of chapters will be put down for easy reference.

(01) Introduction
(02) Foreword
(03) Overpopulation
(04) Quantity, Quality, Morality
(05) Over-organization
(06) Propaganda in a democratic society
(07) Propaganda under a dictatorship
(08) The arts of selling
(09) Brainwashing
(10) Chemical persuasion
(11) Subconscious persuasion
(12) Hypnopaedia
(13) Education for freedom
(14) What can be done?

Huxley's addition to Brave New World is a diatribe on overpopulation and states the solution is selective breeding and aborting based on genetic materials. Surprising since this was written 15 years or so after WWII and Hitler's great experiment. Huxley attempted to support his argument by stating this is the only way to save the planet. Unfortunately, his rhetoric could only be seen as positive by those who are naive and uneducated, the very people he suggested should not be alive.