Quote 2
“Many
men in the Homes of the Scholars have had strange new ideas in the
past . . . but when the majority of their brother Scholars voted
against them, they abandoned their ideas, as all men must.”
These words of a member of the World
Council of Scholars, which exiles Equality 7-2521 after
he presents his lightbulb, in Chapter VII, reflect the view, pervasive
in Equality 7-2521’s society, that any idea
not held by all men is worthless. Equality 7-2521’s confidence
in the usefulness of his invention is irrelevant, as the council
cares not about advancing scientific progress but rather about controlling
it. The World Council will not act unless all its members agree
and, as a result, has not approved any technological progress in
the last hundred years. The philosophy expounded here by the council
member reflects the ideals of collectivism, against which the whole
of Anthem is written. Rand believes that when society
acts based on consensus, the weakest members of society drag down
the most exemplary members, with the result that society never achieves
its maximum potential. This system represents the we that
Rand considers the ultimate evil in society and against which all
her heroes, including Equality 7-2521, fight.
