Michael McNeil

12/7/2011

HEIV

Mr. Jennings

The Short-Comings of Man's Civilizations

Throughout history nations rise and fall like waves in the ocean, and like individual waves, seem insignificant when seen together. There is the occasional tidal wave, such as the Roman Empire or Napoleon’s conquests, but for the most part they WC tend to blend together. Even now, in our lifetimes, we are witnessing the rising and falling of nations, particularly the decline of our own. Many would say that the United States of America areC the most powerful nation the world has ever seen, and this may or may not be correct. However, it is clear that no matter how powerful America was, it is no longer the juggernaut of a country it used to be. The United States is still one of the greatest countries in the world but others are currently clamoring to take its place.

So the question arises, how the U.S. turned from a country that grew quickly into a world power to a country that is in debt up to its neck and has such low character? Every single man who signed the Declaration of Independence had a firm belief in God and a strong sense of right and wrong. (Founding Fathers) On this faith our country was securely founded. The cause of liberty was led by a man of stature who is arguably one of the greatest men of all time, General George Washington. He was a man of faith who throughout the War of Independence put his trust in God repeatedly and God played a significant role in the victory of the colonists. (Cambridge)

An event which is widely recognized as an intervention by God is the American retreat over the East River. Backed up against the river, the Americans were given an opportunity to escape. The weather conditions kept British ships from sailing up the river and allowed for Washington to move his troops to safety. There was a problem though, the weather conditions also prevented them from using sailboats to cross the river, so they were required to use only the rowboats, which slowed their retreat to a crawl. With thousands of men to evacuate, their chances looked bleak, and those left in the trenches began to fear for their lives.Major Benjamin Talmage had remained on the island and he recounted what occurred in his memoirs:

After dawn of the next day approached, those of us who remained in the trenches became very anxious for our own safety and when the dawn appeared there were several regiments here on duty.At this time, a very dense fog began to rise out of the ground and off the river. It seemed to settle in a peculiar manner over both encampments. I recollect this peculiar Providential occurrence perfectly well. And so very dense was the atmosphere that I could scarcely discern a man six yards distance. We tarried until the sun had risen but the fog remained as dense as ever. That fog remained until every single man had crossed the river. (Cambridge)

So it is clear that God played a role in the creation of this country and that a real faith in God existed throughout the American troops. “In God we trust,” was a core value and those words are embedded in the framework of American society. But America slowly bent in the direction of other fallen nations, and when looking at the U.S. today, it is a country marked by materialism, humanism, sensuality and exploitation.SUPPORT--ARE THESE NOT ALSO VALUES INHERENT IN THE FOUNDING OF THE COUNTRY? So what caused this country to change directions? And how does Brave New World give a revelation of where we may be headed?

“God isn't compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happiness. You Must make a choice.”(Huxley 234) Aldous Huxley's Mustapha Mond states a common world view very eloquently. Many people believe that we do not need God anymore because we have developed to a point technologically where we no longer require assistance from our Creator. But I would say that they are sadly mistaken and that it is clear that God is compatible with technology. Technology used without integrity and moral values results in the tyrants, dictators and warlords in history who try to build empires for their own glorification. But, technology can also be used in a way that does not sacrifice morals. When used in conjunction with the values of a Creator. There was a nation in the Bible in Genesis 11, that grew so great that the people decided that they should build a tower to heaven and be equal with God. God struck them with confusion and caused them all to speak different languages, which caused the nation to collapse. As soon as they decided that they could live independently of God, their nation fell. (Holy Bible) In America, as we attempt to remove God from the equation, instead of one unified ideology, numerous independent philosophies emerge that only cause argument. Instead of a faith in God, faith has been put in man and man's own achievements, and the U.S. is on the yellow brick road that leads to the ideologies of the world painted by Brave New World.It is very unlikely that our world will ever become like the world in this book but it is certainly possible that certain countries may acquire different attributes of that world.

In the U.S., we have drifted into this state of mind that we can choose what is morally right and do whatever we want. A significant symptom of the fall of empires is a change in sexual behavior. The Greek empire, the Roman empire and Post-Modern Europe all began to fall as the population began turning from monogamy, where a set of parents bears and raises their children to adulthood, to individual sexual expression and perversion that does not benefit the species. “'Lenina Crowne?'” Said Henry Foster...'Oh, she's a splendid girl. Wonderfully pneumatic. I'm surprised you haven't had her.'...'I certainly will. At the first opportunity.'”(Huxley 45) INCORPORATE Unrestrained sexual expression is recurring theme throughout Brave New World. In fact, sexual stimulation is the core of their whole society.The move away from monogamy has resulted in an escalation in the number of children raising themselves. IN BNW? Choices based on feelings and sensuality, rather than on the higher thinking and values which refect faith in God, have also resulted in the lower work ethic and unhealthy eating habits prevelant in America.

Children who raise themselves cannot be trained to think and act in ways that preserve society. This is yet another aspect of failing morality in falling empires as it causes an increase in children being abused, aborted, neglected, murdered and sexually exploited.INTRO “...a nurse, leading by the hand a small boy, who howled as he went...'Whats the matter?' asked the Director...she answered. 'It's just that this boy seems rather reluctant to join in the ordinary erotic play.'”(Huxley 32) As in Brave New World, modern times have also seen an increase in sexuality at young ages and in many societies children are sold or sell themselves for sexual use. Even animals protect their young to preserve their species, but it seems that humans, left to their own devices, and removing morals from the equation, will lean toward the destruction of their offspring. This is not only shown by Huxley HOW? but also in our world today. Modern humans might beat their children to death because they will not go to sleep. All of these things culminate in a major factor in the fall of nations because no matter what your foundation is built on, if you build with damaged or faulty materials your building will collapse. Even though the Founding Fathers' generation was God-fearing, the subsequent generations have slowly fallen away from that faith and so our country is being torn apart from the inside.

Now, when looking closely at the system developing in Brave New World, one can see a fatal flaw. If they raise all of their children in those ideals with no knowledge of the time before, then who is going to be capable of leading the world in the next generation? The next generation is always the most important in a civilization. The young must be prepared to take over and lead when the time comes or the civilization will fall apart. If the children continue to be raised the way they are in Brave New World, even their “perfect world” will fall apart upon the same principles as the nations fall today and it will just become part of that endless ocean of rising and falling nations.WHY?

When God becomes irrelevant and people become their own judge, then the ideas of equality and liberty have no place. Those ideas are not present in a humanistic society, they are based in in the belief of a higher power: "...endowed by the Creator."(Decleration of Independence) When as a society we choose to turn our backs on those beliefs, all equality will fall and a rule of the elite will result.SUPPORT Our liberty, like that of the Colonists, will again be stripped away. In Brave New World, people are completely controlled from conception to the grave and their level of “equality” is chosen by the leaders of society.

“The surrogate goes round slower; therefore passes through the lung at longer intervals; therefore gives the embryo less oxygen. Nothing like oxygen-shortage for keeping an embryo below par.”...”But why do you want to keep the embryo below par?”...”Ass!” said the director, breaking a long silence. “Hasn't it occurred to you that an Epsilon embryo must have an Epsilon environment as well as an Epsilon heredity?” (Huxley 46)

The only social class allowed to develop normally is the Alphas which are the top social class. Their embryos are actually given a boost to make them superior to all the others. This removes every bit of liberty from the equation because their lives are chosen for them, they are given no say in what path they take. This limit that is placed on their development removes equality and liberty, but many people in the world today would not say that this is inherently wrong and this attitude shows how close we are to a world similar to that in Brave New World.

If there were a Brave New World Two it would have to result in the collapse of their society because of all the culminating factors including no next generation and a lack of equality that will be realized by the general population.HOW/WHY WOULD IT BE REALIZED? America is on the path to become like the world state. It likely will fall long before it reaches that level, but it will still become more and more humanistic until that collapse. This fall will be cause by a combination of immorality and pride and will likely result in another split although more permanent this time. Huxley clearly saw a trend in how society was developing and how they were beginning to push God out of the equation and become independent. This book was clearly a warning about what our world could become if we lose sight of morality and solely rely on man’s own intellect and strength. INTRODUCE AND EXPLAIN QUOTATION

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh,And strengthto your bones. Proverbs 3:3-8 (Holy Bible)

Works Cited

Damen, Mark. "SECTION 8: The Fall of Rome."USU 1320: HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION. Utah State University, 2011. Web. 12 Dec 2011. <

Dolphin, Lambert. "Our Collapsing Civilization." . Lambert Library, 18/08/2003. Web. 12 Dec 2011. <

"George Washington Prays, God Sends Supernatural Fog to Allow Escape."ministers-best-friend. Cambridge Theological Seminary, 1977. Web. 12 Dec 2011. <

Huxley, A.Brave new world. HarperPerennial, 2006.

"Religion of Founding Fathers."American Founding Fathers. N.p., 4/11/2005. Web. 12 Dec 2011. <

The Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version. New York: New American
Library, 1962.

CONNOR: You have tapped into John and Huxley’s fears about the abolition of God in society and culture. Make sure that you bring more BNW here to shift the focus from what the US is becoming to how this parallels with the text. That means either doubling the essay in length to add connections with BNW or revisiting some of your examples. We’ll want BNW to be mentioned before you get into the founding fathers to clarify that this essay is primarily about BNW rather than BNW being a minor example of what’s happening in American culture. Bringing in American history opens a can of worms worth delving into further. Your audience may argue that the founding fathers faith is a historical fact, but so were there shared value of humanist ideas growing out of the Enlightenment, materialistic concerns (taxes) and exploitation (slavery). You might need to clarify your definition of humanism here. A suggestion that humanism in its common philosophical/historical usage is not compatible with equality or liberty or the claim the founding fathers principles weren’t adherents to humanism would be contested and need support. Huxley will perhaps help you here. Check your logic with the idea of future generations of World Staters being unable to lead. Why would their ignorance of the past put them in danger? Check Huxley for support here. Henry Ford did say “history is bunk” and Ford is the god figure here, in a world Huxley himself described as “insane”. So, in short, bring more Huxley and BNW. They will be the best ammunition you will find to support your position.