Here, the protagonist is trying to even the balance on the scale of his detachment from the collective: that he has no obligation to others as others have no obligation to him. While selfishness seeks self-fulfillment at the expense of others, individualism seeks self-fulfillment but without demands or contributions from others. This quote can be used to make a distinction between individualism and selfishness. I covet no man’s soul, nor is my soul theirs to covet. I ask none to live for me, nor do I live for any others. I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them. For instance, a religion like Christianity holds altruism as a virtue but in the end, each man is held to account for his soul alone. But ironically, while the sphere of human reasoning keeps regarding her views as controversial, some religious beliefs are in line with some aspects of her philosophy of individualism. Rand in her lifetime is a self-acclaimed atheist who claimed to have no faith in any religion.
Here, Ayn Rand uses religious analogies to project her idea of individualism. Let each man keep his temple untouched and undefiled. It is a vehement assertion in artistic language that reflects Rand’s creativity as well as her controversial views.įor in the temple of his spirit, each man is alone. This is a rejection of the indebtedness of an individual to other humans. The fortune of my spirit is not to be blown into coins of brass and flung to the winds as alms for the poor of spirit Anthem (Chapter Eleven, page 86) This is the epitome of Ayn Rand’s individualistic philosophy.
He vows to make himself the center of all his concerns and endeavors. This is one of Equality 7-2521’s new resolutions. Whatever road I take, the guiding star is within me the guiding star and the loadstone which point the way. Ayn Rand sees brotherhood and communal values as bondages that compromise an individual’s freedom.
This quote is saying that individuals are free on their own except when other men encroach with demands and expectations based on brotherhood. To be Free, a man must be free of his brothers.
There is nothing to take a man’s freedom from him, save other men. From inspirational to defiant, readers are bound to find quotes that buttress the themes of individualism, knowledge and inventiveness and adventure in Anthem by Ayn Rand.