"No, I think there quite probably is one."

"Then why?..."

Mustapha Mond checked him. "But he manifests himself in different ways to different men. In premodern times he manifests himself as the being that's described in these books. Now..."

"How does he manifest himself now?" asked the Savage.

"Well, he manifests himself as an absence; as though he weren't there at all."

"That's your fault."

"Call it the fault of civilization. God isn't compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happiness. You must make your choice. Our civilization has chosen machinery and medicine and happiness. That's why I have to keep these books locked up in the safe. They're smut. People would be shocked if..."

The Savage interrupted him. "But isn't it natural to feel there's a God?"

"You might as well ask if it's natural to do up one's trousers with zippers," said the Controller sarcastically. "You remind me of another of those old fellows called Bradley. He defined philosophy as the finding of bad reason for what one believes by instinct. As if one believed anything by instinct! One believed things because one has been conditioned to believe them. Finding bad reasons for what one believes for other bad reasons - that's philosophy. People believe in God because they've been conditioned to believe it God."

A Brave New World, Aldous Huxley.

---

I would hate to have this particular scene taken out of context, given the settings of A Brave New World, so I strongly suggest readers to read the entire book. Although, admittedly, the conversation between Mustapha Mond and The Savage is the sole interesting point of the book so far, at least for me. Perhaps I prefer dystopic rather than utopic premises but there is something dull about Bernard Marx. I wish Aldous Huxley had paid more mind to Helmholz Watson instead.