Throughout the course of this semester learning about different ethical theories and principles, has given me multiple different outlooks that I would have never thought would be so impactful to my life. These different outlooks I’ve had, have made me feel differently towards everyday situations. For example, Ayn Rand had a theory of objectivism in which case a person’s own life and happiness is the ultimate goal/good. After learning this I believed it was totally wrong, and made me determine how I could be more selfless. Another experiment that sparked my interest was the Stanford Prison experiment, where students were designated different positions either a guard or prisoner. Looking at the tragedy that occurred throughout the experiment, …show more content…
it made me comprehend the ways I should not practice the use of power that I possess at my occupations over my coworkers. “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, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.” (BrainyQuote).
Ayn Rand was a philosopher of objectivism, her theory is all about self-happiness and accomplishing tasks for the sole purpose for yourself and no one else. Rand’s idea is that being selfish is a virtue, which I could not disagree with more. It’s unrealistic to think people believed or believe that being selfish is looked upon on a positive note. From looking at this perspective I thought about how in some ways I can be selfish at times; furthermore, I looked at how selfless and considerate I’ve been. Consequently, I realized that I’ve been more of a selfish person rather than being selfless. After realizing this I felt unpleasant, because after I read the theory and its message all I could think was, how could someone be so self-centered and only look out for themselves. How I will apply this to my life is through being more conscious of my decisions and looking out for what’s best for others rather than just myself. I’ve always been the person that receives instead of gives; subsequently, now I want to be the person that gives to others. I’ve already committed to this by volunteering at a local church which was one of the best feelings I’ve had in a long time. However, throughout my professional life I feel as if I’ve been very giving, because I’ve always been the hardest worker. At every one of the jobs I have worked at, I’ve always had an outstanding work ethic and was recognized for such. In a way I was the one that was giving by performing more work so others didn’t have to. By applying this to my professional life I will continue to work hard and do what is requested of me and more. Part of Rand’s theory is that productivity should be at the center of life’s concerns, which it is a central
theme for my interests, but only when I am at work or school. Productivity is an important skill to have when in the professional field, and should be held as a major concern in this aspect I do agree with Rand. Yet being generous, giving and kind I think are true virtues rather than being selfish, which is a major part of what objectivism teaches to those who follow it. Some background information about the Stanford Prison experiment was an experiment done with college students that volunteered. Then they were put into a prison life situation, some of the students were chosen as prisoners and others were chosen as guards. In summary, the guards became to abuse their power over the other students who were prisoners, which turned the situation to be hostile and unethical. Personally whenever I’ve been in school and was put into groups with people to work on a project or an assignment, I am usually put into the leader position. However I’ve never made anyone do something they do not wish to complete, because typically I’ve always been the one to pick up any slack. Instead of being a harsh enforcer I’ve always been more of an easy going team leader. I will use what I’ve learned by not forcing others to help in circumstances in which they are unwilling. From a professional aspect I have also been more lenient with the power that I have over others. I am in a lead position in both of my jobs and have always been kind to my fellow peers, unlike in the Stanford Prison experiment where the guards were unfair and harsh to their prisoners. I am not the person to abuse the power that is given to me; however, I do understand the power that I possess and use it in the right circumstances. Using this information I understand abuse of powers in an improved way, I will be sure not to cross any boundaries by using the authority I possess. Furthermore, I will be more conscious in my approach of applying the authority I hold to the coworkers below me. In the case of misusing my leadership it may lead to circumstances that will be poor for my reputation. Consequently, I may lose my position or a fellow coworker’s friendship.
One being the fact that this book is a collection of her essay and speeches. But the main one is how this book discusses her own Philosophy. She first explains the importance of philosophy and how it used in the real world unknowingly today, but she then says the philosophy most people follow today, Altruism, as irrational. “Altruism is the rationalization for the mass slaughter in Soviet Russia – for the legalized looting in the welfare state – for the power-lust of politicians seeking to serve the common good” (Rand 27) Altruism is basically the thought of having selfless actions and to serve others. This completely contradicts Ayn Rand’s philosophy of living, Objectivism. This is where the book becomes different form other books and even the entire world. Many people and religions are taught to help others. This follows Altruism in the fact that we are serving others and being selfless. Objectivism has many different layers to it but one of the most important parts to it is the concept that man should be self-serving. That we should be selfish and live for ourselves only under the condition that it doesn’t harm others. This is extremely different from everything we are taught since we were
Ayn Rand, in Anthem, illustrates a futuristic, socialist society. In the novel, Rand destroys any sense of individuality and describes the social setbacks endured after living ‘only for the brotherhood’. The individual person fails to exist and is but a ‘we’ and recognized by a word and a series of numbers rather than a name. Additionally, she describes the horrors encountered within this different system of life: from reproduction methods to punishments. Through the life of Equality 7-2521, Rand demonstrates a person’s journey from obedience to exile in this socialist society. Throughout the entire novel, Rand criticizes Marxist theory as she demonstrates socialism’s failure to suppress revolution, thwart material dialectic, and its detriment to humanity.
Anthem, by Ayn Rand, is a very unique novel. It encircles individualism and makes the reader think of how people can conform to society and do as they are told without knowing the consequences and results of their decisions. Also, it teaches the importance of self expression and the freedom that comes along with being your own person and having the power to choose what path to take in life. Figurative language is used often in this book and in a variety of quotes that have great importance to the theme, plot, and conflict of the novel.
In Ayn Rand’s famous, or in some circles, infamous, story Anthem, the differing ideologies of objectivism and collectivism are pit against each other. With objectivism being so tight knit and different from the society in the book, it seems that it would be almost impossible to truly follow in its entirety. However, Anthem, as a whole, doesn’t violate the ideals of Rand’s philosophy of objectivism.
Children are taught the value in sharing, in ensuring that everyone is extended the same opportunities and the same kindness. Ayn Rand, however, had a different perspective. Her philosophy, called objectivism, favors morality that is based upon one’s own desires. Clearly, Rand by no means encouraged the citizens of every city to run amok in the streets, doing whatever they pleased, but she did believe that any man is responsible for himself and himself alone. Altruism is defined by a duty to others, and by the value in sacrificing oneself for the greater common good. Because this concept allows all of society an equal fighting chance, it is widely supported and well loved. Altruism is the go-to template for standup moral character: selfishness must never be practiced, think only of others, build your life around the lives around you, and so on. Objectivism runs in stark contrast to this, encouraging individuals to define their goals and adjust their behavior accordingly. Objectivism’s primary claim is that selfishness is, indeed, a positive thing, and that it brings about considerable success in
The society in Anthem is a very collectivist society, thus a single individual’s health and survival might not be as important as with an objectivist “society”. However, the society in Anthem does address health and survival in a collectivist way. By having the Old Ones not work and “the State take care of them” this society deals with one of the biggest health problems, old people (7). This society takes a socialist method of health care and the State provides for all of the Old Ones which shows how they are meeting the needs of health and survival. The society takes a different approach on survival. Because of the strong collectivism, individual lives do not matter and “there are no men but only the great WE”, as long as the WE survives any one person can die and the society will not care (3). Anthem’s society takes survival to mean the survival of the whole not the individual. This shows that society is not needed for the individual’s survival, as not only does this society provide little individual health care, Equality 7-2521 in the later part of Anthem is easily able to
Ayn Rand’s Anthem is a politically satirical novel is set in a future society that is so highly collectivized that the word “I” has been banned. The world is governed by various councils who believe that man’s sole reason for existence is to enforce the Great Truth “that all men are one and that there is no will save the will of all men together” (Rand, 20). Any indication of an individual’s independent spirit is swiftly and brutally put down, with the transgressors being punished with severe prison sentences or even death.
In Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, children are often seen living apart from their families. Unfortunately, it’s not their choice, but society is set up such that they are made to live apart. Children are forced to live like this because dictatorial leaders are committed to collectivism. Collectivism is an emphasis on collective rather than individual action or identity. Leaders enforce the separation between parents and children in order to maintain collectivism and ultimately have complete control over the children. You and I do not exist; government deems it so. We are one, a single body functioning for the collective good of society. Ayn Rand’s Anthem speaks to this collectivist doctrine while highlighting the implicit contradictions that impede its successful implementation.
Rand’s expressed the basic values of Objectivism in this magnum opus. Objectivism is a philosophical system created by Ayn Rand and later popularized by her successors. It was first developed in essays and lectures. Rand thinks of Objectivism as “a philosophy for living on earth”. She states in the Atlas Shrugged: “My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” Ayn Rand divides Objectivism in four parts: Ethics, Metaphysics, Epistemology and Politics.
The word collectivism often makes people cringe. Overall, there is a general fear of not being able to make personal decisions in America. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, collectivism can be defined as; emphasis on collective rather than individual action or identity (“Collectivism”). In Anthem, Ayn Rand describes an extreme collectivist society. Although Anthem’s society seems extremely surreal, aspects of its collectivist society closely mirror today’s society.
Throughout the book “Anthem” the city has many rules and controls. Such as, not loving any person over another. Not saying the forbidden word “I”. Not stealing from another. With these rules and controls Ayn Rand created a collective society, but with the idea of a utopian society. The definition of Utopia is “ an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.” The rules and controls listed above and the many more that are in the book “Anthem” describe a society trying to become collective but in a utopian way.
One of the overarching conflicts in Ayn Rand’s, Anthem, is Collectivism versus the belief in Heresy. Rand is a firm believer in heresy, making her one of history's most notable heretics. In the same way Anthem is bias, so is my ‘Big Idea’ collage. I used propaganda and symbolic images to express the importance and just within heresy. The two silhouettes of a human heads serves the significance of the seemingly everlasting conflict that both groups have. All the images that make up the silhouettes is what the different parties stand for. Equality’s rebellious views and experiments, such as ‘the power of the sky’ and the sacred manuscripts, are enclosed within the traced head on the right side. On the other side, I dissected the authority in
Ayn Rand based her novel of the idea of objectivism the idea that reality exists independent of consciousness, and that the proper moral purpose of one's life is the pursuit of one's own happiness or rational self. We see this throughout the entire novel and within all of her characters. Ayn Rand had an interesting perception of selfishness and selflessness, along with her view of objectivism. As a reader we are thinking the opposite of what the characters are thinking, and never know what is going to happen next. Roark and Keating gave new meanings to selfishness and selflessness within the world of architecture.
If there was a word so forbidden that no one knew it, wouldn’t you be curious as to what it is? In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand this is exactly what the protagonist Equality has to face. Equality lives in a society where standing out was considered a transgression and egoism is punishable by death. The Saint of the pyre figured out the meaning of egoism and to keep him from sharing this evil his tongue was removed and he was burned at the stake. The Saint of the pyre died a happy man because of his knowledge of egoism. As he was being burned he had chosen Equality of all the people in the crowd to attempt to communicate the meaning of egoism to, which makes Equality question all that he was taught during his youth including that his sole purpose in life is to benefit and serve his society. Rand wrote Anthem to
The ultimate motive of both the altruist and egoist is personal gain. Separating the two ideologies is the method by which this is accomplished. For the altruist, addressing the needs of humanity is purportedly the sole purpose of existence. Egoists, on the other hand, refuse to act if an action does not directly benefit themselves. In The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand addresses the function of altruists and egoists within society through character development. There are four characters in particular who distinctly exhibit the attributes of altruistic and egoistic individuals: Catherine Halsey, Peter Keating, and Ellsworth Toohey possess altruistic qualities; whereas, Howard Roark is explicitly egoistic.