In 1950, while the world was still recovering from the wounds of the Second World War, an English writer looked to the future with a critical and concerned eye. He was Aldous Huxley, the author of “Brave New World,” and put down on paper predictions about world population that, seen today, appear surprisingly accurate.
Intuitions which in light of the facts have proven to be very profound, and can now tell us a lot about our present.
Aldous Huxley's Vision: An Overcrowded Future or a Misunderstood Problem?
In an article published in Redbook in 1950, Aldous Huxley outlined three great challenges for humanity over the next fifty years: avoid a new war, feed and clothe a rapidly growing population, e manage resources of the planet without exhausting them due to a dramatic phenomenon. Which? That of overpopulation. With surprising clarity, Huxley predicted that the world population (in 1950 it amounted to around 2,5 billion people) would exceed three billion by 2000. A prediction that was certainly correct, even optimistic: 24 years ago, in fact, in reality the population already exceeded 6 billion.
Today many dispute the very idea of overpopulation. Some argue that the real problem is not the number of people, but the distribution of wealth and current economic models. The current economic system, based on growth and continuous consumption, leads to massive waste of food and goods produced. Perhaps, these critics suggest, we do not have a problem of overpopulation, but of the definition of value and distribution of wealth. Maybe they're right, maybe not, and we'll get back to the topic: now that's not what the article is about.
Beyond the numbers: the philosophical and social implications
Aldous Huxley didn't just make numerical predictions. His reflections went further, exploring the philosophical and social implications of a rapidly changing world. In “Brave New World,” he imagined a society in which population control was rigidly managed, with women wearing “Malthusian belts” full of contraceptives.
Furthermore, the ways in which demographic trends were achieved would have surprised Huxley. In many parts of the Western world, young generations do not need contraceptives - they are mentally increasingly reluctant to have children. This phenomenon is leading to an aging population in many countries, with economic and social consequences significant ones that we will face in the near future. What other solutions was the writer thinking of?
The “soma” and modern society
A particularly intriguing concept in “Brave New World” is that of “soma,” a drug used to appease the population through intellectual and emotional sedation. Some modern observers see disturbing parallels between this concept and certain aspects of our society, particularly in the entertainment industry.
All in all, the evolution of the video game industry, with its ability to create immersive and engaging worlds, could be seen as a modern form of “soma.” Same “antisocial” nature of social media ends up acting as a “natural contraceptive”.
Aldous Huxley, a "fortune teller" between demographic challenges and sustainability
Huxley's concerns about managing the planet's resources resonate strongly in the contemporary debate on climate change and sustainability. Given that in the coming decades we could find ourselves faced with a decline in the world population and not further growth, is the problem too many people or the wrong processes?
We're finding out: The key may be to dramatically increase production efficiency through technology. Just as we have surpassed “peak oil” predictions thanks to technological advances, we may find ways to use resources more efficiently to support a high (excessive?) population.
Conclusion: look at the future through Huxley's eyes
Aldous Huxley's predictions, correct in principle but necessarily inaccurate, nevertheless offer us a mirror through which to examine our current challenges. Above all, they invite us to consider the long-term consequences of our collective actions and decisions.
In a world that seems to oscillate between dystopian scenarios and surprising technological possibilities, perhaps Huxley's most important lesson is not in his specific predictions, but in his critical and thoughtful approach to the future. To balance understanding of the present and visions of the future to shape a "true" new world.
Not like the one narrated by Huxley. A better world, in which technological progress, environmental sustainability and human well-being come together in perfect harmony.
