ipl-logo

Rational Egoism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

507 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Anthem by ayn rand essay analysis outline

Ayn Rand’s Anthem is a very interesting narrative, where you experience the fight between collectivism and rational egoism. A young man called Equality 7-2521 is put in a foster home, where he could not leave the house or else he faces punishment. He ventures off into a tunnel late nights where he takes time out to write his thoughts down and develop new ideas. Equality 7-2521 is then truly admired by this one girl he calls “The Golden One.” In the piece, Equality 7-2521 is example of rational egoism. He portrays a great of self-interest in the narrative. The society in which he lives in is the collectivist society. Eventually, he introduces his idea of the invention of lights. He thought the elite scholars of the society would adopt his invention …show more content…

Rand’s story ultimately leads to the conclusion that a society in which people lives collectivism is under strict planning and control. The collectivist society barred the individuals experience to develop their own thinking. Ayn Rand, introduces both cases to the narrative to show you the difference of both, but she ultimately believes that rational egoism is the way to live. Rational egoism cares oneself and promotes self interest. This is where Equality 7-2521 is freed from collectivism and introduced to a new political philosophy called rational egoism. Equality 7-2521 finds that rational egoism to the right way to live. He finds out about the word “I” and this ultimately gives the signification that rational egoism is illustrated in the narrative. Rational egoism is ultimately the cure of a collectivism. It shows that individuals will want their freedom. They would want to express their ideas as freely as possible. Equality 7-2521 expresses that he wanted his freedom from this society. They feel that collectivism is pressing on their opportunity to prosper. For example, Equality 7-2521 could not live under the collectivism because he wanted to introduce his new invention. In this situation, rational egoism is a cure of collectivism. Rational egoism promotes the idea of newer ideas, and gives individuals the opportunity to think outside of the

Show More
Related
469 Words | 2 Pages

Equality has learned his reading teaches him that persons are individuals, not splintered fragments of the group; they have no right to pursue their happiness, and should not be sacrifice themselves for others; that they require freedom to do this, and must not be enslaved by the group. The overall Theme would be the actual word Ego it was talked in the story about how it means a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance. Equality 7-2521 was mainly focusing on telling us that the ending he wanted us to learn was that it’s your conscious mind, the part of identify that you consider “yourself”. In Latin it would mean ‘self’ or “I”.

Read More
705 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
632 Words | 3 Pages

Why was this book controversial? Which themes or ideas were challenging to society? Controversial material in Anthem, by Ayn Rand, includes brief use of profanity, issues of morality, and exploitation of women. Also, controversy surrounding Ayn Rand’s work is the over-emphasizing of individualistic ideas she displays, as well as the adoration of egotism.

Read More
605 Words | 3 Pages

Have you ever heard common phrases such as “every man for himself”? Phrases like this are common sayings that have been knitted into our vocabulary which demonstrate our egotistic nature. From a young age, we’ve been told that we must take care of ourselves first, because no one else will. On the contrary, the book, Anthem, presents a society that is shockingly different. From not being able to use the pronoun, “I” to the idea of living only to serve to serve fellow men, the altruistic, “we” society presented in Anthem is the exact opposite of America’s egotistic, “me” society, due to the fact that we are a capitalist society and because of our society’s competitive nature.

Read More
530 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
594 Words | 3 Pages

Collectivism and Selfishness in Anthem Imagine living in a world where everybody's lives are completely mapped out by the government. Where every decision is made without the input of the citizens it affects. In the novella Anthem, Ayn Rand depicts a completely collectivist society, where every idea, action, and invention is purely for the benefit of society as a whole. Everything is done with the entire population in mind, and individuality is extremely frowned upon.

Read More
983 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
963 Words | 4 Pages

Living for oneself was a snuffed out idea in this society. “Make them feel that the mere fact of personal desire is evil. ”(The Soul of a Collectivist) The rulers enforced the most extreme idea of equality and selflessness in order to make each man as though they are posession of one and other, not an individual. Rulers have created a collectivist

Read More
1048 Words | 5 Pages

“We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One indivisible and forever” (Rand 19). In Anthem, a science fiction novel, by Ayn Rand, the society believes in this philosophy. They believe one’s personality is not their own but a group’s identity, collectivism. In Anthem, Equality 7-2521 lives in a society that is restricted with rules that limits them from finding themselves.

Read More
1284 Words | 6 Pages

Objectivism in Ayn Rand’s Anthem Ayn Rand established her philosophy of objectivism in order to eliminate the traditions she experienced while she was growing up under collective governments, and to emphasize the importance of the individual over the collective group. It can be defined as a philosophy for living stating that man himself is the greatest power, and man must decide what is best for himself based on reason. The four basic tenets of objectivism are reality exists as an objective absolute, reason is man’s only method of interpreting his surroundings, man must exist as an individual in order to pursue his own interests, with the ultimate goal being happiness, and the economy of an objectivist society should be laissez-faire capitalism,

Read More
175 Words | 1 Pages

In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, she writes about mind, body, and self in a collectivist point of view. In this text, Equality 7-2521 lives through his society. He is scolded for being smart and standing out from his brothers. He grows up and defies the laws and then runs away with his sweetheart they then become immune to their previous world in the forest. In a collectivist society there is p self, no opinions.

Read More
976 Words | 4 Pages

According to Rand, the individual was the most important unit of society and that collectivism, which subjugates the individual to the group, was the root of all evil. She believed that individuals should be free to pursue their own interests and that the government should have a limited role in society, mainly to protect individual rights and enforce contracts. Equality comes to his senses and learns he owes nothing to anyone but himself. "I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them. I ask none to live for me, nor do I live for any others.

Read More
1362 Words | 6 Pages

Since, individuals are not capable of defining themselves, Ardent proposes that people do not know why they are joining these mobs. People do not known who they are not because of freedom of choice, but because they have no identity. Therefore, mobs are destructive groups that attempt to control individuals experiencing self loathing. Due to self laceration and individual begins to locate one’s self in bitterness. In the face of anti-intellectualism, Ardent desires to resurrect the notion of self and reason that was identified by the Enlightenment period.

Read More
1518 Words | 7 Pages

There is an inherent need to be selfish in order to work for one’s own values and to one’s benefit, untethered by the needs of others. Literary critic Mimi Gladstein observes that “One of [Rand’s] stated purposes in writing [The Fountainhead] was to develop a defense of egoism” (Gladstein). Roark’s reasoning

Read More
566 Words | 3 Pages

The philosopher Ayn Rand believed that an individual’s life is of the utmost importance, as is her well-being. She knew that altruistic ethics require individuals to sacrifice their own wellbeing and lives for the sake of others. With ethical egoism, and will value their own wellbeing above all others. So, she was for ethical egoism. Ayn Rand also had an argument against ethical egoism believing it is a mistake to treat the interest of some individuals as being less important than the interest of others.

Read More

More about Rational Egoism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Related Topics

Open Document