Overall, 1984 is worse than Brave New World.

======== Contention 1: Physical vs. Physiological Control My opponent is right that 1984 exhibits physical control while BNW exhibits physiological control through genetic modification and conditioning. After considering both, it is simple to determine that physical control is much worse. In BNW, people are happy. Misfits like Bernard Marx are just that, misfits; and people who don't quite fit in with society will never be as happy. But nearly everyone else in BNW is very happy. Each individual is especially suited to their task in life, and is both good at it and enjoys it. Imagine if the world of today were like that! There would be no more miserable people working at desk jobs they loathe just to make a living, no more manual laborers who would much prefer a more mentally stimulating job but couldn't afford an education. BNW is not oppressive; on the contrary, it would be a wonderful place to live. Contrast this with 1984. People are arbitrarily divided into either the proletariat or the Party. The proles are poor, hapless and ignorant. Even workers in the Outer Party aren't much better off. Everyone is subject to strict control by the Inner Party. People are constantly watched on telescreens. Unlike in BNW, the oppression is active. The masses are indoctrinated by the propaganda of Big Brother. How would you like to be constantly reminded that "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU"? ======== Contention 2: What Is Control? The genetic control and social control in BNW is no worse than that of our current world, or of the world of 1984. In any society, there will always be widely-held cultural ideas that are difficult to get away from. In any living being, behavior will be defined by genetics. We as people are for the large part controlled by our genetics, and yet we do not consider ourselves to be oppressed by them. That notion would be absurd. Our genetics don't oppress us; our genetics /define/ us. Genes created by humans are not any better or worse than genes created by natural selection. Either we are "oppressed" by humans, or we are "oppressed" by natural selection. The genetic control in BNW is not bad at all. Similarly, people are to an extent defined by the ideas of their culture. Cultural memes, however they arise, do serve to define people but could not be said to oppress people. Are Germans "oppressed" by their cultural love of schnitzel and sausage? Of course not; that would be absurd. The "control" in BNW is no different from the genetic or cultural situation in any other society. The active oppression of 1984, on the other hand, is far darker and more harmful to the general wellbeing. ======== Contention 3: Happiness This contention is simple. In BNW, people are happy. They are perfectly suited for their tasks, they are pleased and entertained, they love what they do. In 1984, the proles are poor and can't do anything about it, and they know it. Even the members of the Party are not especially happy. They may be wealthier, but their stations in life are hardly any less hopeless. ======== Contention 4: Knowledge We can probably agree that it is better for people to know what's going on than to be lied to. In 1984, the government has a massive propaganda mill that constantly lies to the public. Arbitrary wars are used to keep the public in thrall. In Brave New World, plenty of people know how the genetic modification works, they know that they are given sleep conditioning. And they are okay with it, because they know that it is what holds their society together and makes people happy. In BNW, people are not lied to. People can accept the truth. Because the truth of BNW is, in the end, not all that bad. I wish the same could be said for 1984. ======== I await my opponent's rebuttal.