José Martí once said that “the first duty of a man is to think for himself.” When society favors blind obedience over independent thought, ego, progress, and knowledge all but disappear. There is no doubt that Objectivism is vital for humanity to endure and prosper. In her short story Anthem, Rand defends her philosophy of Objectivism through the aspiration for equality, the value of realism, and the triumph of the individual. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Since rational self-interest is a key principle of objectivism, aspiration provides the individual with a goal to pursue in life. In contrast, unconditional allocentricity and submission evoke feelings of insignificance and inability to live life fully. In Anthem, blatant collectivism subjects the population to abandon all their desires in favor of working for the prosperity of society; “There is no life for men except in useful labor for the good of their brothers. But we did not live, when we worked for our brothers, we were only tired. There is no work for men except work shared with all their brothers” (Rand 86). Therefore, the notion of pursuing one's own interests is a completely foreign concept. However, by promoting objectivism and therefore the search for happiness, Equality gives itself the will to defy the decrees of society and realize its aspiration to knowledge. When Equality questions the unstoppable curse and evil that drives him to "forbidden thoughts", he fails to realize that it actually represents his intention to place nothing above his curiosity. This passion instills in Equality the power of martyrdom; the strength of his will to grant humanity the gift of electricity is enough to overcome the pain of punishment. No number of lashes and scars can chase this desire from him, for he is immortal. It is moreover his ambition which pushes him and gives him the energy to free society from the clutches of subjectivism; “I… will build our new land and fort. And it will become like the heart of the earth…I will break all the chains of the earth and raze the cities of the slaves…and every man will be free to exist for his own good” (Rand 104). It is the desire to achieve that pushes Equality to consider Prometheus as a figurehead; considering the individual as primordial, he decides to bring the light of truth to society. Without ambition, there is no direction, no hope and no life. As is the case with dystopias, deception is naturally prevalent in Equality society, which highlights the indispensability of Objectivism. As the overriding concern of the World Council is to eradicate anything that speaks to the only enemy, independent judgment and choice, a subjective society has been established to suppress the truth. Thus, reality has become a principle built on collective perception, considered infallible, rather than on reason or logic; “We have learned that the earth is flat and that the sun revolves around it, which causes day and night… We have learned to bleed men to cure them of their ills” (Rand 23). The population accepts this deception to the extent that they believe that the sunrise and existence itself depend entirely on the decision of the World Council. Furthermore, because of the emphasis on subjectivity, progress is impossible; because reality and knowledge are internal and influenced by the mind, comprehensive education and free access to information are considered unnecessary andtherefore non-existent. Ergo, no one, not even scholars, has the capacity to accomplish anything of consequence. As a result, all past knowledge was deliberately forgotten, labeled as incorrect in relation to the accepted contemporary understanding of reality; not only has society not improved, but it has regressed into a dark and technologically backward age; without electricity, a resource almost as basic as water. Therefore, objectivity is particularly crucial because it allows one to distinguish false from true based solely on the facts of reality, which are impossible to change. Equality challenges the established understanding that existence is purely mental and instead seeks to extract knowledge from the world around it; his vocation, science, eminently demonstrates his orientation towards reality. He seeks to understand himself, his society, and human nature, not only by identifying what he perceives, but by continually developing that understanding; “We have learned things which are not in the scriptures… of which scholars have no knowledge… we wish… to feel as if every day our sight became sharper than that of the hawk and clearer than rock crystal » (Rand 36). By carefully recording observations and piecing together facts into a conceptual whole, Equality uses both concept formation and inductive logic to gain knowledge. Indeed, objectivism is the education that allows one to get rid of incorrect conventions and restore reality, piece by piece. Individualism is the essence of humanity, allowing for personal independence, exploration and development. However, under the misguided governance of collective morality, the society of equality considers the concept of ego anathema. Driven by the illusion of a higher good, he not only restricts thought, speech and will, but he castigates nonconformism. As the inscription on the World Council portals and the absence of the word "I" make clear, Anthem's subjects are warned not that independence is evil, but that it is impossible; “The word 'We' is like lime poured over men, which hardens and hardens into stone, and crushes everything beneath... It is the word by which the depraved steal the virtue of good, by which the weak steal the power of good. strong, by which fools steal the wisdom of the wise” (Rand 97). Essentially, when society values ​​collectivism, it robs humanity of the ability to feel joy, fulfillment, or any other moral feeling that comes with being. Fortunately, it is the individual who wins in the end. Objectivism guarantees the freedom and rights of the individual and frees him to act as he wishes, under the pretext of seeking happiness and productive success as his absolute. Thus, the triumph of the individual frees Equality from the chains of collectivism. He no longer needs to strive to work for society, but only for his own happiness and success. He no longer needs to restrict his natural desire to express affection or happiness, as they are essential to living a rich, fulfilling and independent life. Moreover, the one who is proactive and diligent no longer needs to obey and share its fruits with the frail and fickle that is society. Each person is a unique entity with a unique value that is governed by no force other than himself; “It is my eyes that see…it is my eyes that hear…it is my mind that thinks, and the judgment of my mind is the only searchlight that can find the truth.” It is my will that chooses, and the choice of my will is the only edict I must respect” (Rand 94). Therefore,.