"Orwellian" is an
adjective describing a situation, idea, or societal condition that
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...
identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free and
open society
Open society (french: société ouverte) is a term coined by French philosopher Henri Bergson in 1932, and describes a dynamic system inclined to moral universalism.Thomas Mautner (2005), 2nd ed. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy'' Open so ...
. It denotes an attitude and a brutal policy of draconian control by
propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
,
surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...
,
disinformation,
denial of truth (
doublethink), and manipulation of the past, including the "
unperson"—a person whose past atrocity is idealised from the public record and memory, practiced by modern repressive governments. Often, this includes the circumstances depicted in his novels, particularly ''
Nineteen Eighty-Four'' but political
doublespeak is criticized throughout his work, such as in ''
Politics and the English Language''.
''
The New York Times'' has said the term is "the most widely used adjective derived from the name of a modern writer".
See also
References
External links
Finding Orwell in Burma
{{Media manipulation
George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Freedom of expression
Censorship
Totalitarianism