Entering the ‘Brave New World’

Aldous Huxley, author of the famous dystopian novel Brave New World, believed that pleasure was a veritable poison brewing quietly in the belly of modern civilisation. According to the English writer and philosopher, pleasure these days is akin to a sneaky, silent assassin—looking innocent enough, but deadly as a dose of strychnine in your tea. Mr. Huxley said the modern world’s take on pleasure was a “horror show”—a cavalcade of increasingly idiotic distractions. Leisure pleasure was once found in activities that required intellectual effort. In the 17th century, entertainment for the royals was listening to heavy-duty sermons and debates on theology....