...1. Is Rand correct in saying that if you accept altruism, then you end up with lack of self-esteem and a lack of respect for others? I opined that Rand is incorrect in saying this. Altruism, according to Rand, is “willing to sacrifice your life for others.” This is consistent with the dictionary definitions of altruism such as “unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others.” By accepting altruism, a person showed that he has respect for the value of life. On the contrary, studies have shown that practicing altruism enhances personal well – being and affects the community positively as a whole. And because when we give, without expecting return is true charity. To some extend; due to vested interest, people are more willing to go the extra mile to help their family and friends as they are likely to suffer if their friends and family is at risk. However, it has nothing to do with neither lack of self-esteem nor lack of respect for others. 2. Is Rand criticizing ideal or reciprocal altruism? Do you think that she would differentiate between the two? Would you? It seemed that Rand is criticizing reciprocal altruism. It refers to the human social idea and expectation that if a person performs an altruistic act, other people will perform altruistic acts in return. She argues that to sacrifice oneself for another person will result in a threat to one’s existence and helping other is not a moral duty or obligation. However, I disagree, as I know that, “no man is...
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...Objectivism This video discusses about Ayn Rand philosophy which claims that the highest moral purpose is the achievement of one’s own happiness. This philosophy is known as Objectivism, which is mainly based by objective absolute with the concept that reality exists as an objective reality, the reason to guiding man’s action and basic means of survival, self-interest where each man is an end to himself and not the means for others through sacrifices and lastly capitalism where men deal one another as traders who voluntary exchange for mutual benefits. Her philosophy also mentioned that morality is proved by means of logic and man needs a rational morality which is not based on faith, emotions and etc, but only on reason. Rand further explained that man has to hold on reason as his only guide to action and live by independent judgement of his own mind, Ethic of Emergencies Theory The Ethic of Emergency Theory is based on Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. This theory challenges the understanding of altruism where it argued about the self-interest of a man who she believes that the highest moral purpose is to pursue own happiness. She mentioned that altruistic persons suffer from lack self-esteem, failing to respect others, have sceptical morality and pessimistic idea of existence. She also pointed out that this people are those who did not value their own existence as they sacrifice themselves for others sake. Rand also pointed out her extreme opinion that altruistic person...
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...Who am I really? The texts we looked at are Anthem by Ayn Rand, “Emancipation Proclamation,” by Abraham Lincoln, Prometheus from Greek Mythology,”Critical Thinking Video by Leo, and a Socratic Seminar. I am a person who is needy and self-absorbed but also very equivalent. First, Equality is also very equivalent. For example, Rand states,“ We are nothing. Mankind is all…’’ This connects to my life because everyone should be equal there should not ever be a person who is as an individual. Equality’s world, everyone is told that the only reason for an individual to live is to serve his "fellow brothers." Everyone is equal to everyone else, which means that each person has to be the same as everyone else. Society is rigidly controlled to ensure that nobody has the opportunity to stand out as an individual, or even think of himself as one....
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...Ayn Rand “I guard my treasures: my thought, my will, my freedom. And the greatest of these is freedom.” (Rand. 58). Ayn Rand treasured her personal beliefs, which were reflected through her writing. Rand lived in two distinct countries: Russia and the United States, during her lifetime. Ayn also lived during a time where many major global events occurred. A very unique and interesting childhood and adult life, subjective beliefs and philosophies, and major events occurring in the world around her were all factors that contributed to Ayn Rand’s perspective and style of writing in her infamous novel, Anthem. Ayn Rand, the oldest of three daughters, was born on February 2, 1906 (Gladstein. 3,4). Rand’s given birth name was Alisa Zinovievna...
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...What are the words which we have lost?¨ Equality 7-2521 states of Ayn Rand Anthem. This classic novella is about one man facing the laws of the society. Were everyone thinks he’s a sinner. He fights for equality. Along his trials he finds out what the passion to love to be elated, to feel free. Equality 7-2521 was in a dark world to begin with. He wanted to escape the society, he finally is facing the fact and letting go of all the pain,fear,doubt. The fearful dark and quiet city, no one talks everyone listens everyone is equal. He is breaking a law because he’s alone. “The laws say that none among men may be along at anytime. For this is the great transgression and the root of all evil.¨ (Rand 17)...
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...Anthem Writing contest I am. I think. I will, when these words are thought nothing out of the ordinary comes to mind. According to Ayn Rand’s book anthem, mine, my, and I are all taken for granted. Ayn Rand was born in 1905 and her book Anthem, published in 1938 kick started a all new genre of dystopian society books. In Anthem a future world has lost technology and all knowledge of individualism. They have abandoned the thought of themselves and now “worship” the word we. Equality 7-2151 breaks we’s invisible bond made by us and we then created a brand new utopian society, that thrives on individualism. The perfect society equality created at the end of the book will include little to no rules from his past home because, he ran away from these rules, equality knows the unspeakable word, and the leader of his land is himself. Equality 7-2125 grew up just like everybody else. At age five left for schooling then at age fifteen got a job as a streetsweeper, doing everything as a whole with no thought of themselves whatsoever. Then years later his world changed when he found a grate within the outskirts of the colony and ventured inside. In the tunnel he was in awe at the sophistication of everything the tunnel...
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... In the book we see that only after equality leaves the city does he obtain real freedom. In the book anthem Ayn Rand uses a future from which their is no freedom, near to no happiness and not a good feeling of people getting along. In the time period that takes place thousands of years in the future the world has hit a reset where their main source of light comes from candles and torches. Equality will be the only one to get out and ever obtain what the rest of them don't have. In chapter 8 when equality laughs when he remembers he is the “the darned” (I do not wish to swear even when I write), but we end up to seeing that he is free is bound by no man to be told what to do. Equality knows truly of happiness and truth because of what his society did to him and showed him....
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...Anthem by Ayn Rand expresses many forces including love and fear. Love and fear are extremely different forces, yet they can completely change a person's outlook on something. Throughout the story, fear shapes Equality’s identity, not because of his own feardom, but because he witnessed how the whole community was scared to be individuals. Equality did not want to live his life in fear of being different, so he went off on his own to be different. As the story goes on, and Equality meets the Golden One, he develops love towards her. This love shapes Equality's personality. Both forces, love, and fear, shape Equality's identity throughout the story and continue to shape people around him. Love shapes Equality's personality because of...
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...The society that exists within the pages of Anthem values collective thought and rejects individuality in any way, as “there are no men but only the great WE” (Rand 19). This is especially unfortunate for Equality 7-2521, one man out of his many “brothers” and “sisters.” For Equality is not like his fellow men. He is more inquisitive than his brothers, more intelligent than his brothers. But it is sinful to be different. When Equality became 15 years old and stood before the Council of Vocations to receive his Life Mandate (the job he will perform for the rest of his life), he was assigned the lowly and insulting job of Street Sweeper. This designation did not occur by error or incompetence, however. The Council of Vocations assigned Equality...
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...a new power of nature. And we have discovered it alone, and we are alone to know it” (Rand 52). The newly found power becomes the only source of individuality Equality possesses. Similarly, the only choice for Equality after he finishes his work is to share his newfound invention with his society, regardless of the consequences he may receive. Equality completes...
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...Imagine sharing a room with a hundred people, none of which question the set of rules before them. Do not say the sacred word, do not be individual, you must love all men equally. The object of choice is invalid. This is from the book Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, who escaped communism in Russia and set herself a new belief; objectivism. Like Ayn Rand, the main character, Equality 7-2521, perceives these rules as unjust, therefore rebels against them. Equality later then escapes the City and discovers himself, creating a new set of rules which will compare to one’s of the city. Although that is what he tried to detain from. There is no “we,” but there is an “I.” The rules of the City are there to set a norm throughout the people, and to demolish...
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...Antherm Literary Analysis: Self understanding The future, a huge mystery to everyone and everything. It yields many choices and paths for mankind, to reach out to space, to become united as one, or to destroy our world or make every man a slave and subdue to a higher power. One of these paths taken by men is shown in the book “Anthem” by Ayn Rand. Instead of furthering our technology, intelligence of the world, or peace among us, we choose, or a council chooses, to make every man, woman, every individual to be a “drone” or a slave to a society that suppresses talents and destroys individual thoughts and actions. The society has taken a step back, going to candles and carriages. People are forced to do jobs that a large council chooses for them and everyone is so obedient that that the thought of being “disobedient” to the council is a sin. But in every dark, gloomy dystopia, there is a small light that can lead someone on a path to push back the suppression or the higher power. All it takes is a single individual to make something amazing and that influences the way he/she challenges themself and the society that they live in. In “Anthem”, this individual is Equality 7-2521 or Prometheus by the end of the book who brings light in a...
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...In today’s society, a great deal of consideration goes into choosing a child’s name. We want it to be meaningful and so we take into consideration heritage, trends, and personal characteristics, as if it will influence who they will become. This is not the case in Anthem, by Ayn Rand, where names are assigned to people randomly at birth; one word, five numbers. In Anthem, the main characters Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000’s names are an ironic contrast to their personalities. Equality 7-2521’s name is ironic in that by definition, equality means everyone is the same and there is no place for individuality. His strong belief was that all people should be recognized as individuals, and we watched him struggle with this belief throughout the novel. Equality 7-2521 demonstrated this when he was working in the tunnel under the subway. He was illegally working on a project that had the potential to significantly improve the lives of everyone in their society. His inventing made him realize “how...
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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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...Essay on Rand’s Ideas Ayn Rand states in her essay that there is an alternative between being either an altruist, who will sacrifice their lives for complete strangers, and being cold egoist who would not lift a finger to help anyone. Ayn developed a theory which known as Objectivism, which means that those that follow that will only pursue their own happiness and will only sacrifice themselves for those they love or hold interest in. She states that just because one is not willing to sacrifice their life for a complete stranger, it does not mean that they are cold and self centered, only that they hold more respect for their own lives or those of the ones they love. Rand’s ideas on Objectivism may not have fit very well in to the moral world we live in today. For example, take our military service member’s, if they were not altruists, who would defend our country in these times of war. If everyone only fended for themselves and for their own happiness, who would join the military. Our service members risk their lives every day, especially during this war on terrorism, they are sacrificing themselves for perfect strangers. If they were not altruistic individuals, how else would our country stay safe. Ayn Rand and her followers believed that the military draft was not right and went against individual rights. In the “In the lecture, “The Wreckage of the Consensus,” Rand specifically argues against withdrawal from Vietnam, calling it an act of “appeasement”: To continue...
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