Transcript The Search Begins: Siddhartha, Part One

What Are We Living For?
Ayn Rand, Objectivism, and
Anthem
Feraco-Eberle
Myth to Science Fiction
12 February 2009
A Note Before Beginning
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I introduced some of these concepts last week
during the “Litmus Test,” but I wanted to go
over them a bit more thoroughly today
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I don’t wish to mischaracterize Objectivism, so
many of these explanations are taken directly
from the Rand Institute’s website; I’ve taken the
liberty of simplifying some of the language, but
I’ve tried to preserve her original intent
Why Form a Philosophy?
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“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
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Socrates
The goal is to make sense of a world that doesn’t
always make sense
I mentioned “human inertia” yesterday;
philosophical study helps us resist that inertia by
forcing us to take a longer look at the reasons
behind the things we do
Life’s more worthwhile when you understand it!
Rand’s Philosophy
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Rand named her belief system Objectivism, and
described it as a “philosophy for living on earth”
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vs. a philosophy that serves largely for intellectual exercise
Whereas many philosophers believe that multiple
answers exist to large philosophical questions – or that,
in some cases, there is no objectively truthful response
– Rand argues that even abstract questions have
concrete answers
Therefore, Rand’s philosophy is less a system of
questions and more a system of answers
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The degree to which you buy into her system depends not on
whether you find her questions intriguing , but on whether
you find her answers believable
Her Argument for Philosophy
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In order to live, man must act – we can’t wait passively for life to
happen to us
In order to act, he must make choices – we can’t always be the
acted-upon
In order to make choices, he must define a code of values – our
choices need to be consistent because they’re made in the
interest of living a consistent life
In order to define a code of values, he must know what he is and
where he is
This means knowing himself – his thought processes, his nature,
etc. – and the nature of the world and universe surrounding him
People cannot escape from this need; the only variable is
whether the philosophy guiding them will be chosen by their
minds or by chance.
Objectivism 101
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The nature of reality: Objectivism holds that things are
what they are, independent of anyone’s knowledge or
wishes.
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Objectivism rejects both the view that reality is some
supernatural realm inaccessible to reason or that everyone
has his own subjective reality.
Knowledge: Objectivism holds that reason is man’s only
means of knowledge and tool of survival and that
certainty is attainable.
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Objectivism thus rejects both the view that there is some nonrational means of knowledge (e.g., faith or intuition), and the
view that knowledge is impossible and truth is relative to the
individual or culture.
Objectivism 101
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Human nature: Objectivism holds that individuals have
free will, are autonomous and independent: by using
reason, they can determine their own beliefs and values
and thus control their own lives (“Man is a being of selfmade soul”).
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Objectivism rejects the view that an individual’s thoughts and
actions are the inevitable result of factors (e.g., heredity or
environment) beyond his control.
Objectivism 101
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Ethical standards: Objectivism holds that ethics is
objective and factual; the standard of moral value is
that which furthers the survival of man as a rational
being.
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Objectivism rejects the view that ethics is a matter of opinion,
that right and wrong are determined by social convention,
ethnicity, personal preference or religious commandment.
Objectivism 101
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Morality: Objectivism holds that every individual is an
end in himself—which means that each individual
should be selfish, should live by his own mind and for
his own happiness, neither sacrificing himself to others
nor sacrificing others to himself.
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Objectivism rejects the view that an individual’s moral worth
is determined by his altruistic service to society, the needy,
the nation or some deity.
Objectivism 101
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Politics: Objectivism holds that capitalism is the only
moral social system and that the only proper purpose of
government is the protection of an individual’s right to
this life, liberty, property and pursuit of happiness.
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Objectivism rejects the collectivist view that government
exists to further the “common good,” the will of the majority
or any particular group (e.g., the working class); and, unlike
libertarianism, it rejects the view that government is evil by
nature.
Objectivism and Anthem
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Does the society in Anthem reflect these beliefs?
It does, but in opposition to them
We have a monolithic and collectivist government – one
that’s uniquely filtered through Rand’s perspective on
collectivism – that shuns dissent and independence
The society rests on the belief that individual needs are
entirely useless – that we can best serve ourselves by
serving others, even to the exclusion of our own selfinterest
Self-interest, in turn, is banished
As it turns out, scientific investigation and the pursuit of
knowledge qualify as self-interest!
Anthem’s Society
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Rand has carefully crafted a society that violates
each of the beliefs she defines as Objectivist
principles
The society does not worship a divinity, but it
does worship a concept (unity) to the exclusion
of realistic analysis
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Rand’s main problem with faith is her belief that it
blinds people to reason and truth
The truth (as she presents it) is that Equality 72521 is so clearly superior to the rest of his peers
that any sort of judgment that fails to recognize
this represents a crime
Anthem Characters: Chapter I
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Equality 7-2521
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Union 5-3992
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Henceforth known simply as “Equality”
A curious and intelligent young man who suspects he’s
different from others – an awful thing! – at an early age
A mentally handicapped youth who suffers from epilepsy and
works with Equality in the streets
International 4-8818
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Equality’s only friend
Someone honest enough to decide against reporting
Equality’s discovery, but lacking the courage to do anything to
support him
The Characters and Society
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International is an artist
Equality is a scientist or scholar (and, according to
Rand, a genius)
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Neither is an ideal street-sweeper, obviously (if such people
exist)
Rand implies that Union is one
Rand stacks the deck by placing the novel’s two
thinking characters in the same position as Union 53992
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This implies that the society’s structure of “job placement” is
so blind to people’s individual abilities that it sees Union and
Equality as equally capable (a conclusion Rand’s Objectivist
beliefs cannot support)
Pragmatism v. Blindness
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However, there’s also the argument that the society’s
leadership is merely behaving pragmatically
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In this case, the leadership isn’t blind
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It sees Equality and International as dangerous to its rule’s
stability because it believes them to be capable of sowing
dissent and individuality
Contrast this with the harmony of a collective agreement
Indeed, it’s very aware of the perceived threat Equality poses
It simply chooses to act in a way that defies the very
reality it recognizes
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That’s what angers Rand – the leadership’s decision to act in
defiance of truth and reason in order to compromise freedom
Freedom!
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Another aspect of the collectivist society that offends
Rand is its hostile attitude towards free thought
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Society has given Equality purpose, but it has tried to
rob him of his self-awareness and his ability to reason
Equality represents Rand’s argument that the freedom
to think can be threatened, even compromised – but
never fully eliminated
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Equality struggles to think for himself
Thought is instinctive
While morals are largely dedicated to regulating instinctive
reactions, they cannot eliminate the instinct
When Equality chooses not to ignore his instincts, Rand
posits that he seizes his freedom back from the
collective that has compromised him until then
We’ll Continue…
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