The World Set Free · Chapter
IV: The New Phase explained
The chapter describes the monumental task of the Assembly of Brissago to reorganize society based on the new realities of atomic science and the catastrophic Last War.
What happens
The chapter describes the monumental task of the Assembly of Brissago to reorganize society based on the new realities of atomic science and the catastrophic Last War. It contrasts the old agricultural, instinct-driven human life with the new era of rapid technological change, emphasizing that human nature and institutions must adapt to avoid total collapse. The narrative details the early efforts of the World Republic, including educational reform led by the crippled Karenin, the dispersal of cities, the decline of agriculture, and the suppression of nationalist agitators, highlighting a shift toward a universal, cooperative world order.
Themes in this chapter
Technological Progress and Its Consequences
The chapter explores how the sudden development of atomic science forced a choice between societal collapse or adaptation, with new appliances rendering old human tendencies incompatible.
Human Nature and Moral Evolution
Discusses the moral shock of the bombs, the release from old habits, and the need for human nature to adapt to new social conditions, with examples of religious conversion and the versatility of human nature.
The Obsolescence of Nationalism and War
Highlights the end of chronic wars and the suppression of nationalist agitators, with the council overriding racial and national customs in favor of universal rule.
Social and Economic Transformation
Describes the dispersal of cities, the decline of agriculture to less than 1% of the population, the expansion of gardens, and the work of the Redistribution Committee.
Characters to notice
- Marcus Karenin
A Russian congenital cripple who dominates the educational committee of the World Republic, overseeing the mental and spiritual reconstruction of society.
- King Ferdinand Charles
Mentioned as a monarch who might have carried the world back to evils if his bombs had reached their destination, but his face vanished from the sight of men.
- Sir Philip Dass
The discredited owner of the Dass patents, who unsuccessfully dunned the world for compensation and died a victim of conspiracy mania.
- Young Holsten
Referenced indirectly through the mention of Holsten's discoveries, which Dass had annexed the selvage of.
Key passages
“The catastrophe of the atomic bombs which shook men out of cities and businesses and economic relations shook them also out of their old-established habits of thought, and out of the lightly held beliefs and prejudices that came down to them from the past.”
The atomic bomb disaster disrupted not only physical and economic structures but also deeply ingrained mental habits and inherited prejudices.
Illustrates the transformative psychological impact of the war.
“The moral shock of the atomic bombs had been a profound one, and for a while the cunning side of the human animal was overpowered by its sincere realisation of the vital necessity for reconstruction.”
The profound moral shock from the bombs temporarily suppressed human selfishness, replaced by a genuine commitment to rebuilding.
Highlights the temporary moral awakening after the catastrophe.
“The new government early discovered the need of a universal education to fit men to the great conceptions of its universal rule.”
The new government quickly realized that universal education was essential to prepare people for the ideals of global governance.
Emphasizes the role of education in the new world order.