"Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science."

Chapter 1-4

At first glance, Brave New World seems to be a science fiction novel, featuring startling and futuristic scientific discoveries.  Readers are awed by the scientific achievements that modern-day society can only dream about and adamantly set as technological goals.  The novel is based on innovations such as rapid growth, human cloning, and prenatal determination.  However, we quickly realize Huxley’s purpose in writing: while we may look at technological advancements as progress, our increasing dependence on science can lead to a dystopia.  Soon, we may live in a world in which technology is religion, the government is all-powerful, and the people are neither individualized nor natural human beings. 

Huxley speedily reveals how the World State’s “religion” is based on technology.  First, the calendar begins on the date that Henry Ford presented the Model T and its ingenious type of production, the assembly line.  All dates after that are denoted by “A.F.” or “After Ford,” similar to our “A.D.” marking the dates after the birth of Jesus.  The idea of Ford and his scientific achievements penetrate all aspects of society.  People make the sign of a T on their stomach when talking about Ford.  (It is humorous to think that all the crosses had their tops cut off to fulfill the new state religion.)  Instead of saying “Oh God,” the people say “Oh Ford.”  Our Ford is always capitalized.  And the controller is even called “fordship Mustapha” instead of “lordship.” 

Second, Ford is linked (and possibly confused in the eyes of the World State citizens) with Freud.  Mostly, Ford and Freud are seen as the same person: two distinct individuals are of one indivisible Divine essence.  This belief reminded me of the Christian Holy Trinity.  Third, the “Predestinators” pick what caste the embryos will become.  This belief in predestination parallels the Calvinist belief that God marks people as the damned or the saved before they even enter the world.  Fourth, all citizens must attend Solidarity Services, Community Sings, and Ford’s Day Celebrations.  Indeed, the entire Solidarity Service is s a satirical version of attending a religious gathering or place of worship.  Bernard dreadfully foresees his failure to “achieve atonement.”  The state encourages the group to “lose their twelve separate identities in a larger being.”  And they sing hymns together and seek to “hear Ford.”

Finally, religious practice is often directly related to achieving social stability.  Some even say that religion has enormous potential to solve today’s social problems.  Huxley shows how religion, so in this case, technology, can ultimately be used to achieve social stability and peace.  In the World State, individuals happily accept their position in society because of their prenatal conditioning.  Lower castes can only think of serving others and they are only happy when they are servile.  Individuality is a luxury.  Anonymity is necessity.  Higher castes stick to themselves and split their time between work and leisure.  All castes are conditioned to be content with their situation and any needs built into their anatomy are automatically met.  For example, people always get their soma.  The government cracks down on any rioting so that any type of rebellion or individual thought is suffocated.  Thus, in the end, World State citizens have no worries and thus no passion for change and no reason to be active citizens, agitating for the lifestyle they deserve.  Through this warped caste system, Huxley warns us that social stability comes with a disparity in the distribution or privilege and money and achieving this noble goal with the wrong means can end in catastrophe. (587)