Neil Postman’s book Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985) contrasted the striking differences between Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World. But don't forget what the major similarity they shared.
You don't ever really *know* you're living in a dystopia, because it's always "just around the corner" and if you vote correctly in the next "most important election in history" then you can be part of the heroic corps that staves it off a little longer. You get told you're a great fedaykin, so you fall in line behind Muad'dib, with total faith that whatever it is he told you has been defeated was somehow worse than what he's about to do to you.
That's an interesting question. I think whether they "know" it or not depends entirely upon how that dystopia came about. In a dystopia following an old-school military conquest, I think they know...and they know that they know...and they're willing to say it (so long as they can be assured of physical safety).
If, however, the dystopia is one that they voted for...one that they vociferously supported and shamed friends and neighbors for not supporting...then I suspect they either don't "know" or (more likely) choose not to know. I'm reminded of an Upton Sinclair quote: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it."
Pleased to find your article, , I think we as a species are and have been battling our dystopian propensities for a long time. Every so often it erupts and causes mass delusion, trouble is we never notice it from within, there seems to always be that small percentage of our population which is every so eager to blindly trample and discard our accumulated intellect regarding basic humanity, morality and ethics. This small percentage is ruthless and has little or no self restrain they will eagerly use force to impose whatever their dystopian ideologically demands. Sadly the majority as always is constrained by a quagmire of its own ideologies, non violence, individual rights, freedom of speech, and scanty of life, that the majority will only rise up against the belligerency of those who have been assimilated.
Even in Plato's Republic, with its allegory of the cave, it was apparent that the great mass of people are not aware of the dystopia around them.
Thoreau characterized it as people living lives of quiet desperation.
In modern times, we have the much-discussed Matrix movies, whose metaphors continue to inform our everyday speech.
People might know "something" is wrong with the world, but few will approach any level of understanding of what that something is.
This is outstanding. Thank you!
Thanks!
You don't ever really *know* you're living in a dystopia, because it's always "just around the corner" and if you vote correctly in the next "most important election in history" then you can be part of the heroic corps that staves it off a little longer. You get told you're a great fedaykin, so you fall in line behind Muad'dib, with total faith that whatever it is he told you has been defeated was somehow worse than what he's about to do to you.
Dune as dystopian fiction....
A fascinating take on Frank Herbert's classic--and opens up some interesting perspectives on "Dune: Messiah" and "Children of Dune".
Nice!
Not the first book, admittedly. But as you say, it goes downhill from there in the follow-ups. And there's always a follow-up.
https://lorendean.substack.com/p/the-happily-ever-after-trap
That's an interesting question. I think whether they "know" it or not depends entirely upon how that dystopia came about. In a dystopia following an old-school military conquest, I think they know...and they know that they know...and they're willing to say it (so long as they can be assured of physical safety).
If, however, the dystopia is one that they voted for...one that they vociferously supported and shamed friends and neighbors for not supporting...then I suspect they either don't "know" or (more likely) choose not to know. I'm reminded of an Upton Sinclair quote: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it."
No I don’t think people know they are living in a dystopia. If anything they might think the opposite.
Pleased to find your article, , I think we as a species are and have been battling our dystopian propensities for a long time. Every so often it erupts and causes mass delusion, trouble is we never notice it from within, there seems to always be that small percentage of our population which is every so eager to blindly trample and discard our accumulated intellect regarding basic humanity, morality and ethics. This small percentage is ruthless and has little or no self restrain they will eagerly use force to impose whatever their dystopian ideologically demands. Sadly the majority as always is constrained by a quagmire of its own ideologies, non violence, individual rights, freedom of speech, and scanty of life, that the majority will only rise up against the belligerency of those who have been assimilated.