“I shall choose my friends among men, but neither slaves nor masters. And I shall choose only such as please me, and them I shall love and respect, but neither command nor obey.” (Rand 96). So says Equality 7-2521 in Ayn Rand’s “Anthem”. Equality lives in a society where every aspect of life is controlled by the leaders of society, even who becomes the next leaders. This society is one that claims to be perfect, it strives to be a utopia, and all of its residents naturally agree and conform to this society’s standards. No one has ever been disgruntled about this “perfect” tyranny, except for Equality. Equality is the only one to ever see something wrong with the society, the only one to question the leader’s decisions, and he was right to
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He stood against the leaders and scholars of this society when no one else even dared to think of it. Ayn Rand states in her essay “How to Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Society” that “Nothing can corrupt and disintegrate a culture or a man’s character as thoroughly as does the precept of moral agnosticism, the idea that one must never pass moral judgment on others, that one must be morally tolerant of anything,” (Rand “How to Lead”). This is saying that someone must pass moral judgment and assessment of someone else’s character to keep your own character from shriveling away into nothing. Moral assessment and judgment is exactly what Equality 7-2521 did with the society’s leaders. Although, if and when you do judge peers and authority figures, you have to be prepared to be judged, because if you are going to be the final decision on the essence of someone’s character, then “one must possess an unimpeachable character” (Rand “How to Lead”). Equality 7-2521 would agree with this essay, because he judged others freely, declaring their creeds and ideologies ridiculous. He also does all these things, running away, starting a new life, knowing that he will be judged and ridiculed the society, but he doesn’t care, in fact, he finds it funny. “And suddenly, for the first time this day, we remembered that we are the Damned. We remembered it, and we laughed.” (Rand
He stood against the leaders and scholars of this society when no one else even dared to think of it. Ayn Rand states in her essay “How to Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Society” that “Nothing can corrupt and disintegrate a culture or a man’s character as thoroughly as does the precept of moral agnosticism, the idea that one must never pass moral judgment on others, that one must be morally tolerant of anything,” (Rand “How to Lead”). This is saying that someone must pass moral judgment and assessment of someone else’s character to keep your own character from shriveling away into nothing. Moral assessment and judgment is exactly what Equality 7-2521 did with the society’s leaders. Although, if and when you do judge peers and authority figures, you have to be prepared to be judged, because if you are going to be the final decision on the essence of someone’s character, then “one must possess an unimpeachable character” (Rand “How to Lead”). Equality 7-2521 would agree with this essay, because he judged others freely, declaring their creeds and ideologies ridiculous. He also does all these things, running away, starting a new life, knowing that he will be judged and ridiculed the society, but he doesn’t care, in fact, he finds it funny. “And suddenly, for the first time this day, we remembered that we are the Damned. We remembered it, and we laughed.” (Rand