With over 50 published books in his career, Aldous Huxley was a very prolific writer. His range was also considerable, with topics of interest including fiction and poetry, mysticism, and philosophy. Some of his best works are presented below:
Brave New World
It is for ‘Brave New World’ that Aldous Huxley is best known. Published in 1932, it’s the story of a future dystopian world where, using technological and scientific advancements, the World Controllers created and ran a highly controlled society, maintaining stability at the cost of its citizens’ expression. In this country called World State, people are created in test tubes, engineered and conditioned for specific roles, and into intelligence-based castes. Citizens are programmed from birth to accept their roles without question. Life is organized so that the citizens never face pain, disappointment, or any strong emotions, and they are encouraged to pursue only pleasure and happiness. They are also provided a drug escape from unpleasant feelings.
In the story, the protagonist Bernard Marx, an Alpha, the highest caste in the society, is discontented with the social system and feels isolated. He befriends John, a savage born outside World State. John’s introduction into the society of World State creates a strong tension between the values of the savage, who embody values we are familiar with, and the values of the World State.
‘Brave New World’ explores themes such as the loss of individuality and how the unbridled pursuit of pleasure can dehumanize people. Also, it examines the dangers of unchecked technological progress, and how a totalitarian regime could gain and exercise absolute power not by oppression and the threat of violence, but through the provision of unlimited pleasure and indulgence to their citizens.
Doors of Perception
First published in 1954, ‘The Doors of Perception’ is a collection of philosophical essays written by Aldous Huxley. It is an account of Huxley’s mystical experiences while experimenting with the psychedelic substance, mescaline, gotten from the peyote cactus. The title of the book comes from a quote by the poet William Blake: “If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.”
The book is not strictly a book on philosophy but also contains psychological impressions. He describes the altered states of his mind under the influence of the mescaline, the dosages required to induce his visions, and the times these occurred.
Aldous Huxley makes notes on the heightened and vivid impressions gotten from the experience and reflects on the change in his perception. He suggests that in our everyday lives, the mind filters vision to remove extra sensation so that people may not be overwhelmed by the impressions they receive. Psychedelics remove these filters and create more intense observations but do not hinder a person’s ability to think straight. However, one becomes too immersed in the vision to feel a need to act or move.
Huxley makes a point on the value of the cleansed perception gained in the experiment and its benefit in contemplation but adds to live fully, a person needs to join the action of the body with the contemplation of the mind.
‘The Doors of Perception’ is not only a first-hand account of a psychedelic experience but also a broader exploration of the relationship between perception, consciousness, and the human experience.
Point Counter Point
‘Point Counter Point’ is a novel by Aldous Huxley, published in 1928. It was his longest novel. The novel is a satirical and complex exploration of the intellectual and social life of London during the 1920s. Huxley employs a large ensemble cast of characters, each representing a different facet of society, to weave a narrative that delves into the moral, philosophical, and personal dilemmas of the time. The novel does not follow a single plot but rather is a web of interconnected narratives. It builds up as a series of interconnected arguments, themes, and plots.
The story revolves around a group of intellectuals, artists, and socialites. The characters engage in philosophical and intellectual discussions, reflecting the diverse ideologies prevalent in the society of that era, and sometimes act in ways different from their professed ideals. Huxley uses the novel to critique various ideologies, including modernism, socialism, and psychoanalysis and explores their impact on individual lives.
‘Point Counter Point‘ is a roman-a-clef, which means it features characters based on real people. Most of the characters were based on people Aldous Huxley knew, such as D. H. Lawrence, Katherine Mansfield, Sir Oswald Mosley, and Nancy Cunard. The character of Philip Quarles, a novelist in the story, is based on Huxley himself.
Eyeless in Gaza
‘Eyeless in Gaza’ is a novel by Aldous Huxley, first published in 1936. The novel is a complex and introspective work that explores the philosophical and ethical dilemmas faced by its characters.
The story revolves around Anthony Beavis, a journalist and writer, and the events which shaped his life. The story is not told chronologically but weaves through episodes from different stages of Beavis’s life.
Spanning across both World Wars, ‘Eyeless in Gaza’ explores Beavis’s quest for meaning and the struggle to reconcile his idealistic beliefs with the harsh realities of the world. He lives through the death of his mother in his childhood, his partner’s suicide, and fighting in a revolution in Mexico with his friend, but becomes disillusioned with society and embraces pacifism in his search for meaning.
The Perennial Philosophy
Aldous Huxley published ‘The Perennial Philosophy’ in 1945, a work of non-fiction exploring the common themes running through cultural philosophies, religions, and spiritual traditions around the world. His main idea is that certain spiritual ideas are universal and timeless, and are evident and potent beneath the rituals and dogmas of the individual faiths.
By delving into the teachings of philosophers, mystical figures, and spiritual teachers across time and age, Huxley finds that underlying the superficial diversity of spiritual practices is perennial wisdom, some fundamental truths about the nature of reality, human existence, and divinity.
Huxley draws on the teachings of a diverse range of sources, such as Aquinas, Bhagavad-Gita, and Rumi, to explore the nature of God, the purpose of human life, the importance of self-transcendence, and how individuals can attain a direct experience of the divine.
Island
‘Island’ is a utopian novel written by Aldous Huxley as a counterpart to the dystopian ‘Brave New World’. It was Huxley’s last work published in 1962, a year before his death. The novel is set on the fictional island of Pala, where the protagonist, Will Farnaby, finds himself after a shipwreck.
The novel is an exploration of Huxley’s ideals and pits Farnaby, representing materialism and consumerist ethos, against the island’s ideals of mindfulness, spiritual fullness, and ecological conservation. ‘Island’ serves as Huxley’s political and social manifesto presented in prose form.
