Brave New World: Top Ten Quotes

"Bokanovsky’s Process is one of the major instruments of social stability!": The Director in chapter 1. This quote underscores the entire idea behind this modern civilization— lack of individuality. With the Bokanovsky genetic engineering process, the population is made much easier to manage.

"And that," put in the Director sententiously, "that is the secret of happiness and virtue— liking what you’ve got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their unescapable social destiny.": The Director in chapter 1. After genetic engineering, social conditioning is the most important way for the government to enslave its people. The different caste members are conditioned to never yearn for a life other than their own. This is the second major instrument of social stability.

"Moral education, which ought never, in any circumstances, to be rational.": The Director in chapter 2. The World Controllers do believe in moral education, but they determine the morals, not God or reason.

"Imagine the folly of allowing people to play elaborate games which do nothing whatever to increase consumption. It’s madness. Nowadays the Controllers won’t approve of any new game unless it can be shown that it requires at least as much apparatus as the most complicated of existing games.": The Director in chapter 3. Like everything else, government controls the games people are allowed to play. The priority here is not only that people enjoy themselves, but that the economy also benefits.

"History is bunk.": The Director in chapter 3. With no God or other divine morals, the past is regarded as backward and detrimental.

"Wheels must turn steadily, but cannot turn untended. There must be men to tend them, men as steady as the wheels upon their axles, sane men, obedient men, stable in contentment." Mustapha Mond in chapter 3. This is the justification for totalitarian government. The reasoning is that government, not individuals, know best.

"You’ve got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art. We’ve sacrificed the high art." Mustapha Mond in chapter 16. Art is one of those things people must do without in this brave new world. Without pain and suffering, art is not an issue.

"‘You can only be independent of God while you’ve got youth and prosperity; independence won’t take you safely to the end.’ Well, we’ve now got youth and prosperity right up to the end. What follows? Evidently, that we can be independent of God.": Mustapha Mond in chapter 17. Here Mond explains to the Savage why society can now function without God.

"Christianity without tears— that’s what soma is.": Mond in chapter 17. Here Mond highlights the true reasoning behind soma— it makes people content without causing the sadness and guilt of Christianity.

"But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.": The Savage in chapter 17. Here the Savage explains the old world reasoning. He asserts that true life requires exposure to all things, good and evil.