Orwell versus Huxley: Economics, Technology, Privacy, and Satire
Richard A. Posner
University of Chicago Law School; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
November 1999
University of Chicago Law School, John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 89
Abstract:
Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and Huxley's novel Brave New World have often been thought prophetic commentaries on economic, political, and social matters. I argue, with particular reference to the supposed applicability of these novels to issues of technology and privacy, that the novels are best understood as literary works of art, rather than as social science or commentary, and that when so viewed Orwell's novel in particular reflects a dissatisfaction with everyday life and a nostalgia for Romantic values.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 43
working papers series
Suggested Citation
Posner, Richard A., Orwell versus Huxley: Economics, Technology, Privacy, and Satire (November 1999). University of Chicago Law School, John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 89. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=194572 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.194572
