科幻小说中的生命伦理学：《美丽新世界》中幸福的道德启示.pdf

International Comparative LiteratureVol.6 NO.1（2023）：157-170DOI：10.19857/ki.ICL.20236108Copyright Shanghai Normal UniversityThe Bioethics in Science Fiction：Moral Inspiration of Happiness in Brave New World*科幻小说中的生命伦理学：美丽新世界 中幸福的道德启示ZHAO Xiuhong WU Wenqing Shanxi University赵秀红 吴文清 山西大学Abstract：Bio-ethical exploration has always been a classic theme of modern science fiction.With the rapid development of life science and medicine，gene editing technology and its potential ethical dilemmas and choices have become the key points of science fiction in recent years.These works have captured the momentum of life science developments and potential risks through topics as“artificial person，”“transplants，”“laboratory babies，”“gene editing，”“mind control，”and“genetic enhancements，”focusing on human gene editing techniques，as well as their strong impact on the traditional way of life and social ethics.Among these，the novel Brave New World by the British writer Aldous Huxley depicts the annihilation of human nature under the grinding influence of money and machine as material desires are satisfied by advances in science and technology，one of the root causes being the weak awareness of bio-ethical consciousness.In a world like this，love and responsibility are lost due to alienated material relationships among people，bio-ethical morality is trampled，and virtue awareness is discarded，all of which may cause inappropriate bio-ethical choices to recur and eventually lead to loss of happiness.In essence，the novel reflects the complex emotions and confused values of people pursuing the American dream in the era of scientism and hedonism after World War .Through the asymmetry of responsibility over freedom，as well as the relationship between the self and the otherfollowing Levina s ethical theory of“the other”the other takes precedence over the self，with infinite absoluteness and transcendence.The novel serves as an opportunity for moral reflection and demonstrates that confirmation of the self lies in the presence of the other.Only in the process of cultivating responsibility and empathy*Submitted Date：Aug.17，2022；Accepted Date：Dec.17，2022.2023年第6卷 第1期国际比较文学国际比较文学INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE LITERATUREfor the other can self-subjectivity be revealed，materialism and technology be brought into full play as a means to an end，and“the self”and“the present”be transcended to experience the existence of happiness and meaning in life.Keywords：Levina s ethics of“the other”；Aldous Huxley s Brave New World；responsibility；face；practical wisdomNotes on the Authors：ZHAO Xiuhong is a doctoral student of Ethics in the School of Philosophy and Sociology at Shanxi University.She is also a lecturer in the School of Foreign Languages at Shanxi University，China，specializing in Foreign Literature.WU Wenqing is a professor and doctoral supervisor who teaches Ethics in the School of Philosophy and Sociology at Shanxi University，China.New technologies such as genetic technology，3D printing，artificial intelligence，big data，nanotechnology and other emerging technologies，while bringing great convenience to human society，may also cause great ethical risks and challenges.The ethical impacts of emerging science and technologies are complicated by multifarious factors interwoven together.The possible ethical challenges are also difficult to accurately predict and avert because of insufficient related knowledge and experience，all of which may heighten the uncertainty of the application of the high-tech inventions.One of the salient examples is the application of synthetic biotechnology，which to a great extent can respond to and find solutions for the bulk of social problems concerning food，nutrition，resources，diseases and the like that have perplexed many countries for a long time.If synthetic genes are embedded in cells，diverse renewed products like newly biodegradable plastics，nutritious proteins，vaccines will be created in the domains of bio-fuel，bio-medical treatment，bio-energy，ecology and so on.Compared with the traditional tools，they are brand-new and also cleaner，cheaper and more effective.However，synthetic biotechnology is a double-edged sword，which can bring benefits as well as risks.That is to say，once maliciously usedeven to develop a highly contagious virussynthetic biotechnology will endanger the lives of human beings（cynically called“the inhumane use of human beings”）.Additionally，some scientists have managed to perform gene editing on human embryos，which aroused a heated debate over the rationality and feasibility of removing a single，even though defective，gene from a genome and then replacing it with another one to prevent disease.There is no denying that the rapid development of emerging technologies leads to the creation of new ethical problems，whereas the fact is that because emerging technologies are characterized by sophisticated equipment，complex technology and complicated knowledge structures，most researchers mainly focus on scientific and technical issues rather than pay more attention to the ethical，legal and other issues involved.In addition，some researchers may be driven by interests that lead to behavior that runs contrary to ethical norms.Despite the bio-experiment itself not having an ethical problem，nor crossing the ethical boundary，that boundary has nevertheless been touched.In recent years，ethics has become a concern in the scientific community，and the 158科幻小说中的生命伦理学：美丽新世界 中幸福的道德启示The Bioethics in Science Fiction：Moral Inspiration of Happiness in Brave New World2023,Vol.6,No.1problems scientists would encounter should be investigated further before any type of practical application is begun.Therefore it is necessary to further strengthen the ethical norms and supervision of scientific research activities and effectively prevent the associated ethical risks.Besides that，the key point is the change from the requirements of society to the requirements of scientists self-consciousness.Thus，in order to better develop and utilize synthetic biotechnology，it is vitally important that there is ethical reflection on“whether human beings can be made，”“the essence of life，”“the traditional ideas of happiness itself，”“the relationship between self and others”and such issues.The“traditional”route of bioethics allows for serious moral and experimental argumentation mainly in terms of normative ethics，considering that the moral significance of narration in literature，as well as the importance of empathy and rational emotion in bioethics which can be stirred by narration in literature.Most importantly，the ultimate goal of bio-science is supposed to be directed toward the aim of happiness.The rational method of argumentation in this essay follows the philosophical discussion of ethics and literature to capture the significance of bioethics in the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.Brave New World by Aldous HuxleyThe novel Brave New World penned by Aldous Huxley（1894 1963），a 20th century British modernist novelist，has been highly praised by both Chinese and Western readers since its publication in 1932.It presents us with a fictional society in the year 2532，in which materials are more abundant and technological progress more advanced than in any previous era.People appear to be leading happy lives of extreme material satisfaction，but underneath this happiness is psychological anxiety and a loss of emotions.Happiness is thus deconstructed，and human nature is subverted.The novel shows readers how the gene hatching technology takes control over all of mankind，and people are left with no freedom and no choice.The novel is intended to arouse people s attention to their own value，deeply exploring the connotations of happiness，and awakening one s sense of responsibility to others to build a harmonious，happier，and more humanistic society.The story is set in the year 632 After Ford（2532 AD，far in the future）.The New World contrasts to the traditional Savage Reservation inhabited by some Indian tribes.The story unfolds around Bernard and Lenin（inhabitants of the New World）and John and his mother Linda（residents of the Reservation）.Bernard and Lenin meet John and his mother Linda during their visit to the Reservation.Linda，who used to reside in the New World，had fallen off a cliff during her visit to the Reservation，and stayed there ever since，giving birth to John.Bernard brought Linda and her son back to the New World for his own purposes，but Linda soon died of an overdose of Soma（a stimulant）.As his admiration for the New World turned to disgust，John hanged himself after a violent confrontation with the New World.1592023年第6卷 第1期国际比较文学国际比较文学INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE LITERATUREIn addition to being a famous novelist，Aldous Huxley was a philosopher，social critic，playwright and poet.He wrote more than 50 books of various genres over his life in literature，philosophy，politics，art，religion，science and technology，including Brave New World，Point Counter Point，Eyeless in Gaza and Island.Hundreds of works have been published on Huxley，exploring and discussing his literary thoughts，writing techniques，dystopian themes，and integration of Eastern and Western cultures.Brave New World has been a consistent focus and hot spot among these works.The Western academic community generally considers it a dystopian novel on the negative social impact of the supremacy of scientific rationality.Phillip Thody once commented that in this book，Huxley decried the social crisis which was dominated entirely by reason and science.In order to achieve well-being and happiness，people give up art，philosophy and other humanistic ideas to the extent that they could no longer even call themselves human.1 Here，Brave New World asks a metaphysical question：what makes one human？Other scholars have analyzed the novel from sociological and political perspectives，arguing that it is dystopian in nature.According to David Bradshaw，Brave New World reflects Huxley s desire for social stability and implies his ambivalence towards science.On the one hand，he was worried about the rapid increase in population quantity and decline in population quality.Believing that the arrival of mass society was a shock to the democratic system，he was inclined to control population artificially using eugenics.On the other hand，he was concerned that this approach，taken to its extreme，would lead to the death of civilization and the stagnation of society.2 Western critics have done a great deal of research on the novel from the perspective of the ironic function of the character names，and the prophetic warning function of the novel，using feminism，psychoanalysis，comparative research and other approaches，drawing many insightful conclusions.The novel also has a large reader base in China.Meanwhile，domestic research in China on the novel mainly focuses on introducing and briefly commenting on the ideas of dystopia and opposition to science and totalitarianism.A cross-national review on the research status of the novel indicates that little attention has been paid to the existence of humanity itself.In fact，with its unique characteristics of timeliness，openness，creativity，and foresight，the novel reveals its profound exploration of human nature，the relationship between the self and the other，and the meaning of happiness.Confusion of ScientismIn 1932，Aldous Huxley opened the Brave New World with these words：A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories.Over the main entrance the 1 David King Dunaway,Aldous Huxley Recollected:An Oral History(Walnut Creek:AltaMira Press,1999),147.2 David Bradshaw,Between the Wars(Chicago:Van R.Dee,1994),x.160科幻小说中的生命伦理学：美丽新世界 中幸福的道德启示The Bioethics in Science Fiction：Moral Inspiration of Happiness in Brave New World2023,Vol.6,No.1words，CENTRAL LONDON HATCHERY AND CONDITIONING CENTRE，and，in a shield，the World State s motto，COMMUNITY，IDENTITY，STABILITY.3.Standard men and women，standard groups.The employees in the factory might be the products of the same Bokanovsky process for egg processing.4Since Descartes，traditional Western philosophy has emphasized the existence of human rationality and subjectivity，holding that rationality is one of the important attributes that distinguishes humans from other species.The overemphasis on rationality further leads to the prevalence of scientism.Scientism is a trend of thought that has had a profound impact on the West.Although it emerged late，it has gradually influenced how people think and act under the rapid development of science and technology in the 20th century，to such an extent that many people in the contemporary era believe that it can solve all problems in real life.Under the influence of scientism，the subjectivity of human existence has become increasingly prominent as another important category.Although it admits the existence of“the other，”the latter exists only to confirm the existence of subjectivity，and is eventually reduced to“identity”and dissolved.Rationalism or scientism and human subjectivity have become the main themes of the times.Huxleys novel explores scientisms suppression of humanity and moral feelings in phenomenally detailed language.Science is paramount and dominates everything；New World babies are no longer conceived by parents，but hatched from“bottles”using scientific planning；the embryos are regulated by science，and classified into different grades.More ironically，the eggs of lower-grade embryos have to divide into multiple identical eggs in order to ensure sufficient workers in the future.Hence，there are many twins.“The bulging flanks of row on receding row and tier above tier of bottles glinted with innumerable rubies，and among the rubies moved the dim red spectres of men and women with purple eyes and all the symptoms of lupus.The hum and rattle of machinery faintly stirred the air.”5 Words like“dim，”“red，”and“lupus”give the reader a feeling of melancholy and unhappiness caused by the extreme idolatry of science.Scientism not only eliminates many natural human attributes，but also alienates the moral consciousness and emotional characteristics of humans，who have been reduced to manufactures on the social production line.The New World invented the“perfect drug”to relieve its inhabitants of sorrow and pain，Soma，which produced“Euphoric，narcotic，pleasantly hallucinant.All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol；none of their defects”6.Produced by 3 Aldous Huxley,Brave New World(New York:Harper&Bros.,1932),1-8.4 David King Dunaway,Aldous Huxley Recollected:An Oral History,15.5 Aldous Huxley,Brave New World(New York:Rosetta Books LLC,2000),12.6 Ibid.,43.1612023年第6卷 第1期国际比较文学国际比较文学INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE LITERATUREhigh technology，Soma narcotizes people s thoughts and emotions，causing them to lose their ego sensibility and stop meditating on and discussing the meaning of life.“Work，playat sixty our powers and tastes are what they were at seventeen.Old men in the bad old days used to renounce，retire，take to religion，spend their time read