Chapter 1
1. What is the World State's Motto?
The World State's Motto is : "Community, Identity, Stability."
2. Please describe Bokanovsky's Process. Why does The Director call it the "major instrument of social stability?"
Eggs are x-rayed for 8 minutes and then are shocked to multiply into 96 identical embryos. The Director calls it the "major instrument of social stability" because everyone is standard or average. Instead of one human coming from the egg, 96 are produced and are the same. Everyone is so alike that there was no "different."
3. Why did the doctor wish to keep the Epsilon "embryo below par?"
4. What does Mr. Foster mean when he says: "We condition them to thrive in heat...that is the secret of happiness of virtue - liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their unescapable social destiny."? How does this connect to what is happening in Rack 10?
The embryos that are created are conditioned to be able to handle what they are going to face in life. They make them like what they are destined so that they do it without question. The embryos don't like to be cold, so are happy to be in heat. Thus, heat is going to make them happy later in life to do their duty. Each embryo is classified differently and then conditioned to love what their "social destiny" is going to be.
Chapter 2
1. How do babies sent to the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms develop an "instinctive hatred of books and flowers?" Why were Deltas exposed to such treatment?
In the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms, babies are taught to fear books and flowers. They are shown the flowers and the books, and when they begin to crawl towards them in happiness they are shocked. Deltas were exposed to this treatment because if the "lower class" hated nature, then they were much more likely to work efficiently in the factories.
2. What is a State Conditioning Center? Does it remind you of anything from Plato's Republic?
2. What is a State Conditioning Center? Does it remind you of anything from Plato's Republic?
A State Conditioning Center is the place where the babies are conditioned for the society. They are not with the people their parents. In Plato's Republic children of different metals were taken from their parents to make sure metals were not tainted.
3. What is hypnopaedia? Why wasn't it used for Science? What was it used for? Does it remind you of anything from Plato's Republic?
Hypnopaedia is "sleep teaching." It wasn't used for Science because "you can't learn a science unless you know what it's all about." In hypnopaedia, each person is taught facts, but they do not know what those facts mean. Instead of teaching facts, hypnopaedia was used for moral teaching.
3. How does the Caste system work in the World State? What are the similarities and differences between this and the Hindu Caste system?
In the World State, the Caste system is organized into levels, like the Hindu Caste system. Each level is given a Greek Letter name. The highest level is Alpha, then Beta, Gamma, Delta and Episilion. The Alphas are the most clever and smartest, the most enlightened are are allowed to receive the most knowledge. This is similar to the Hindu Caste system, in that those on the highest level, the Brahmin (priests), are the most enlightened, and are preparing for moksha. In the Wolrld State, however, Alphas did the most work, while Brahmins did the least. In the World State Caste system people born into one level of the Caste system do not come from those in the same level, nor do they ever reach a higher level, which is different than in the Hindu Caste system. There was no reincarnation in the World State, you were one class, and could never change. In the World State and in the Hindue Castes there was a social obligation to be fulfilled.
4. What does the Director mean when he says, "Not so much like drops of water....rather, drops of liquid sealing wax."?
The things that the children are taught are done so that the cannot forget anything. They constantly repeat information to be sure it stays with them.
Chapter 3
Please explain how the following areas are different in the World State as compared to our world in 2009.
A) Sex, Monogamy & Romance
Sex was treated as a game and they do not believe in monogamy or romance because they believe that every person should be allowed to have who they desire withouth consequence. Most people today believe that a person should love one person. There are some religions that promote loving other people.
B) Sports
The only believed purpose of sports was that sports increase consumer production, thus the economy could further grow. Sports are for physical exercise and for entertainment in 2009. There is a large consumer production for sports, and it is taken advantage by producers, like in the World State.
C) Entertainment
All forms of entertainment served the purpose of advancing the economy by providing more products for the consumers, exactly the same idea of Sports.
D) Parenthood
Parenting does not exist in the World State. Children were not raised by any parents, rather they were conditioned by doctors. Parenting is a crucial part in our time period.
E) Materialism
Being materialistic was apart of everyday life. It was the norm for them.
F) Religion
Their only religion is worship of the founding father of their society, Ford. Religion is a part of our every-day life. Their are so many religions in our world, so many different beliefs. To those who follow religion, it is very important.
G) Intoxicants
Intoxicants were also considered normal to the life in the World State. People were expected to use intoxicants.
Finally, to the best of your ability, provide a brief history (a paragraph) of how the World State came to be.
The State came to be because of a man known as Ford. Ford first presented his ideas for the perfect society, including the caste system, to the government in England at the time. His idea was rejected and he therefore decided to build support and start war to become the world's ruler so that he could establish his ideas. War went on for nine years until Ford realized force wasn't going to work. He decided to get rid of his rivals by completely extinguishing them through chemical warfare. After he eliminated them, Ford used different means of propaganda to become world's leader and once in power destroyed all knowledge of history in art and books and set up his own society where humans were brainwashed to be completely obedient.
3. How does the Caste system work in the World State? What are the similarities and differences between this and the Hindu Caste system?
In the World State, the Caste system is organized into levels, like the Hindu Caste system. Each level is given a Greek Letter name. The highest level is Alpha, then Beta, Gamma, Delta and Episilion. The Alphas are the most clever and smartest, the most enlightened are are allowed to receive the most knowledge. This is similar to the Hindu Caste system, in that those on the highest level, the Brahmin (priests), are the most enlightened, and are preparing for moksha. In the Wolrld State, however, Alphas did the most work, while Brahmins did the least. In the World State Caste system people born into one level of the Caste system do not come from those in the same level, nor do they ever reach a higher level, which is different than in the Hindu Caste system. There was no reincarnation in the World State, you were one class, and could never change. In the World State and in the Hindue Castes there was a social obligation to be fulfilled.
4. What does the Director mean when he says, "Not so much like drops of water....rather, drops of liquid sealing wax."?
The things that the children are taught are done so that the cannot forget anything. They constantly repeat information to be sure it stays with them.
Chapter 3
Please explain how the following areas are different in the World State as compared to our world in 2009.
A) Sex, Monogamy & Romance
Sex was treated as a game and they do not believe in monogamy or romance because they believe that every person should be allowed to have who they desire withouth consequence. Most people today believe that a person should love one person. There are some religions that promote loving other people.
B) Sports
The only believed purpose of sports was that sports increase consumer production, thus the economy could further grow. Sports are for physical exercise and for entertainment in 2009. There is a large consumer production for sports, and it is taken advantage by producers, like in the World State.
C) Entertainment
All forms of entertainment served the purpose of advancing the economy by providing more products for the consumers, exactly the same idea of Sports.
D) Parenthood
Parenting does not exist in the World State. Children were not raised by any parents, rather they were conditioned by doctors. Parenting is a crucial part in our time period.
E) Materialism
Being materialistic was apart of everyday life. It was the norm for them.
F) Religion
Their only religion is worship of the founding father of their society, Ford. Religion is a part of our every-day life. Their are so many religions in our world, so many different beliefs. To those who follow religion, it is very important.
G) Intoxicants
Intoxicants were also considered normal to the life in the World State. People were expected to use intoxicants.
Finally, to the best of your ability, provide a brief history (a paragraph) of how the World State came to be.
The State came to be because of a man known as Ford. Ford first presented his ideas for the perfect society, including the caste system, to the government in England at the time. His idea was rejected and he therefore decided to build support and start war to become the world's ruler so that he could establish his ideas. War went on for nine years until Ford realized force wasn't going to work. He decided to get rid of his rivals by completely extinguishing them through chemical warfare. After he eliminated them, Ford used different means of propaganda to become world's leader and once in power destroyed all knowledge of history in art and books and set up his own society where humans were brainwashed to be completely obedient.
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