Dystopian Society free essay sample

In our world today, one has access to all kinds of information, including illegal information. Even if a piece of art or information might be offensive or insulting, they are protected by â€Å"‘content neutrality’ – the government cannot limit expression just because any listener, or even the majority of a community, is offended by its content† (American, 1999). In an interview, a Supreme Court Justice, John Marshall Harlan, said â€Å"one man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyrics† (American, 2006). Even if our government tries to gain control over the media and censorship, the Supreme Court can claim it unconstitutional. In Huxleyan Society, â€Å"[the Controller is] one of the very few [people]† (Huxley 218) able to come in contact with ideas and art from the Old World because â€Å"[they are] prohibited† (Huxley 219). The Controller’s ultimate authority, however, enables him to keep in touch with the Old World. In our world, if we want to obtain information, we can simply go on the internet, go to the library, or even ask others for more information. We will write a custom essay sample on Dystopian Society or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Today, school systems’ attempt at restricting students from accessing specific websites or information in school has ended up in a failure. Even though schools restrict and block new websites almost daily, students always find a way to bypass these restrictions in school, indicating how easy it is to obtain information. In Brave New World, this kind of idea would cause a chaos within the World State, since it does not want anyone to have individual thoughts or feelings. Many times in history, presidents have tried to suppress important facts and ideas that might cause havoc in the nation. However, Supreme Court vetoed presidents’ decisions, allowing the press to deliver these facts and information to the public. Many citizens support limited governmental control over the media because â€Å"the freedom to speak one’s mind freely, to discuss political and social ideas without fear of reprisals, is the key to discerning the truth: If ideas are silenced, the truth may never be known† (Leinward 5). In the infamous Watergate Scandal, President Nixon’s attempted to stifle any criticisms and accusations by invoking the right of executive privilege to withhold information from the public. But, the Supreme Court declared this act unconstitutional because â€Å"[information] may be restricted only if it will clearly cause direct and imminent harm to an important societal interest† (American, 1999). In our world, the government cannot censor information because publicizing them might result in criticism. Citizens in Huxleyan Society are taught that â€Å"History is bunk† (Huxley 34). The World State uses hypnopaedia, to teach citizens that everything in the past has no place in their world. It also restricts new inventions because â€Å"every discovery in pure science is potentially subversive; even science must be treated as a possible enemy† (Huxley 225). For the sake of stability, the World State chooses to ban art, science, and history. Banning anything that even a fraction of the population enjoyed in our nation would cause a catastrophe. Our world does show many similarities when compared to the Huxleyan Society, but it is clearly not advancing towards a Brave New World. In a democratic society, censorship is neither wanted nor needed. If we are introduced to obscenities that we are repulsed by â€Å"we can change the channel, turn off the TV, and decline to go to certain movies or museum exhibits† (American, 1999). Protection under the First Amendment, easy access to information, and Supreme Court’s surveillance over the other two branches illustrate the difference between our world and the Brave New World. The dystopian world created by Aldous Huxley will never become a reality in the world we live in today.