Normative Egoism In Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead

Why should students help pick up fellow classmate's books that he or she dropped? Why should people give to the homeless? Why should humans become organ donors? Altruism is defined as a person's ability to go out of their way to enhance the welfare of someone else without anything in return. But it's not the "what" of altruism that is intriguing, it's the "why" that is truly fascinating. Scientist and researches may never pinpoint what makes humans exhibit altruistic behavior, but there is one thing that scientist and researches are sure about. Altruism plays an important role in running society, and the world can use more of it.

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.

In a society where the concept of ‘self’ is removed and ‘selflessness’ is the moral good, the pursuit and attainment of personal happiness is evil. Individuals seeking happiness live a tortured existence; filled with persecution and guilt. “We, Equality 7-2521, were not happy in those years in the Home of the Students. It was not that the learning was too hard for us. It was that the learning was too easy. This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them. The Teachers told us so, and they frowned when they looked upon us.” (Rand 4) Equality 7-2521 struggles with the fact that he has attributes that set him aside from the rest of the collective. In a society of equals, there

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.

There is little doubt that Rand’s representation of individuality in Anthem aligns with her own Objectivist philosophy. In Anthem, the City’s emphatic view toward collective achievement carries a strong sense of altruism. However, Rand perceives the concept of altruism with great disdain, believing that this does not promote a positive, egalitarian society. Rather, she views it as an exploitative relationship between the leaders who enforce equality and the citizens of said society. In one of Rand’s speeches, she proclaimed that altruism promoted a sense of morality based on guilt rather than human nature; in conjunction with this claim, she describes altruism as a contributor to dictatorships that prioritize compromising individuality

The sense of individualism is a simple concept diffused through many portions of literature. In the novella, Anthem, written by Ayn Rand individualism is thoroughly prohibited in the society that they partake in. Characters must undergo complications through the dark future that they live in. The plot follows the actions of the main protagonist, Equality 7-2521, as he encounters several experiences that disrupt his moral conduct. There are several details that contrast from society nowadays including distinctions between collectivism and individualism.

Throughout reading and analyzing Ayn Rand’s dystopian novel, Anthem, a clear theme of egoism shines its way through the novella’s pages. The novella centers around Prometheus, a self-reliant and self-sufficient character. Prometheus, who evolves from his prior and sheepish self, Equality 7-252, holds his head up higher than anyone else’s. Prometheus holds an arrogant ring to his personality, but his arrogance and conceitedness gets him a life unlike what he has ever known.Through his journey of discovering himself and those around him, Prometheus explores his inner egoistic self. In today’s times, to be an egoist is to be selfish and careless towards others, but to be an egoist is to hold your strength up pridefully and intensely. Alike, Prometheus, Howard Roark who is the protagonist of another Ayn Rand novel, The Fountainhead, also carries a sense

Benjamin Cardozo has a strong argumentative essay against the idea of altruism. Cardozo’s central claim is if people allow altruism to be practiced in government then they will lose their individualism and their government would eventually collapse. To being his article Cardozo explains how the lower class will always dislike the upper class and that is the reason altruism has been a topic of discussion for centuries. Cardozo then proceeds to explain how the world is driven by self interest. The reason things get accomplished by people is for the reason of self interest. Cardozo explains that altruism would kill the idea of self interest and people would be less likely to be productive. Next Cardozo describes how altruism would make all people poor which would give the illusion that no one was actually poor. Cardozo then goes on to ask the question of how altruism

Altruism is when the actions of a person promote the best consequences for others, yet do not benefit the person who performed the act. Abruzzi and McGandy (2006) explain that Auguste Comte developed the term to support his ethical stance that humans are morally obliged to serve the interests of others,

Rand’s argument has five steps. They are 1. Each individual has intrinsic and supreme worth projects, plans 2. The ethics of altruism regards the life of an individual as something, which must be readily sacrificed for others 3. Thus, the ethics of altruism does not take seriously the value of the individual 4.

Altruism refers to the concern for the welfare and well being of others without personal gains or

Rand and Roark: Selfish Altruism We are all taught not to be selfish, that thinking about others is a moral good and that ignoring the needs of others is a sign of a bad character. Ayn Rand rejected this claim, and she devoted a lifetime to explaining a philosophy that celebrated what could be called selfishness. In so doing, she was reacting to some of the unintended consequences of a point of view that demanded conformity and self-sacrifice, and she used The Fountainhead, among her other works, to illustrate a hopeful world she envisioned for people. Should modern society praise or blame her for doing so?

Everyone has their own view of life. Some people are selfish, others are selfless, and there are also people who are a slight mix of the two. The various views of the world are shown in Any Rand’s The Fountainhead. One of the view shown is an uncompromising view of life. Howard Roark and Dominique Francon both use this approach to life in every aspect of their being. But this view has brought them both up and down in the world. Because of this, there are multiples angles at which the uncompromising approach to life is viewed: whether or not this approach is practical, why or why not this approach is or isn’t practical, and whether or not Rand appears to find this approach to life practical.

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.

Selfishness is defined as the stinginess resulting from a concern of your own welfare and the disregard of others. Selfishness, once passing a certain level, is seen as a character flaw by many people. Where does selfishness come from? Is it a trait in which as humans we pick up over time, or is it an animalistic trait in which we are born with and have no control over? Author Mark Sundeen tells us the story of Daniel Suelo, in the book The Man Who Quit Money. Daniel Suelo was a mid-aged man, who decided to drop everything and live on his own without the use of money; he would no longer live the typical American lifestyle and survive strictly on the kindness of others and the leftovers he could find in dumpsters.