This is our episode on chapter 2 of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. We continue the tour of the hatchery and conditioning center, and we see the orientation of education in Brave New World: to keep the gyroscopic stability of a consumption-oriented society going. Interesting insight: moral education must be instinctual.

This is our episode on chapter 1 of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. We look at the structure of Brave New World and the radical biological engineering necessary to secure the foundations of this dystopian society. The novel starts with birth and ends with a death, today we look at birth.

With episode 101, the worst episode in the world, we announce the beginning of a chapter-by-chapter series on Brave New World by Aldous Huxley! We go over the life of Aldous Huxley, impact of the book (variously panned as one of the most important modern novels in the English language), and themes we will be … Continue reading E101: Beginning of Brave New World Series

This is episode 3 of 3 on dystopian themes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. We explore the way that Section 31 is not quite dystopian, providing a fire break for Federation ideals. How do you choose the lesser of two evils when working in black ops? Spies break down their basic humanity to make … Continue reading E100: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 3 of 3 – Section 31

This is episode 2 of 3 on dystopian themes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Section 31, the “no such agency” of the Federation, does dirty work in the shadows of the bright Star Trek utopia. What do black ops mean to the preservation of a state? What do spies and dirty business mean for … Continue reading E99: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 2 of 3 – Section 31

This is episode 1 of 3 on dystopian themes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. We are looking at season 4 episodes 11-12, “Homefront” and “Paradise Lost“. Shapeshifting enemies have penetrated to Earth, the Federation military is planning a coup to make things secure. Shifting loyalty from service loyalty and chain of command to personal … Continue reading E98: Dystopian Deep Space 9 – 1 of 3

This is part 2 of 3 on Chapter 8 of The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. In this episode, we look a little closer at a case involving the Russian Orthodox Church in the establishment of revolutionary legality. Civil society presents a real threat to totalitarian regimes. Lots of things go into why things get … Continue reading Chapter 8: The Law as a Child – Part 2

This is part 1 of 3 on Chapter 8 of The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn takes a step back to examine the legal foundations for the gulag system, how it started with revolutionary tribunals after the October Revolution. The key thing is not guilt or innocence but revolutionary expediency, revolutionary consciousness, and the … Continue reading Chapter 8: The Law as a Child – Part 1

This is episode two of two on Gattaca, the 1997 American film by Andrew Niccol. We take a look at what happens when truth is revealed, when you’ve been living in disguise in a dystopian society. We look at how pushing against limits goes into what it means to be human. FFTP has been moving … Continue reading E97: Gattaca 2 of 2

This is episode one of two on Gattaca, the 1997 American film by Andrew Niccol. We look at the issues of genetic engineering, discrimination based on genetics, and the nature of human potential. Is humanity supposed to play the cards dealt to it, or is it allowed to change the deck itself? In what direction … Continue reading E96: Gattaca 1 of 2