Placing Me Before We in Ayn Rands Anthem Essay -- Anthem Essays

Placing Me Before We in Ayn Rands Anthem   Ayn Rands classic story of one mans desire to suit an individual in a nameless inn presents a compelling refutation of collectivism in all forms. The hero, labeled Equality 7-2521 by the State, chooses to challenge conventional authority as he learns the joys of experiment and discovery, the ecstasy of human love, the challenge and fairness of liberty, and the happiness of expediency. Equality 7-2521 writes three unique phrases in his journal  1. My happiness needs no higher conduct to vindicate it. My happiness is not the means to an repeal. It is the end., 2. We know that we are evil, but there is no will in us and no power to dare it., 3. The word We . . . must never be placed first within mans soul..  These phrases will be discussed individually in the remainder of this essay.   1. My happiness needs no higher aim to vindicate it. My happiness is not the means to an end. It is the end. In the tale, this thought dri ves the entire actions of Equality 7-2521 as he progresses in his attempt to become an individual. His happiness is not satisfied when he must share it universally with all men. Not every man can be as quick-witted as the next, and therefore the forced brotherhood of all men will only deplete the spirits of those who are successful. In Anthem, Rand tells of Equalitys joy when he discovers electricity. At that moment he knows that the joy of discovery is only his to relish, and that it cannot be shared or manipulated by any other man. In that regard, his own well-being is the end of his striving he has fulfilled his wishes. To say that his happiness was only the means to, say, world peace would be to abolish his status ... ... by individuals who had some self-interest at heart. However, the creator of a product is justly entitled to his own happiness, and therefore it is at his discretion that his invention is distributed. One who creates a great liaison cannot be forced to share it with mankind unless he desires. In most cases, it is in the self-interest of the originator that his creation be distributed freely.   Thus, man is no eight-day a free man when he thinks of the groups interest above his own. It is fine for someone to be compassionate, but it is foolish to place the happiness of anyone else in scarecrow of your own. When men choose to follow groupthink, they forfeit their identities, and the end result is a world without freedom or creativity.   Mankind is composed of sovereign individuals, and each psyche only has one obligation to self think of me before we.