1984

           Thisfailedtohappen,partlybecauseoftheimpoverishmentcausedbyalongseriesofwarsandrevolutions,partlybecausescientificandtechnicalprogressdependedontheempiricalhabitofthought,whichcouldnotsurviveinastrictlyregimentedsociety. Asawholetheworldismoreprimitivetodaythanitwasfiftyyearsago. Certainbackwardareashaveadvanced,andvariousdevices,alwaysinsomewayconnectedwithwarfareandpoliceespionage,havebeendeveloped,butexperimentandinventionhavelargelystopped,andtheravagesoftheatomicwarofthenineteen-fiftieshaveneverbeenfullyrepaired. Neverthelessthedangersinherentinthemachinearestillthere. Fromthemomentwhenthemachinefirstmadeitsappearanceitwascleartoallthinkingpeoplethattheneedforhumandrudgery,andthereforetoagreatextentforhumaninequality,haddisappeared. Ifthemachinewereuseddeliberatelyforthatend,hunger,overwork,dirt,illiteracy,anddiseasecouldbeeliminatedwithinafewgenerations. Andinfact,withoutbeingusedforanysuchpurpose,butbyasortofautomaticprocess—byproducingwealthwhichitwassometimesimpossiblenottodistribute—themachinedidraisethelivingstandardsoftheaveragehumanbeingverygreatlyoveraperiodofaboutfiftyyearsattheendofthenineteenthandthebeginningofthetwentiethcenturies. 

           Butitwasalsoclearthatanall-roundincreaseinwealththreatenedthedestruction—indeed,insomesensewasthedestruction—ofahierarchicalsociety. Inaworldinwhicheveryoneworkedshorthours,hadenoughtoeat,livedinahousewithabathroomandarefrigerator,andpossessedamotor-carorevenanaeroplane,themostobviousandperhapsthemostimportantformofinequalitywouldalreadyhavedisappeared. Ifitoncebecamegeneral,wealthwouldconfernodistinction.