Aldous-Huxley.ppt

AldousHuxley,byLuQingqing,AldousHuxley(18941963),British-Americanwriterandmoralphilosopherandisincertaincirclesregardedasoneofthegreatestvoicesofthetwentiethcentury.,AboutHuxleytheman,works:BraveNewWorld;Island;PointCounterPoint;TheDoorsofPerception;ThePerennialPhilosophy,“Godlikeinhisheight,aquilinefeatures,andomnidirectionalintelligence,Huxleywasalivingmyth.”-CliveJames,Anenduringopponentofthemoraldecadenceofmodernculture,Huxleysoughtthroughbothfictionandnon-fictionwritingtodenounceconformityandtheorthodoxattitudesofhistime(particularlyofWesternsocieties)aswellastoinstillasenseofconscientiousnessandoutwardresponsibilityinthepublic.,Bestknownforhisnovelsandessays,Huxleyfunctionedasanexaminerandsometimescriticofsocialmores,societalnorms,andideals.Whilehisearlierconcernsmightbecalled“humanist,”ultimately,hebecamequiteinterestedin“spiritual”subjectssuchasparapsychologyandphilosophicalmysticism.,HuxleywasborninEngland,intooneofthemostfamousfamiliesoftheEnglishelite.HewassonofthewriterandprofessionalherbalistLeonardHuxleybyhisfirstwife,JuliaArnold;andgrandsonofThomasHenryHuxley,thezoologist,agnosticandcontroversialist(DarwinsBulldog).HisbrotherJulianHuxleyandhalf-brotherAndrewHuxleyalsobecameoutstandingbiologists.,Huxleysancestry“broughtdownonhimaweightofintellectualauthorityandamomentumofmoralobligations.”-GeraldHeardAsayoungchild,Huxleywasalreadyconsideredamongstadultsandpeersasbeing“different,”showinganunusuallyprofoundawareness,orwhathisbrothercalled“superiority.”,attheageof16,whenhesufferedanattackofkeratitispunctata,anafflictionthatrenderedhimblindnessforaperiodofabout18months.Ibelievehisblindnesswasablessingindisguise.Foronething,itputpaidtohisideaoftakingupmedicineasacareer.Hisuniquenesslayinhisuniversalism.Hewasabletotakeallknowledgeforhisprovince.,ThistimelyinfirmitywasresponsibleforpreventingHuxleyfromparticipatinginWorldWarI,aswellaskeepinghimoutofthelaboratorieswherehewouldhavepursuedhisfirstloveofsciencealovethatwouldsustainitsinfluenceonhimdespitehisinevitabletransitionsintomoreartistic,humanistic,andspirituallifecourses.Infact,itwashisscientificapproachthatultimatelycomplimentedtheseendeavors.,Darwinism,ThomasHenryHuxley,(DarwinsBulldog).thetermDarwinismhadbeenusedpreviouslytorefertotheworkofErasmusDarwin(18th),thetermasunderstoodtodaywasintroducedwhenCharlesDarwins1859bookOntheOriginofSpecieswasreviewedbyThomasHenryHuxleyintheApril1860issueoftheWestminsterReview.Havinghailedthebookas,averitableWhitworthguninthearmouryofliberalismpromotingscientificnaturalismovertheology,andpraisingtheusefulnessofDarwinsideaswhileexpressingprofessionalreservationsaboutDarwinsgradualismanddoubtingifitcouldbeprovedthatnaturalselectioncouldformnewspecies,HuxleycomparedDarwinsachievementtothatofCopernicusinexplainingplanetarymotion.,Mostofthesubjectmatterthatcomprisedthesenovelswassatiricalcommentaryoncontemporaryevents.expressemuchofthemoodofdisenchantmentoftheearly1920s.thelifeandopinionsofanagewhichhasseentheviolentdisruptionofalmostallthestandards,conventionsandvaluescurrentinthepresentepoch.-alettertohisfather,Aboutthethemeandstyle,Huxley,however,saidthatanovelshouldbefullofinterestingopinionsandarrestingideas,describinghisaimasanovelistasbeingtoarrive,technically,ataperfectfusionofthenovelandtheessay;,Despitehisgreatsuccess,however,theauthorwascriticizedduringthisperiodforhisone-dimensionalcharactersthatHuxleyusedasmouthpiecestosay“almosteverythingaboutalmostanything.”Thisparticularcriticismwouldfollowhimtosomedegreethroughouthisentirecareerasafictionwriter,asmanyfeltthatHuxleycaredmoreforhisideasthanhedidforhischaractersorplot.,Oneofhismainideaswaspessimismabouttheculturalfutureofsociety,apessimismwhichspranglargelyfromhisvisittotheUnitedStatesbetweenSeptember1925andJune1926.Herecountedhisexperiences,inJestingPilate(1926):ThethingwhichishappeninginAmericaisareevaluationofvalues,aradicalalteration(fortheworse)ofestablishedstandards,anditwassoonafterthisvisitthatheconceivedtheideaofwritingasatireofwhathehadencountered.,pointsoutthesituationthatwomenofthismodernagearecrazytousebeautyproductsinordertoincreasetheirphysicalcharmandbeauty.analysesthereasons.answersthequestionofwhatthepracticalresultsofthemoderncultofbeauty.giveshisopinionsofwhattherealbeautyis.,Abouttheessay,1.situation,thebeautyindustryisunaffected.Continuetoasmuchasbeforethecomingoftheslump(aboutthreemillionpoundsaweek)makesthecomparisonbetweentheexpendingonthebeautyindustryandtheimportantbusinessandtherevenueofIndia-thegreatcostsofthebeautyandsatiresthesituation.HeironicallysaysthatEuropeispoor,andafacecancostasmuchinupkeepasaRolls-Royce.,Thegoalofmostwomenwhospendmajoritiesoftheirtimeandmoneyonitistowashandhopeforthebest.theywanttobetheravishingcreatureswhosmilesorosilyandcreamily,sopeachilyandpearlily.NomatterinEurope,Americaandeverywhere,themoneyspentonbeautyisenormousandincreasing.,reasons-Why?,Toincreaseinprosperity(wealth)-therichandthepoorspendmoreonthebeautyOfthechangeinthestatusofwomen:womenarefreerthaninthepast,theycannotonlyperformsocialfunctionsreservedtothemale,butalsohavetherightstoexercisethemorepleasing,feminineprivilegeofbeingattractive.,Ofthechangeinourattitudetowardthemerelyphysical.Notlongsinceacreatureofaustereandeventerrifyingaspect;dobesttoachieveandpreservetheappearanceofalostwoman.Thewomensucceed;notshocked.morallywomenarejustifiedinbeingpreoccupiedwiththeirpersonalappearances-aconcessiontothebody.Bodyhasitsright,butalsohasitsduty.Bodyisaswellasforthesoul.,results,Hasthiscampaignformorephysicalbeautysucceededinitsaim?Havewomenreallybecomemoreattractiveandhealthier?Havetheyreallygotanyrewardfortheenergy,timeandmoneyspentonthesethings?Theanswerisyesaswellasno.Forthefactsseemtocontradictthemselves,thecampaignseemstobebothatremendoussuccessandalamentablefailure.,success:,morewomenretaintheiryouthfulappearancetoagreateragethaninthepast.Oldladieswithwhitehairandwrinkles,bentbackandhollowchecksaredisappearingveryfast.Instead,theywillbegolden,curlyandcherry-lipped,neat-ankledandslenderinthefuture.itwillbedifficulttodistinguishbetweentheportraitsofaMotherandaDaughter.,failure:,whattherealbeautyisanaffairoftheinnerandoftheouterself.awomenisnotlikeajarthatrequiresonlyexteriordecoration.Awomanwillbebeautifulonlywhensheishealthyandcleaninbodyaswellassoul.HuxleyreferstotwoattractiveAmericangirls.theoperationsdonottouchthedeepestsourceofbeauty-theexperiencingsoul.,opinion,Allmenandwomenwillbebeautifulonlywhenthesocialarrangementsgivetoeveryoneofthemanopportunitytolivecompletelyandharmoniously,whenthereisnoenvironmentalincentiveandnohereditarytendencytowardsmonomaniacalvice.springsfrominnergoodness,spiritualsatisfactionandsocialharmony.,language,workswerenotablefortheirelegance,wit,andpessimisticsatire.,Satire&Humor,rhetoricalquestion,comparisom,ThisisatypicalfeatureofBritishprose.MostBritishproseraregoodatit.unexpectedbutjustrightexamplesgettheessenceofthethingsafterlaughing.e.g.Iwasonlysurprisedbythecomparativesmallnessofthesumsexpended.onehundredandfifty-sixmillionpoundsayearisatidysum.RathermorethantwicetherevenueofIndia,ifIremember.Europeispoor,andafacecancostasmuchinunkeepasaRolls-Royce.InParis,wherethisover-paintingismostpronounced,manywomenhaveceasedtolookhumanatall.tobewearingmasks.lookcloselytodiscoverthesoftandlivingfacebeneath.,Satire&Humor,rhetoricalquestionisaskedinordertomakeapointandwithouttheexpectationofareply.Acarefullycraftedquestioncanpersuadeanaudiencetobelieveintheposition(s)ofthespeaker.e.g.Are