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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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Individuality allows every person to be themselves and be different from each other. However, In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, Rand describes a society where the people were not allowed to openly be themselves, or else they would be punished for being different. The main character, Equality, notices he is different slowly throughout the novella, but kept continuing to be like everyone else for awhile. These rules exist in this society to strip human individuality in order to achieve total equality.

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In Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, mankind is a philanthropic machine. The brotherhood nobly works together to achieve a common goal. In doing so, each man is asked to disregard his own personal means and goals. For every decision must be a collective thought and every advancement, a joint action. However, one man in this machine malfunctions.

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How could losing individuality affect a society? The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is about a guy named Equality 7-2521 who is trying to find himself in a society where everything is controlled and different. Later, he finds himself even though he will have to go through many obstacles to get there. The process behind losing individuality in an Anthem’s society are in forcing strict laws, brain washing of their citizens, and removing of family. The Anthem society in forcing of strict laws made it easy for everyone to lose their individuality.

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A city based on stifling collectivism that is challenged by one young man who discovers freedom through individuality perfectly describes Ayn Rand’s book Anthem. Anthem depicts a society oppressed by stripping each member from any ounce of individuality. Ayn Rand is commonly known for her view points on collectivist and centralized political standpoints as her philosophies are the structure of many pieces of her writing. Her writings are a publicized way of creating controversy with her opinions. Rand’s philosophy goes entirely against the belief that the individual should be subjugated to the group and sacrificed for the common good which in turn is the main focus of Anthem.

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