Anthem

By Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand
Born in Russia in 1905 Taught herself to read and was getting published in magazines as a child Opposed to Russian culture of the time Looked at America as a more ideal culture during the early 1900s

Ayn Rand
Communism and the Bolshevik Revolution left her family without jobs or money Left for the US in 1925 Her novel Anthem is considered anticollectivist and opposing what Rand saw in her Russian culture Came up with objectivism as a philosophy Died in 1982

Objectivism
Rand called it a philosophy for living on Earth Simply put, reality is one truth that exists regardless of what one believes

Objectivism
1. Reality exists as an objective absolutefacts are facts, independent of mans feelings, wishes, hopes or fears. 2. Reason is mans only means of perceiving reality, his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival.

Objectivism
3. Manevery manis an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational selfinterest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.

Objectivism
4. The ideal political-economic system is laissezfaire capitalism. It is a system where men deal with one another, not as victims and executioners, nor as masters and slaves, but as traders, by free, voluntary exchange to mutual benefit. In a system of full capitalism, there should be (but, historically, has not yet been) a complete separation of state and economics.

Objectivism
Put the 4 principles of objectivism in your own words

Collectivism
Collectivism favors the group over the individual. Collectivism holds that man must be chained to a collective action and collective thought for the sake of what is called the common good Rand did not like this about Russia

Collectivism

Individualism
Favors the individual over the group Individualism regards manevery manas an independent, sovereign entity who possesses an inalienable right to his own life, a right derived from his nature as a rational being. Individualism holds that a civilized society . . . can be achieved only on the basis of the recognition of individual rightsand that a group, as such, has no rights other than the individual rights of its members

Individualism

Altruism
Helping others while being completely selfless; not having an interest in any personal gain Self-sacrifice is his highest moral duty, virtue, and value.

Egoism
Egoism states that each mans primary moral obligation is to achieve his own welfare, wellbeing, or self-interest . . . He should be selfish so he can benefit from his own actions.

Conformity
The act or habit of bringing [oneself] into harmony or agreement with others; of adhering to conventional behavior

Obedience
Complying with a command; yielding to those in authority

Independence
Ones acceptance of the responsibility of forming ones own judgments and of living by the work of ones own mind . . . is the virtue of independence