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The Word Ego In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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Ego. A simple word to describe a self-sufficient person with no help in need. Although in this generation, people believe the word “ego” is something awful and it is used to describe a person who puts themselves first and neglect those who are around them, but there is another definition in which Ayn Rand explains. In “Anthem” by Ayn Rand the author portrays the word “ego” in a more suitable and in a considerate way. She explains that being an egoist is discovering the unimaginable things you can do by becoming an independent without a hand helping you. A human being should not let a person dominate you on what you can and cannot do; it should be about making your own decisions and using your knowledge to your full advantage. For example, a …show more content…

At the end of the book, Prometheus is a described as an egoist from Ayn Rand’s definition. As he enters the forest to escape the dreadful society with his street sweeper friends, he is only on the lookout to find something where he can live and have shelter for himself. Prometheus was leaving his friends in order to take joy in his life without their help. If it weren’t for Liberty he would have kept going and enjoy his life. Liberty is the reason why he felt the need to open his heart and share his soul. Ayn Rand also mentions that love is for one’s enjoyment because it’s a matter of a human being wanting to compromise with another living soul, not a necessity unless the government is obligating a person to do so, like in “Anthem” City Palace of Mating, a person should be able to choose their living soul in which they want to start a relationship for their own use. As Prometheus chose Liberty for his own reason, he only did it to feel jubilant and care about himself while having someone he loved to. For this kind of selfishness, Prometheus may be called an egoist, but from the author’s point of view he is outlooked in a diligent

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Unlike during the Unmentionable Times, when men created “towers [that] rose to the sky,” it is an affliction to be born with powerful intellectual capacity and ambition in Ayn Rand’s apocalyptic, nameless society in Anthem. Collectivism is ostensibly the moral guidepost for humanity, and any perceived threat to the inflexible, authoritarian regime is met with severe punishment. The attack on mankind’s free will and reason is most evident in the cold marble engraving in the Palace of the World Council: “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (6). Societal norms force homogeneity and sacrifice among all people.

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In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, the idea of egoism is addressed. Is it wrong to be an egoist? The philosophy is a controversial subject; however, I believe that is acceptable to be an egoist. It is acceptable to be an egoist because it is the only way you will get anywhere in life, happiness will be more prevalent in our society, and the technology of our society would progress significantly. The Soul Of An Individualist will be analyzed as well to add validity to my opinions.

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What is the meaning of Ego? In today’s world, it means “a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance”, it is to be self-centered and care for nothing else except for one's self or, in other terms, being an individualist. Today, people have been told to care for others instead of themselves, but that is not completely true. For example, Prometheus in Anthem by Ayn Rand- is not what one would consider to be a total egotistical person. Searching through different types of definitions and reasons about the definition of ego, the assumption is that egoism is not immoral or virtuous but the balance in between.

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The book Anthem is about a man who is born into a world where he is forced to follow in line and castigated for thing he cannot control, such as his height. The author of Anthem is named Ayn Rand. She was grew up in Russia, when the government had complete control over the citizens, later she moved to the States. After hearing about capitalism she fell in love with the idea that each person is in complete control of their life, and created her own philosophy. She named it, objectivism.

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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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For Liberty is so beautiful and “glowing” that she cannot be ignored. It, however, is against the commandments of Equality’s brotherhood to peruse her, as it would unbalance the mutual emotion between all men by creating preference. In a wretched battle of nature vs nurture, Equality finds that despite these regulations, he cannot stop himself from yearning for Liberty, whom serves as “blade of iron” cutting through to the undeniable truth that Equality is a selfish being, generally motivated by his own personal

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We live in a society in which conformity is not only encouraged but often rewarded. As my grandfather used to always say, “It’s the [penguin] who is different that gets left out in the cold.” Sure, many try to push the narrative that we ought to lead, and that being divergent is what makes one “special.” But while this may be true in a purely academic sense, socially, those who do not abide by unspoken norms are typically outcast as pariahs; they are considered the “undesirables.” As such, many teenagers change their personality by emulating others in attempt to gain acceptance into certain social cliques.

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‘‘We are nothing mankind is all , By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives ‘’ Ayn rand the author of Anthem wrote the book after she left Russia because of the war, she moved to New York writing Anthem a dystopia about the future of mankind In her novella there are two major themes talking about the collective society vs. individualism were every one is the same nobody has the authority to be a individual also the council of vocations determines there jobs life and future the people don’t have a choice whatever they choice they accept and that is it no discussion, the council of vocation has removed all individuality so when equality may have started to uncover the coated truth the council has another plan for him as known the council of vocations has an absolute rule when it comes to jobs and they assign equality to the home of the street sweepers because they want to keep him down. The council of vocations make equality a street sweeper because they hope to prevent him from developing his intelligence even more as they assumed that may have dumbed him down and get people to assume he is beneath them and this is achieved when the council makes a mockery of equality for wanting to join the world council of scholars “A street sweeper! A street sweeper walking upon the world council of scholars!

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An individual in an authoritarian socialist society has no ability to prosper because it is in the best interest of the government to keep the people down. This allows for easy control over the people by the government. In Anthem, you are held back as an individual and are not allowed to prosper because goes against your brothers. If you have “What is not done collectively cannot be good”(Rand 73). The quote was said by a scholar in anthem.

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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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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.

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In the novella Anthem, individual rights and freedom do not exist. The word “I” is prohibited to be spoken by men. Equality 7-2521 is a street sweeper of the city and he is different from the others in the society. Equality is more intelligent, taller, learns quicker, and he enjoys learning about science; especially how things move and work. Since the word “I” is the unspeakable word, Equality uses the word “We” to resemble that he is doing these actions .

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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,

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170 Words | 1 Pages

There are many examples of irony in Anthem that the author uses to carry the plot and deepen the story and an example of irony that some people don't get until later in the book is the idea of "we". Therefore it is ironic that a person wouldn't know the word for one's self. The definition of irony is "the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. " The use of we is to really push the idea that Equality 7-2521 only thinks as a group. This example is dramatic irony because the readers of Anthem know that Equality 7-2521 is an individual yet still calls himself "we".

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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.

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