Egoism In Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead
“The first right on earth is the right of the ego. Man’s first duty is to himself. His moral law is to never place his prime goal within the persons of others.” - Howard Roark, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand Ayn Rand’s Anthem depicts a dim collectivist society in which the people have been robbed of their individuality, independence, and even their own aspirations; occupations are assigned by the Council, and those they feel threatened by are given the job of street sweeper. The narrator, Equality 7-2521, is rich in intellect and curiosity, and he wanted desperately to join the Council of Scholars so he could continue to study the world around him. He is instead given the job of street sweeper. Despite this, he conducts secret experiments and …show more content…
Ayn Rand, however, uses the word in a different light, as someone who cares about the individual rather than the whole. To Equality, ego is a holy word, one he discovered himself after escaping an all too collectivist society that forbade any originality, and even the use of the word I. After living in this society, he sees the importance of the individual and can be considered to be an egoist in Ayn Rand’s definition, which is very different from the negative tone the word is used in today. She considers egoism natural to humanity and essential to advancement, as it is what drives imagination and inspires creation. Her definition of egoism is best summed up in a speech made by the protagonist in another of her novels, The Fountainhead: “The egoist in the absolute sense is not the man who sacrifices others. He is the man who stands above the need of using others in any manner. He does not function through them. He is not concerned with them in any primary manner.” Equality is, of course, an egoist in this manner. He is an egoist because is independent and acts regarding only himself. Equality shows this many times throughout Anthem, by his sneaking away to experiment in a tunnel he found from the “Unmentionable Times” (the Council considered it a major transgression to be alone) or his eventual desertion of the City following the rejection of his
Summary Of Ayn Rand's Anthem
317 Words | 2 PagesAccording to Ayn Rand, she is one of the few that thinks being independent in a society is better than being subservient. Anthem is not just a forceful indictment of collectivism. It is, first and foremost, a festivity of individualism — a “hymn to man’s individuality.” This is a quote by Ayn Rand. In this quote, you can understand that by this quote, she feels that being independent is much better than being dependent.
Egoism In Ayn Rand's Anthem
605 Words | 3 PagesHave you ever heard common phrases such as “every man for himself”? Phrases like this are common sayings that have been knitted into our vocabulary which demonstrate our egotistic nature. From a young age, we’ve been told that we must take care of ourselves first, because no one else will. On the contrary, the book, Anthem, presents a society that is shockingly different. From not being able to use the pronoun, “I” to the idea of living only to serve to serve fellow men, the altruistic, “we” society presented in Anthem is the exact opposite of America’s egotistic, “me” society, due to the fact that we are a capitalist society and because of our society’s competitive nature.
Individuality In Society
786 Words | 4 PagesIndividuality’s Role in Society Anthem is a dystopian novel written by Russian author Ayn Rand in 1937. Ayn Rand was avid about the importance of the individual, and she supported a hands off government, where the people define and sustain themselves. Ayn Rand’s interest in the government’s effect on society certainly led into her creation of Anthem. At the start of the novel, Equality 7-2521, the protagonist, writes from a secluded tunnel and shares about the dystopian society he lives in which prevents education, and individualism. The society prevents individuals from learning on their own, having questions, doubting their elders, and threatens any sort of rebellion or individuality with extreme punishment.
Dystopian Society In Ayn Rand's Anthem
844 Words | 4 PagesAs stated by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”. In the novella, Anthem by Ayn Rand, the setting takes place in a futuristic, dystopian society that has abandoned the use of modern technology and has set rules and regulations in order to keep one practice, Collectivism, or a practice where people do not think or make decisions for themselves. No men are permitted to think of others as closer to them than any others, or have preferences on things such as their profession. If one considers his own well being and desires above that of his brothers, it is seen as a transgression. The City is ruled by the Councils who select how their citizens
Power Of Motivation In Ayn Rand's Anthem
817 Words | 4 PagesThe Power Of Motivation We do things for many reasons but the most common reason is motivation. Motivation is what prompts a person to act in a certain way, or at least develop an inclination for specific behavior. Motivation is not the part that is important it’s what the motivation is, such as love or fear.
The Fountainhead And Anthem Analysis
226 Words | 1 Pages“Don’t let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth – don’t let that get swallowed up by the great chewing complacency” (Aesop). The focus on individualistic characters discovering their own potentials is prevalent throughout the works Anthem and The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. In Rand’s novel Anthem, Equality 7-2521 breaks the laws of the collectivist society, a society in which the value of the group as a whole exceeds the value of an individual. He is an individualist because he thinks independently, creates inventions, and gathers knowledge. Equality leaves society behind and treks through the unknown only to discover a sense of selfishness and self-importance, which Rand calls egotism.
The Gop's Favorite Witch Analysis
925 Words | 4 PagesOr as she put it in her 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged: “Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity...” This perspective has predictable implications for organizing our country, as Rand believed that the sole duty of government was to defend the people: supply an army, the police, and the courts. All safety net programs should be abolished for if selfishness is the whole point of life, then these initiatives, founded on compassion, were bad ideas.
Conformity And Collectivism In Ayn Rand's Anthem
289 Words | 2 PagesIn Anthem, Equality egotistically breaks past the barriers of conformity and collectivism with innovation and invention. Equality creates the light bulb and believes that his creation will help him become a member of the Council of Scholars. When Equality presents his invention, the Scholars say “A Street Sweeper! A Street Sweeper walking in upon the World Council of Scholars! It is not believed!
Anthem Essay On Equality
559 Words | 3 PagesWith all of his experience that nobody has known in at least a century he is extremely capable of deciding whether of his choices are right. His personality keeps him from giving up hope and giving up on his society and his companion but keeps him curious enough to keep searching for something better in life. Equality has aged to the point where he thinks he needs to change the world and will try to do so. Most would believe that Equality’s actions were righteous and could not contemplate that his actions were
Examples Of Individuality In Anthem By Ayn Rand
705 Words | 3 PagesIndividuality 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.
The Disparity In Ayn Rand's Anthem
719 Words | 3 PagesThe Disparity Idiosyncratic happiness is eradicated and individualism has been eliminated. The society exhibited in Ayn Rand’s Anthem is of a dystopian essence, a domain where one must be interchangeable to his brothers. There is a substantial pressure on the locals in which they are expected to conform to the standards of that sector. The objective is complete egalitarianism, this is the “rightful” sense of morality. The protagonist of the novella, Equality 7-2521, is of this collective.
Losing Individuality In Ayn Rand's Anthem
530 Words | 3 PagesHow 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.
Ayn Rand's Argument Against Ethical Egoism
566 Words | 3 PagesThe 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.
Objectivism In Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead
1536 Words | 7 PagesThe ideal person to Ayn Rand, author of “The Fountainhead,” is someone that does not allow their decisions in life to be affected by external sources, and is able to deal with the struggle of staying an individual in a collectivist world. However, unless this person lives in complete isolation, that is nearly impossible. Peter and Toohey are both affected by the events in their past, meanwhile Roark is unchanged throughout the entire book. Staying an individualist requires one to deal with the conflict of staying independent by not letting outside ideas change their thinking merely because everyone else thinks it.
Are You Happy Superman Analysis
2238 Words | 9 PagesEvery individual has a different set of eyeglasses through which they glimpse at the world. As humans mature, their set of eyeglasses become a way of life which determine how their morals, their actions and their thoughts fit into the world. However, it can become comfortable seeing only through one’s respective glasses that, at times, one tends to forget that there are other millions of different eyeglasses looking at the world and many different philosophies at play at the same time. In the case of Ayn Rand, her eyeglasses created a new philosophy called Objectivism: a philosophy that is centered on man and man’s self-worth based on achieving, thinking and doing what man alone desires, omitting the influence of others. Consequently, her rejection
More about Egoism In Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead
Summary Of Ayn Rand's Anthem
317 Words | 2 PagesEgoism In Ayn Rand's Anthem
605 Words | 3 PagesIndividuality In Society
786 Words | 4 PagesDystopian Society In Ayn Rand's Anthem
844 Words | 4 PagesPower Of Motivation In Ayn Rand's Anthem
817 Words | 4 PagesThe Fountainhead And Anthem Analysis
226 Words | 1 PagesThe Gop's Favorite Witch Analysis
925 Words | 4 PagesConformity And Collectivism In Ayn Rand's Anthem
289 Words | 2 PagesAnthem Essay On Equality
559 Words | 3 PagesExamples Of Individuality In Anthem By Ayn Rand
705 Words | 3 PagesThe Disparity In Ayn Rand's Anthem
719 Words | 3 PagesLosing Individuality In Ayn Rand's Anthem
530 Words | 3 PagesAyn Rand's Argument Against Ethical Egoism
566 Words | 3 PagesObjectivism In Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead
1536 Words | 7 PagesAre You Happy Superman Analysis
2238 Words | 9 Pages