In "Brave New World," what is the primary method of control used by the World State?

In "Brave New World," the primary method of control employed by the World State hinges on conditioning and consumerism. The society in Aldous Huxley's dystopia is engineered to promote stability and happiness through the use of psychological conditioning from a very early age. This process includes techniques such as hypnopaedia, or sleep-teaching, where individuals are indoctrinated with the values and ideologies of the World State while they sleep.

Additionally, consumerism is intricately woven into the fabric of daily life, where individuals are conditioned to desire and consume goods to reinforce economic stability and distract them from deeper existential issues. This combination of psychological manipulation and a culture centered on consumption leads to a populace that is docile, compliant, and continuously preoccupied with superficial pleasures, thereby maintaining social order without resorting to overtly violent means.

This approach contrasts sharply with other potential methods of control, such as fear and repression or punishment and rewards, which are not the predominant themes in the society depicted in the novel. Instead, Huxley illustrates a world where individuals are controlled not through fear but through the satisfaction of their conditioned desires.