A review by bertwagner
Anthem by Ayn Rand
4.0
Ayn Rand was born in Russia and moved to the United States in 1926 at the age of 21 after the Communists had disrupted her family life. She founded the philosophy of objectivism whose main goal is the pursuit of personal happiness. It rejects altruism and religion in favor of rational thinking.
The book, “Anthem” serves as a simple and brief introduction to this philosophy. It chronicles the journey of Equality 7-2521 from a collectivist communal mindset (the worship of WE) into understanding that he is an individual with individual talents and wishes (the worship of I) who is beholden to none. He impresses a woman, Liberty 5-3000, who follows him. Their name changes to Prometheus and Gaea, respectively, foreshadow their future. The contrast between the Adam and Eve story in Genesis (pleasing God) and the ending of this book (pleasing man) are indicative of Rand’s atheism.
Nevertheless, it serves as a grave warning about an over encompassing government that crushes individuals in favor of the collective.
The book, “Anthem” serves as a simple and brief introduction to this philosophy. It chronicles the journey of Equality 7-2521 from a collectivist communal mindset (the worship of WE) into understanding that he is an individual with individual talents and wishes (the worship of I) who is beholden to none. He impresses a woman, Liberty 5-3000, who follows him. Their name changes to Prometheus and Gaea, respectively, foreshadow their future. The contrast between the Adam and Eve story in Genesis (pleasing God) and the ending of this book (pleasing man) are indicative of Rand’s atheism.
Nevertheless, it serves as a grave warning about an over encompassing government that crushes individuals in favor of the collective.