Philosophy For Our Times

The philosophy of literature SPECIAL | George Orwell, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Aldous Huxley, and more

Jul 25, 2025
Emrah Atasoy, a lecturer at the University of Warwick, dives into the philosophical depths of classic literature. He unpacks the tension between utopia and dystopia as seen in Orwell's '1984' and Huxley's 'Brave New World,' urging critical thinking in today's world. Atasoy contrasts Dostoevsky's religious fervor with Tolstoy's practical morality, exploring their implications on faith. He also examines Nabokov's 'Lolita,' revealing moral complexities and the conflicts between autonomy and societal norms, while touching on Lispector's transformative views on identity.
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INSIGHT

Contrasting Dystopian Controls

  • Orwell's 1984 uses fear, surveillance, and censorship to maintain absolute power through repression.
  • Huxley's Brave New World uses pleasure, conditioning, and consumerism to suppress individuality and enforce conformity.
INSIGHT

Dystopias Reflect Today’s World

  • Orwellian and Huxleyan dystopias both warn us about oppressive systems threatening freedom.
  • Today's world mixes both fear-based control and consumerist distraction, blurring utopian and dystopian boundaries.
INSIGHT

Faith Beyond Language Limits

  • Dostoevsky's faith in Christ embraces mystery and ineffability, accepting that God transcends language.
  • Faith involves retaining the possibility of altering meaning to avoid limiting the divine.
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