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Objectivism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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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 …show more content…
North Korea is similar to the novel in how the people were controlled by a certain force and had to live under the rules and laws. In North Korea, it is a leader named Kim Jong-il who was the government structure for the people who lived there. In the National Geographic documentary, Inside North Korea, views of the life the citizens experience in their everyday life without freedom. They praised the leader for every action bestowed upon them and they were always under a watchful eye by the military officers serving under Kim Jong-un. The citizens in North Korea could not leave the country and foreigners were not welcome into the country. In the novel, the government structure was a group of members rather than a leader due to the collectivist state. As Amy Rand stated on her website, “All expressions of individualism have been suppressed in the world of Anthem; personal possessions are nonexistent, individual preferences are condemned as sinful and romantic love is forbidden.” Both Anthem and North Korea are intertwined with the absence of individualism in their society, which is what the philosophy of egoism countered. Even though there was no sense of individualism in both Anthem and in North Korea, the amount of security was another difference between the government structures. In the documentary, every person in the society was

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