One of the greatest novelists and essayists of English Literature, whose best-known novels are included in the 100 most important works of world literature.
Swiftian satire and humour
Scintillating wit
Inter-disciplinary thinking
Polymath who combined mastery of the arts with a profound understanding of psychology, religion, philosophy and mysticism
Pioneer of ecology and decentralism
Staggering vocabulary, Brave New World is his easiest book(!)
Swiftian satire and humour
Swiftian satire and humour
A merciless portrait of the salon of Lady Ottoline Morrell, Garsington (Crome Yellow, Those Barren Leaves)
A kaleidoscopic view of the Bloomsbury Circle and London in the Swinging 20s in his early novels (Crome Yellow, Antic Hay and Point Counter Point)
Huxley's novels of ideas
Huxley's novels of ideas
Main character resembles author, gentle, intellectual observer of an ever-changing kaleidoscope of characters
Leading character often changes personality in different situations / multiplicity
Structure inspired by music, composed like fugues or sonatas
Intellectual genius and scholarship
Intellectual genius and scholarship
Intimately familiar with the literature of France, Italy, Germany, England, the US and well versed in the major works of Chinese, Russian and Arabic literature
Authority on Eastern and Western philosophy
Major art and music critic
Famous for his astounding range, with essays on science, education, politicial philosophy, ecology, psychology, neurology, hypnosis, propaganda
Living with a handicap
Living with a handicap
Visually impaired from his late teens as a result of keratitis punctata, Huxley suffered from eye-strain throughout his life.
Hence the interest in: – Alexander Technique – Bates Method – Kinesiology – All form of meditation
«Vision of the future»
– ALDOUS HUXLEY
Vision of the future
Vision of the future
Brave New World (1932, dystopia), intellectual totalitarianism
Ape and Essence (1949, dystopia), bestial totalitarianism
Island (1962, utopia), the world of balanced man, mystical ecotopia
Pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifist writings and pamphlets in the 1930s
Eyeless in Gaza 1936
Island 1963
Peace is impossible as we are
Pacifism starts with work on ourselves
Nationalism as idolatry
Involvement with Peace Pledge Union, Dick Sheppard
Ecology
Ecology
One of the first writers in the 20th century to address the importance of – Organic farming – Overpopulation – Renewable energy – Phosphorous (Point Counter Point) – A more vegetarian diet (Eyeless in Gaza)
Perennial philosophy and comparative religion
Perennial philosophy and comparative religion
The Perennial Philosophy, common ground of world religions as a basis for peace – Term coined by the German philosopher Leibnitz – Lessing Nathan der Weise – Huxley’s last novel Island
Vedanta and the West
Vedanta for Modern Man
Search for deeper meaning in culture
Search for deeper meaning in culture
Distrust of what we ordinarily call personality, life, reality
Culture as a pseudo-religion
Fragmentation of leading characters (The Farcial History of Richard Greenow, Antic Hay, Those Barren Leaves, Point Counter Point)
Reincarnation and metempsychosis (transmigration), Time Must Have a Stop
Exploring human nature practically
Exploring human nature practically
Mind-body: F. M. Alexander (Eyeless in Gaza), Bates The Art of Seeing
The value of hallucinogenics in discovering the deepest levels the psyche (The Doors of Percecption, Heaven and Hell, Island)
Dieting (e.g. Hay diet), painting, gardening, cooking etc. as forms of yoga
In search of human potentialities
In search of human potentialities
Contemplation and the practice of awareness: – Those Barren Leaves – Eyeless in Gaza – After Many a Summer – Time Must Have a Stop – The Genius and Goddess – Island
Independent and creative thinking
Independent and creative thinking
Huxley is one of the path-breakers of the 20th century for interdisciplinary thinking
Though he was close to a number of political movements (pacifism) and religious institutions (e.g. Vedanta), he retained his complete independence
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