ipl-logo

Morality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

1215 Words5 Pages

The book Anthem depicts a society where it is forbidden to think for one's self, but one-character breaks free from this dictatorship and lives a life thinking only for himself, and the author, Ayn Rand, shows that that is the purpose of life, and according to her, our morality will teach us to do so, and this is the key to happiness. The society depicted in Anthem defined morality as a system of conformity to ideals of right human conduct. This society believed that things done in in groups prevails over things done individually. At the beginning of the book Anthem, Equality 7-2521 states that, “… there is no transgression blacker than to do it alone” (Rand 17). These beliefs are what collectivists believe, along with that being alone “…is the great transgression and the root of all evil” (Rand 17). Also, they believe that if you are not needed by your ‘brothers’, -the people around you, figuratively speaking- there is no reason …show more content…

Equality lives for objectivism because he states, “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…” (Rand 96). By saying this, Equality 7-2521 shows he believes in being an individual is more powerful than living for others. He also states that using the word ‘we’ when referring to yourself is “… the root of all evils on earth, the root of man’s torture by men, and of an unspeakable lie,” (Rand 96). The main difference between a collectivists society and Equality’s philosophy of Objectivism is priority. Collectivists believe everyone should live for their brother, and we should give our love away, whereas Equality believes love, honor and respect should be earned. Equality believes you should have the right to choose your friends and ones you will love, but you should neither command or obey

Show More
Related
1193 Words | 5 Pages

A dictatorship is the everyday life of Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000. In Anthem, by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 lives in a society in which equality is enforced in the laws of the dictating society. No one can be different from anyone else, nor can one person spend more time with one person than another. Equality 7-2521 is dictated by the leaders of his society though he increasingly does not believe in his leaders morals. His morals and ethics follows the advice Ayn Rand offers in her essay “How Does One Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Life?”

Read More
677 Words | 3 Pages

In Ayn Rand’s book “Anthem”, we see a world where everyone has to be the same. Individuality doesn't exist, and people must follow strict rules. The main character, Equality 7-2521, shows us what happens when society pushes conformity too far. Rand’s story warns us about the dangers of having too many rules. In this essay, we’ll look at how “Anthem” shows these dangers and why it’s important to let people be themselves.

Read More
733 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the book Equality 7-2521 challenges the idea that everyone is and must be the same. Instead he acts on his own. In the book everyone is supposed to be equal alongside their brothers. That means that no one is more important, intelligent, and so on than their brothers and by being so it is an evil in the world.

Read More
681 Words | 3 Pages

The article provides many examples of collectivism and it is very similar to the anthem society. In the book Anthem, identity and collectivism are the reasons for the failure of the society. In our world, there are countries with communist beliefs that are very similar to collectivism. The story Anthem is a possible

Read More
395 Words | 2 Pages

To begin with, Anthem takes place in a collectivist society in which people are not allowed to think for themselves and can’t do so anything with it being a group effort. They can only be motivated by the idea of helping their brothers. To not do so or want to do so can and will be met by a severe punishment or death some cases. Here is the main character (Equality) has built an invention that can help his brother but that is not his primary motivation. Which is frowned upon by the council even when it in the good of civilization.

Read More
459 Words | 2 Pages

Equality has a philosophy that should be adopted by everyone. He values individuality. He recognizes how important choice is and how it makes it meaningful life. The three main traits he portrays are being his own person, how choice is paramount, and, the importance of following his gut.

Read More
775 Words | 4 Pages

The First chapter of the book, Anthem states,“It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil.” In the collectivist society Equality 7-2521 lives in, there are many rules put into place. In this society all must live as one and one must function as all.

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

There's so much emphasis on putting others before oneself that people often forget to look out for their own needs, as shown in this book. Ayn Rand successfully captures the negatives of an overrated ideology and presents an unorthodox perspective on the matter. In conclusion, Equality's true motives behind his work are much more selfish than they first appear to be. Equality strives to fulfil his own personal desire rather than contribute everything to society, and this isn't necessarily a negative thing.

Read More
855 Words | 4 Pages

Equality is something people want till people actually have it. Equality often limits a person’s abilities and disables to do something for themselves or inspire themselves. Equality's, the main character in the book Anthem, the primary motivation is proving that he is smart enough to become a scholar. Equality has a right to be motivated in this way since he believes that he can help the society so he is giving into the collectivism. I think that if everyone was motivated in this way, there would be a more progressive society where people sought to improve themselves and society at the same time.

Read More
1780 Words | 8 Pages

Jacob Finley Mrs. Cattolico LA II Honors 15 February 2023 Anthem essay Mark Twain once hypothesized, “What’s the use you learning to do right when it's troublesome to do right and ain't no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same.” This quote by Mark Twain speaks on how doing the wrong thing is not always the wrong thing to do. In Anthem by Ayn Rand, the protagonist, Equality 7-2521 is born into a dystopian and totalitarian society in which his life is chosen for him. Equality justifies his transgressions in this unfair society by accomplishing the actions which are morally right to him. This correlates to how Ayn Rand feels about society in the real world as some people need to escape from something holding them back.

Read More
749 Words | 3 Pages

So long a road lies before us, and what care if we must travel it alone!” (54) In this statement all Equality cares about is his invention and he is still trying to expand his

Read More
840 Words | 4 Pages

The Society of Anthem has many rules and ideals that the people have to follow, but this community is only loosely connected to the society residing today. In their society the main goal is for every person to be one “We strive to be like all our brother men, for all men must be alike”(pg.19). While in the society today the main goal is to strive to be different and to be oneself. Fountain head’s “The Soul of a Collectivist” thinks that if you “ Kill the individual. Kill man’s soul.

Read More
1001 Words | 5 Pages

Everyone is born with independence, but imagine a society where this virtue is ceased. In the novel “Anthem” written by Ayn Rand, she describes a society in which everyone is the exact same. Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 are two characters that live under a strict and controlling rule, in which they make decisions for you. As they story goes on, the two characters discover love, freedom, liberty, and independence. To Equality, being similar to his brothers was not equal, he believes that the meaning of “I” celebrates joy and peace within a society.

Read More
474 Words | 2 Pages

The passage, Anthem, is a science fiction novel written by Ayn Rand. It is mainly about the protagonist, Equality 7-2521's, futuristic journey on rediscovering various aspects of human’s nature. Concepts such as individualism and freedom have been lost due to the oppressive rule of the government, serving as the main antagonist of the novel. Throughout the passage, Anthem, the author uses the literary element of theme. The theme is the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work.

Read More

More about Morality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Open Document