Brave New World: Mustapha Mond vs. John the Savage. So I…
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Brave New World: Mustapha Mond vs. John the Savage.
So I just read chapters 16 and 17 of Brave New World where Bernard, Heimholtz and John talk to the world controller Mustapha Mond. The part I really like looking at is John's conversation with Mond. It's an argument that is so interesting to me because I believe both sides have valid points: I can't find myself completely agreeing or disagreeing with either of them. I absolutely agree that the truth is more important than comfort, like accepting the negative parts of our society and our political system, but I can also find Mond's point about a lack of need to bear things unpleasant convincing too, because of course your going to drive to your workplace instead of walking.
My interpretation of the argument is that both sides represent extremes. On Mustapha's extreme, if you got everything you ever wanted without any fuss, things wouldn't really mean anything or be worth it; when I have a difficult test to do, I want to have to study for it rather than have all the answers beamed into my mind. A trophy is only worth it when you worked for it. But with John's extreme about liking the inconveniences, by his logic I could refuse to follow a study guide provided by the teacher because that's a convenience, or refuse to read how other people have completed challenges because that's a convenience of learning how others did it. Hell, if you took John's logic to the complete extreme, you basically need to do everything yourself without any help of tools or people at all.
I don't believe there's one single ideal amount of (in)convenience, but I would say that I might not like instantly getting a trophy for some big achievement, but I also would not like to be refused the ability to practice freely for whatever the competition is. I am aware that Huxley wrote the novel "Island" as a kind of in between, but other than his answer, whose side did you agree with more, and by what balance? I would say I agree with the pursuit of Truth and Beauty as John say's but I agree with Mustapha Mond that there's no sense doing some things a bit more comfortably if there's no reason not too, so maybe 50/50.
#entertainment
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So I just read chapters 16 and 17 of Brave New World where Bernard, Heimholtz and John talk to the world controller Mustapha Mond. The part I really like looking at is John's conversation with Mond. It's an argument that is so interesting to me because I believe both sides have valid points: I can't find myself completely agreeing or disagreeing with either of them. I absolutely agree that the truth is more important than comfort, like accepting the negative parts of our society and our political system, but I can also find Mond's point about a lack of need to bear things unpleasant convincing too, because of course your going to drive to your workplace instead of walking.
My interpretation of the argument is that both sides represent extremes. On Mustapha's extreme, if you got everything you ever wanted without any fuss, things wouldn't really mean anything or be worth it; when I have a difficult test to do, I want to have to study for it rather than have all the answers beamed into my mind. A trophy is only worth it when you worked for it. But with John's extreme about liking the inconveniences, by his logic I could refuse to follow a study guide provided by the teacher because that's a convenience, or refuse to read how other people have completed challenges because that's a convenience of learning how others did it. Hell, if you took John's logic to the complete extreme, you basically need to do everything yourself without any help of tools or people at all.
I don't believe there's one single ideal amount of (in)convenience, but I would say that I might not like instantly getting a trophy for some big achievement, but I also would not like to be refused the ability to practice freely for whatever the competition is. I am aware that Huxley wrote the novel "Island" as a kind of in between, but other than his answer, whose side did you agree with more, and by what balance? I would say I agree with the pursuit of Truth and Beauty as John say's but I agree with Mustapha Mond that there's no sense doing some things a bit more comfortably if there's no reason not too, so maybe 50/50.
#entertainment
source
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