Prometheus and Egoism
Kim Stoner
521 Colony Road
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Trinity High School
3601 Simpson Ferry Road
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Topic: #1
Grade: 10
Teacher: Mr. Robert Casey
Prometheus and Egoism
An egoist is usually thought of as an excessively proud individual who
exaggerates his personal accomplishments. The term is not commonly used to express
the strong individualism presented in Ayn Rand’s Anthem and other novels. To Ayn
Rand a strong ego is a virtue when it means individual intellectual independence and
self-awareness. The word “I,” or the “Unspeakable Word,” is actually prohibited in the
collectivist totalitarian society of the novel. When Equality 7-2521 discovers the word
“I” in the literature of the previous civilization, he awakens his ego and realizes his
individualism. Prometheus is presented as a hero in a world where humanity is lost,
and the natural longing for individual completeness is suppressed.
Prometheus has a vision for knowledge and an understanding that he does not
yet possess. He has a personal need to satisfy what appears to be a personal longing
deep within his soul or his being. In the sense, he is single-minded in this quest and
indifferent to society’s rules. He is an egoist. This drive within him appears to come
from his own ego deep within himself. He is not an egoist, however, in the conventional
sense of the word.
This need within him for transcendent knowledge is not selfish. It is not an
attempt to achieve personal wealth or satisfaction at the expense of others. It is not an
effort to demonstrate his power or intelligence over others to satisfy his own pride. He
does not seek to gain power or influence over other individuals.
The Prometheus of Greek mythology stole fire from the gods and gave it to
mankind. The gods punished him for disobeying their rules and being a champion to
humanity. Equality 7-2521, the hero of the novel Anthem, sees his discovery of
electricity in a similar manner. He sees himself as his world’s equivalent of
Prometheus. He adopts the name Prometheus when he discovers a few books from
the “Unmentionable Times” at his house in the Uncharted Forest.
The Prometheus in Anthem does not see his discovery of electricity as a means
to expose the ignorance of society. He only wants society to benefit from his scientific
experiments. He is not a social critic or reformer. Nor does he use his discovery for
personal power or wealth. When the World Council of Scholars accuses him of
personal pride or self-arrogance and disrupting the stability of society, he does not
object. He is even prepared to accept his punishment and execution. He is willing to
accept the judgment of society, provided that the miracle of electricity is given to
mankind. His only concern is that truth is exposed and others realize the benefits of his
discovery.
Although it is his personal quest that results in the discovery of electricity, which
is the modern equivalent of fire, Equality 7-2521 is only interested in the search for truth
and the benefit of others. In no way is he egoistical in the sense of being self-
promoting, self-centered, or selfish. He also finds what his life has always been missing
when he feels love for Liberty 5-3000. He realizes that love is what has really been
missing in his life. He feels badly for the rest of human kind that never experiences true
love in the Palace of Mating where children are bred under government authority. Later,
he plans to leave the Uncharted Forest in order to tell his friends of the amazing life that
they could be living. He wants others to share in his benefits.
The ego within the Prometheus of Anthem is a natural human need for
understanding and mastery of the world. It is the incredible mystery of human history
that has resulted in all extraordinary human achievements. In this sense it is something
hidden and hard to define, but it is clearly within this hero as it is in all humans. It is this
ego that provides the energy and drive needed to defy social conventions to explore the
unknown. When this energy and drive is suppressed by totalitarian societies, human
progress is suppressed and civilization declines. In open societies this human drive for
discovery is allowed to reveal itself and society progresses. This drive for the
realization of a person’s dreams and an individual vision is not selfishness; it is the
manifestation of a basic human need for discovery and improvement.