Lately, in my bioethical reading, I have been struck by how often people mention Aldous Huxleys 1932 novel, entitled "Brave New World" (2). I remembered it from childhood as a science fiction work predicting a world of assisted reproduction and eugenics. On re-reading the book recently, I was struck by something else. Huxley describes a technological world that many people would consider to be paradise. No sense of oppression here: citizens of the World State have everything they would ever want. Life is ordered and comfortable, with disease, aggression, envy, suffering and guilt having been eradicated from society. But also eliminated are democracy, family, art and self-awareness.
























