Rules And Subjectivity In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Rules and Subjectivity
Society is fundamentally built upon rigid structure and control using rules to attempt to maintain order amongst a society comprised of many individuals. Inherently rules put at expense the freedom of individuals to achieve personal happiness in order to build a society comprised of more equally achieving individuals. Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem builds a society in which rules restrict all individual freedoms and force a more collective ideal. The rules put in place by the society are meant to make everybody collectively more happy and prevent inherent human subjectivity; however, inherent to human nature, rules can be subjectively interpreted. In contrast to the pre-existing society presented by Rand, Equality 7-2521 seeks

The interactions between Equality and The Golden One show this. Together they live free of the collective mindset, living as individuals free to pursue personal happiness; however there is flaw in the interactions between the two. Equality strives to build a society upon the individualistic ideals of seeking personal happiness with a positive form of selfishness that does not detriment of as for the self sacrifice of others. Unfortunately, The Golden One falls victim to long held collectivist ideals of self sacrifice, having followed Equality into the uncharted forest and claiming to him that she shall follow him forever even “if danger threatens [him]” and that if he is faced with death she “shall die with [him] ” (82). She even claims that she wishes to “share [his] damnation”(82). These are not the words of one who has been freed to find personal happiness; these are the words of an individual has become overly dependent on the collective mindset of self sacrifice. Equality sees this subjectively as her expression of love for him; for it is not sacrifice if she gains happiness in suffering with him, but this simply breaks the fundamental ideals of his new individualistic ways. This brings to light the fact that a society cannot truly exist in which individuals know how to treat one another without unintentionally or unknowingly being at detriment or asking for the sacrifice of others. Without

As Equality professes in righteous pledge of ego, he claims he shall “raze the cities of the enslaved” and create “a world where each man will be free to exist for his his own sake” (Rand 104). His ideals are righteous; to free a world suffering of collectivism, but it ignores the suffering that will ensue so he can achieve his personal happiness. The individuals who are bound to these collectivist cities will struggle to understand what individualistic ideals are. Rules will have to be enforced to keep order; however inherently rules will only further restrict personal freedoms. Human nature is irrational; and to force individuals who’ve been bound to rationalism to let go of rational actions and seek personal freedom is only going to create mass suffering for those who cannot think in the same selfish and righteous way of Equality. Equality has good meaning in his ideals; however it is easy to subjectively ignore that there is possibility that others may from even actions intended to free them to seek happiness.
Ideally a world would exist where all could live together in peace, where all could respect one another’s happiness; but due to the inherently subjective way humans interact with the surrounding world, it is merely impossible for such a world to exist. Rules only seek to try to build such a world; but it’s impossible for