Ayn Rand's Views On Objectivism

The poem “Invictus” by William E. Henley, and the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, both have common themes that discuss the importance of individuality. Each of the themes that these works have to offer will be discussed throughout the paragraphs of this essay.

“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” (17). Equality 7-2521 was born into a society that portrays a totalitarian rule. The people living in the controlled environment have been taught and brainwashed to know only one thing: the priority of the group over the individual person. Equality 7-2521 is one of the few people raised in the world of collectivism that is born different – filled with curiosity, gifted with intelligence; the difference leads him to believe he is cursed and evil. He was ashamed of his unique qualities and believed that he was a flaw. It is this divergence that makes him believe there is an initial

Ayn Rand’s ideology centralizes on the idea that total human individuality is absolute and is obtained only by means of reason, self-esteem, and total worship of virtues. Atlas Shrugged ideal hero, John Galt, is the major example of objectivism and its complex layers. He is the symbol of no guilt, no fear, no submission, and no doubt in the value of the mind. Henceforth, John Galt is the reality that lies behind any human; the use of reason and self-interest as the motor for the improvement of the world; and, in consequence, the natural right to live by the power of thinking.

At first glance, the book Anthem by ayn rand is pretty good. The book flows nicely and makes you want to stay up reading it instead of sleeping(at least that’s what I did). But there is a lot more hidden in the writing than you might think. In this essay, I will be discuss the topics of the unspeakable word, Objectivism, Rand putting her life into her work, and the possibilities of a connection between Anthem and the book “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld. Ayn rand is a really smart author, and she has hidden many secrets in her book.

There are many societal ideals that influence individual behaviour. In our society, these may include peace, freedom and equity. In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, the ideals that influence the protagonist are collectivism, equality, unity, liberty and harmony, as seen in the naming of the characters. These ideals are the reason Equality 7-2521 describes himself as a sinner and a criminal; they affect how he views himself. A societal ideal, in this instance collectivism, deeply affects every individual’s identity and purpose in life. Additionally, collectivism impedes the imagination and creativity of each individual. When Equality 7-2521 discovers electricity and learns how to

Individualism has been a common theme in novellas of the past and of today’s morals. Individuality can be expressed by showcasing one’s talents or setting one’s self apart from a group. In Anthem by Ayn Rand, Equality's experiments represent his desire for individualism within the collectivist society.

In 1946, Ayn Rand wrote, “‘The greatest good for the greatest number’ is one of the most vicious slogans ever foisted on humanity. This slogan has no concrete, specific meaning. There is no way to interpret it benevolently, but a great many ways in which it can be used to justify the most vicious actions.” Collectivism is defined as the practice of assigning primacy to a group over each individual within it. At its core, the ideology stems from prioritizing the well-being of all. However, when allowed to run rampant as it is in Anthem, collectivism contorts into a binding institution that impedes individual evolution. Idealistically, collectivism is utopic, but in practice it negates the significance of the identities of its subjects.

First of all, Ayn Rand developed a system of philosophical objectivism and therefore she, sought to make real her

The world is fueled by people being individuals; but this can reach a point where all that is valued is oneself’s and their needs or desires. Once this point is reached, one may say that egoism has been defined in the person as egoism means an individual is only focused only on themselves. However, the focus on oneself does not fully define what an egoist is. A true definition of an egoist is a person not holding other values and using the concept of individuality for the better of themselves. Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem follows a character, Prometheus who knew nothing about ego and egoism, through his discovery of individuality. As Prometheus grew in his knowledge, he began to worship individuality as “holy”.

Rand declares the Abrahamic God as faulty and non-existent; mankind should not be enslaved to Him or to others, but to be dedicated to only himself. According to Anthem, human nature’s anxious breaths cannot be stifled with a series of synthetic laws that limit man’s ego, synonymous to ‘selfishness’ today. While the word ‘selfishness’ carries a negative connotation to most, to Rand, selfishness is good; to “redeem both man and morality, it is the concept of ‘selfishness’ that one has to redeem” (The Virtue of Selfishness, ix). She does not define selfishness as arrogance, but as the leading factor that will enable a man to title himself the king of his beliefs. Yet while Rand elaborately praises the human ego, and incessantly condemns the dystopian morality, she reminds people of mankind’s dominance over the earth, and the gift of freedom and will endowed by the one and only,

Believing in yourself and the things you can do is what sets you apart from the others surrounding you. In a world of dystopian collectivism, rules and regulations have turned life negative for generations upon generations of people. The perfect world that they have created has begun to crack. Ayn Rand believed that collectivism was not beneficial to this dystopian life and showed her reasonings through the character Equality 7-2521, the exclusion of the word “I”, and fear.

Vision a lifestyle where one perceives it as a sin to comprehend data more efficiently than of one’s peers; a felony to long for things that others do not wish upon. Where floods of white tunics and austere minds obliterate the Earth. A colony built upon leaders who asphyxiate anyone from infatuation of any object or significant being; moreover, a world suffocating in collectivism. Through exasperated transcription, Anthem brings about such a community; nevertheless, a world of black and white. Ayn Rand does not overemphasize the effects of totalitarianism, but amplifies it so that it is more effortless for one to enlighten he or she’s notion on the particular proposal. First, by analyzation of “Equality 7-2521”, and

Ayn Rand, the author of Anthem, states, “The mind is an attribute of an individual. There is no such thing as a collective brain.” This statement means Ayn believes highly in individualism. Individualism is a belief in the freedom of action of individuals. Ayn Rand’s theme of individualism is not a sin is developed and supported in many of her works such as Anthem through the characters, Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000, and their actions.

How should we live our lives? Do you live for others or for yourself? What do you deem to be the ideal: selflessness, or selfishness? Why? Ayn Rand’s novel The Fountainhead addresses these issues and her philosophy behind it called Objectivism. Her rebellious rhetoric is to convince us that the only true virtue is selfishness and that we should abide by its standards and live for ourselves.

The second argument discussed in this essay, laid out by Ayn Rand, argues that an action is rational only if it maximises self-interest (Moseley). Therefore, if we value rationality, we ought to act in our own self-interest. The reasoning follows that if we value the life of the individual, the agent should always be the one to benefit from their own actions, so the agent must act in their own true self-interest. The ability to act in one’s own true self-interest in the long-run requires a commitment to reason rather than feelings. Ethical Egoism is the moral theory any rational agent should follow as furthering one’s own interests is in accordance