...commend him for his contributions to their society; inevitably, however, Equality recognizes the impossibility of his situation as the council berates him and denounces his invention, claiming that since it had not been devised in cooperation with his brothers, it was a sinful abomination that needed to be destroyed. Utilizing her characters as a means for presenting her ideas about morality, Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem illustrates a fundamental truth about the necessity of an objective moral framework within a society. Similarly, in her essay How Does One Live a Rational Life in an Irrational Society?, Rand poses her ideology that morality is objective and an absolute essential to a functional society. In both her essay and in Anthem, Rand explores the necessity for an objective morality in society, blah blah blah, and blah blah blah implications of a society....
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...The novel Anthem is a dystopian fiction novella written by Ayn Rand, a Russian-born American novelist in 1937. The main purpose of this novel was to show discrimination of individuality. Rand used characters with ironic names such as the main one, Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000. Equality 7-2521 has become very critical of the leaders of his society by the end of the novel, denouncing them in moral terms while in the process in becoming an individual. Moral values are important to most people in the world. They are the motive power in their actions. Equality 7-2521 was not right to become so critical to the leaders of his society. Everyone’s moral values motivate people to do more than they think they can, and having Equality 7-2521 be critical and denounce them was not a helpful thing to do for the other people’s thoughts. Men have to make choices; no moral neutrality is possible when there is no escape from moral values. Therefore, Equality 7-2521 was not right for denouncing the leaders of his society in their moral terms....
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...“Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized” (Einstein). The book, Anthem, was published by Ayn Rand in 1938. She was born in Communist Russia in 1905. She wrote this book because of what she saw in Russia. The people in charge were treated better than anyone else. Equality 7-2521 thinks that that people should be seen as who they are and not as a group. He thinks that people that work in better jobs are not better than people that work in lesser jobs. He believes that everyone should have the opportunity to discover what they want. The first thing that Equality 7-2521 believes is that everyone should be accepted as themselves, not as a group. There is an example of this in the book. When they are trying to be different they have to read this, “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever" (19). This is saying that the society wants to keep everyone the same and that you cannot single anyone out....
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...Zinn’s style. Rand says, “Altruism is evil” (Ayn). Altruism is the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. Certainly not what Rand stood for, but Howard Zinn did. He believed in being there for your neighbor, friends, family, or others who needed you. Rand’s Objectivism was also not a loving and caring philosophy. She never once said, “Remember your friends and family, they are the ones who will be there when you fall.” Consistent with a display of selfish values, those were her ideas, “what's yours is mine and what's mine is mine.” Her ideas lacked generosity and faith or religion. Difficult as it may seem, she was said to be a nice old lady who has been just like a cuddly grandma, that's hard to imagine. Wikipedia says of Objectivisim, “that the only social system consistent with this morality is one that displays full respect for individual rights embodied in “Laissez-Faire Capitalism”, and that the role of art in human life is to transform humans' metaphysical ideas by selective reproduction of reality into a physical form—a work of art—that one can...
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...Ayn Rand, a Russian-American novelist and philosopher, is known for her belief in ethical egoism which is showcased in her dystopian novels, including the fictional novel Anthem. She expressed her political views within her many novels and developed her philosophy of “objectivism” which proposed ethical egoism. Her strong belief in her philosophy demonstrated how morality should only be based on one’s self-interest, even if it may benefit or harms others. One of her dystopian novels, Anthem presents her version of an awful society while featuring her political views. Many other works have used her novel as a resource as a connection as well as some locations around the world. Some societies have been experiencing similarities to the actions...
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...ANTHEM QUESTIONS Chapter I – Response 1 In a well-organized paragraph, describe the society in which Anthem is set. Some areas to consider are the political structure, degree of technology, social relationships, quality of life, and education. ALSO comment on the following: ➢ Would you want to live in this society? Explain why or why not. ➢ How would your teachers react if you had Equality’s “curse”? ➢ Why do Equality’s teachers disapprove of his quick mind? Chapter II – Response 2 . Re-read the account of Liberty 5-3000 on or around page 38. Which character traits are revealed in this brief description? . Find several examples of the ways in which this society tries to obliterate each individual’s mind (and self!) by quashing personal choices, desires, and values. . Of the whole range of feelings possible to man (joy, excitement, anger, embarrassment, etc.) why is fear the prevalent emotion in this society? Explain the following terms-- WHAT do each of these terms symbolize? If you think about it, they are easy to label. The Great Truth, the Unmentionable Times, the Uncharted Forest, the Evil Ones, the Great Rebirth Chapter III – Response 3 Clearly, up to this point and beyond, Ayn Rand intended Equality to stand out from his “brothers.” Explain how she accomplishes this by contrasting Equality’s physical qualities and character traits to those of his fellow men. . What...
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...For example, the main protagonist in Ayn Rand’s Anthem, Equality 7-2521, fights against a collectivist mindset, even though it is both illegal to do so and frowned upon by society. Nevertheless, Equality 7-2521 stands by his convictions, even though they land him in prison (Rand 45). The concept that leaders demonstrate integrity even if it contradicts the beliefs of the status quo is not only a recurring theme in classic literature, but also in modern television. In “Nautilus,” Claire works for the controversial superintelligence Samaritan, even though several authority figures in her life discourage her (CITE THIS SHIT). She eventually begins to question the justness of her cause, but does so not because of external influence, but because of her intuition and conscience (CITE THIS SHIT). Given that leaders are often the instruments of social change, it is essential that they demonstrate integrity and discernment to ensure that the change is just. While observation and integrity are both essential to the justness of a leader’s cause, whether or not a leader includes his subordinates and values their beliefs and insights is also an effective barometer of the quality of the cause. Good leadership uses delegation, incorporating all involved parties and giving each an apropos task that contributes to the group’s work as a whole. Whenever leaders ignore the beliefs and needs of their followers, one cannot help beutcall into question the morality of the leader and his objective. For...
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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. Laws and rules are crafted to prevent advancement and preserve relentless...
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