Page 374 - BRAVE NEW WORLD By Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)
P. 374
Brave New World By Aldous Huxley
just. Haven't they used his pleasant vices as an
instrument to degrade him?"
"Degrade him from what position? As a
happy, hard-working, goods-consuming citizen he's
perfect. Of course, if you choose some other
standard than ours, then perhaps you might say he
was degraded. But you've got to stick to one set of
postulates. You can't play Electro-magnetic Golf
according to the rules of Centrifugal Bumble-puppy."
"But value dwells not in particular will," said
the Savage. "It holds his estimate and dignity as
well wherein 'tis precious of itself as in the prizer."
"Come, come," protested Mustapha Mond,
"that's going rather far, isn't it?"
"If you allowed yourselves to think of God,
you wouldn't allow yourselves to be degraded by
pleasant vices. You'd have a reason for bearing
things patiently, for doing things with courage. I've
seen it with the Indians."
"l'm sure you have," said Mustapha Mond.
"But then we aren't Indians. There isn't any need for
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