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The Character Of Prometheus In Anthem By Ayn Rand

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Being an egoist brings Prometheus happiness. In his society, being in individualist, or an egoist, is regarded as erroneous. Prometheus is an egoist, which means that he lives for himself and not others, and this aspect of a person is commendable. For various actions, Prometheus can be regarded as an egoist. Prometheus is an egoist. Firstly, he is egoistic because he has personal desires and motivations. In fact,“We wished to know. We wished to know about all the things which make the earth around us”, notes Rand (23). Therefore, Prometheus’ personal desire is to learn more about the world and the things in it, and although is something seen as astray by the collectivist society he lives in, he does it nevertheless for it brings him satisfaction. Likewise, he achieves enlightenment when he realizes that he is significant. As Prometheus claims, “It is my mind which thinks, and the judgement of my mind is the only searchlight that can find the truth” (Rand 94). Thereupon, Prometheus realizes that his mind and his reason are what will lead him to the truth, and he won’t be influenced by any other thoughts. This is …show more content…

Ayn Rand believes that, “The creator served nothing and no one. He lived for himself” (1). Henceforth, the creator, the egoist, live for themselves only, which means that they are slave to none and serve themselves. They distress only about their survival and they don’t sacrifice themselves for anyone. Correspondingly, “His moral law is never to place his prime goal within the person of others. His moral obligation is to do what he wishes, provided his wish does not depend primarily upon other men” (Rand 1). Doing what he wants to do without it involving others, is the egoist’s moral, which means that all his goals are for him to accomplish independently, and that implies that what that man makes of himself are an outcome from his independent actions and

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In Anthem by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521, also known as Prometheus, says that the word ego is a very holy word. Today it is seen as a negative thing to be called an egoist, but Prometheus and Howard Roark in The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand see it differently. Both characters in the novels discover something they would like to share, but their creators do no like that they are having their own ideas and think their ego is too high. In Anthem, Equality 7-2521 has a sincere desire to learn more about science, but this is seen as a sin for they are not to know anymore than their fellow brethren.

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What is happiness? Everyone has a different answer. Some people say that happiness is eating delicious food in superior hotels; some people say that happiness is dancing in beautiful halls, and other people say that happiness is sitting in BMW cars. However, when I read Prometheus, I think happiness is selfless dedication. No matter in the myth or in the real life, there are many selfless people such as Yang Shanzhou.

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And both these joys belong to us alone,” and that “they do not concern out brothers in any way” (86). This shows that he thinks of himself as an individual

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In Ayn Rand's novella "Anthem," the story unfolds in a future society known as the "dark ages of the future. " In this world, individuality is buried in favor of collective identity. The characters are taught not to think for themselves and not to pursue their own thoughts, goals, and values. “We are nothing” – we are nothing.

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“An individualist is a man who says: I will not run anyone’s life nor let anyone run mine. I will not rule nor be ruled. I will not be a master nor a slave. I will not sacrifice myself nor sacrifice anyone to myself.” - Ayn Rand.

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Ethical egoism rests on the understanding that other, more traditional concepts of morality are based on some supernatural power's restrictive whims, which have no benefit for the individual. Ayn Rand describes such a moral code where the only good is the good of others: “If you wish it, it's evil; if others wish it, it's good. ”1 But, if this is the case, it is immoral for one person to want something, but moral for them to fulfill that want in someone else. This code, according to ethical egoists, is in direct opposition to happiness and life itself.

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Self-Improvement: Kant’s Advantage Over Prometheus In The Enlightenment It is tempting to believe that Goethe’s protagonist, Prometheus, acts according to Kant’s ideals in “What is Enlightenment”, since Prometheus has the “courage” to use his understanding without anyone else’s guidance. Kant’s introduction seems to make this fact clear to a reader. However, by only looking at his introduction, the reader will miss Kant’s real application of “courage”, which is to submit one’s own observations with others to try to improve their ideas.

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