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Individualism And Collectivism In Ayn Rand

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III Semester Professor Silika Mohapatra 8th October 2014 A LEAP TO INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM “My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” - Ayn Rand, Appendix to Atlas Shrugged (1957) Humans are capable of infinite genius and originality, only if they have the opportunity to do it freely without having to fear the burden of the social norms. The individualism-collectivism debate is gaining substantial emphasis considering its robust effects. We see traces of disagreement regarding individualism and collectivism in every domain of our lives, be it social, political, religious …show more content…

The concept of individuality has been eliminated and unknown. Equality 7-2521, the protagonist, writes in a tunnel, explaining the society around him. His exclusive use of plural pronouns ("we", "our", "they") tells us about the alienation of the word ‘I’. People are burned at the stake for acting or wishing for oneself because it was ‘evil’. They couldn’t desire anything for themselves or be alone or even choose their friends; it was considered a transgression. He enjoyed the science of things and dreamed of becoming a Scholar. However, the Council of Vocations that assigned all people to their jobs assigned him to the Home of the Street Sweepers. He accepts this mandate since he wanted to repent for his sin to desire. Nevertheless, he skips his recreational hours at the Theatre and escapes into the tunnel to study stolen manuscripts and conduct experiments. Meanwhile, he falls in love with Liberty …show more content…

It plainly suggests that egoism means that no person shall bend another to his or her will; that no one has the right to do so. We must discern the delicate contrast between an egoist and an egotist. The egotists would adopt Rand’s philosophy as a tool for their own shortcomings, to forgo the rule of communal synergy. "Politically, true individualism means recognizing that one has a right to his own life and happiness. But it also means uniting with other citizens to preserve and defend the institutions that protect that right" (Shawn E. Klein, Community and American Individualism. A commentary from the Navigator Special: The Assault on Civilization posted October 17,

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