Socialism. Altruism. Communism. The great evil of collectivism bears many names, but all are based upon the same unattainable ideal: equality. The societies that embrace these totalitarian political forms, including that of Ayn Rand’s Anthem, intend to become the paragon of parity by having their citizens sacrifice their own happiness for that of their brethren. The leaders of Anthem’s supposedly egalitarian society justify this subtly sadistic method of rule with the ideals of equality, fraternity, and selflessness. The principles that blinded Equality 7-2521’s brethren to the grim reality they faced too often imbue members of modern society, especially as these standards are broadcasted by religious, social, and governmental groups. The …show more content…
“We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State. Amen.” (21) This mantra is first introduced to men at the age of five, when their minds are most malleable, and reinforced nightly for the remainder of their lives, convincing men of their lack of self-worth, reminding them of their unworthiness to find joy. Equality (18). Unanimity. Fraternity (72). Men’s own names brand them with their government’s ideals, encouraging them to live up to those unachievable principles, supporting the group mindset by invalidating the individual. This invalidation goes further than one’s name, treading upon one’s gifts and talents. It is unfair for one man to be better at their job than another, so men are placed in careers where one will not surpass another. Equality loved the Science of Things, and would have had great success as a Scholar, so he was designated as a Street Sweeper. This egalitarian mindset has ground their society’s technological, political, and social advances to a halt, but, as long as the system is fair, it must be …show more content…
Religion promises eventual, superior happiness – Nirvana, Heaven, Paradise – through obedience. This eventual, superior happiness is achieved through the service of the equal children of one divine being or another. This eventual, superior happiness is reached by the abandonment of the great evil of selfishness. This eventual, superior happiness is derived from one’s metaphorical self-slaughter on behalf of their brethren. “Look at any great system of ethics, from the Orient up,” Ellsworth M. Toohey, the villain of Rand’s bestselling novel The Fountainhead, says. “Didn’t they all preach the sacrifice of personal joy?... Just prove that a thing makes men happy – and you’ve damned it.” This condemnation of all manners of selfishness is also visible in the Marxist-Leninist political structure of the modern nations of Laos, China, Cuba, Vietnam, and North Korea, and the devastating political, economic, and social collapses that have followed the implementation of this socialist