A New Intellectual

John Galt's speech will need to be done and done well. I think something like this, Section 1: http://youtube.com/watch?v=W_qQt9IrUc0 Section 2: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wpo3OoyUUUc&watch_response Section 3-4: http://youtube.com/watch?v=8V-kTeWozXQ&watch_response Section 5: http://youtube.com/watch?v=sKYX_o-g-b0&watch_response Section 6: http://youtube.com/watch?v=c-ajrwka2RE&watch_response Section 7: http://youtube.com/watch?v=jyJJC-J2g7A&watch_response Section 8: http://youtube.com/watch?v=QOd42r7szQY&watch_response Section 9: http://youtube.com/watch?v=16N_76mlsMk&watch_response Section 10: http://youtube.com/watch?v=s-4oehFZI-k&watch_response Section 11: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4FWKaFrQ4f4&watch_response Section 12: http://youtube.com/watch?v=I03sQzS-pM8&feature=related Section 13: http://youtube.com/watch?v=UkSXqFUtKD4&feature=user Section 14: http://youtube.com/watch?v=sxMeLEoPa_o&feature=related Section 15: In progress That to me would be what I would like to watch, not just that small segment but all 15. It's a perfect blend of relevant imagery, and the speech. The images help link the deep concepts behind the words. Some imagery would have to be toned down but....

(Note: I believe this is the appropriate forum) This was my entry into the Anthem Essay Contest, I feel safe posting it because the deadline for turning it in has been long over: 3) For each of the following quotations from Anthem, explain in a single, unified essay the quotation’s meaning in the story and its wider significance. a) “We alone, of the thousands who walk this earth, we alone in this hour are doing a work which has no purpose save that we wish to do it.” (Chapter 1) “Are we proud of this thread of metal, or of our hands which made it, or is there a line to divide these two?” (Chapter 5) c) “Only the glass box in our arms is like a living heart that gives us strength.” (Chapter7) In order to understand the philosophic nature of these quotes, we must understand what the general theme of Anthem is. Anthem is the story of a man, and his need to rediscover individualism and self, it is also the story of a one-man revolt against the collectivism, It is the story of the discovery that, the old premise that two heads are better then one, is false, or as Ayn Rand once said, “There is no such thing as a collective brain.” I think this theme can easily be found in the following three quotations from Anthem. In the first quotation Prometheus writes about why he is writing this Journal, he is writing it because it is want he want’s to. He does not write for the pleasure of another, he writes because he enjoys it; however in this stage of the book he still feels that it is evil to do that, which is also why he is forced into the tunnel in the first place, because the others aren’t willing to accept that “I” and caring about yourself is right and proper. He also decides to do private Scientific Experiments in the tunnel; he does it because he enjoys doing it. He’s not doing it because someone else enjoys it or because he believes he is making the world a better place, he is doing it simply because it’s what he enjoys. He has both pride in himself and pride in what he does. And that’s why he is forced to be in the tunnel; because the others still have the altruistic and collectivist mind set, and because of that they believe what he is doing is evil, even though it clearly isn’t. What he does accepts the ethic of using rational self-interest. He uses his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life. Because he accepts this ethic, he is able to invent things, which none of the collectivists would have been able to invent. In short, because he uses rational self-interest, and totally rejects the collectivist ideology he is able to soar far beyond everyone who still gives collectively. The second quotation ties in with the first quotation, Equality is proud of both himself, and the creation he has made. When he asks, “Is there a line to divide these two” he is wondering whether or not the two are actually separate, his rediscovery of electricity is his own work. So, “is there a line to divide these to?” The answer is no there is no line to divide them. He feels as much love for that thread of metal, as for his body. He doesn’t actually feel love for the metal, what he actually feels love for is his discovery of electricity, and what he did with the metal; if it were just any thread of metal he wouldn’t have felt any emotion for it at all. What he really began to love was his own mind, his creative genius which allowed him to invent the thread of metal. He realized that his mind is not impotent, that his mind is not worthless. He realized that his mind is the most important tool of all. He realized that his mind is an appendage of himself, he realized that his mind is not evil, and that he needs to celebrate it, and use it; for his own rational self-interest of course. The third quotation is the one that ties all three together, the glass box and the thin wire of light are things he is proud of, the writing he has done is what he is also proud of. The glass box represents his pride, his pride is his living heart that gives him strength, it is not his love for his other brothers, it is HIM, and it is his rational self-interest what HE wants. Anthem is an odyssey, in which Equality discovers both himself and the world around him. Anthem is all about realizing that, “Neither am I the means to any end others may wish to accomplish. I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a bandage for their wounds, I am not a sacrifice on their altars.” – Prometheus, Anthem, Chapter 11. In fact Prometheus’s discovery of Individualism and rational self-interest is so great, and glorious that it is almost as if Prometheus had been in the dark, and then lit a fire, being able to see what is around him. And eventually, perhaps people all over our earth will realize, in order to discover more, we must discover, “I”.

It's.... It's.... It's interesting. a guy beating initators of force while delivering a line about good or evil or collective, or money, or other objectivist principle to me is pretty awesome.

Let me tell you a bit about myself, my name is Alex, I'm a 10th grade student who competes on the debate team arguing philosophy. I've always had a mind for language, philosophy, and the abstract, my major weakness is the fact that I am not so great at mathematics, I get C's and B's but English is my strong suit. Last summer, I was walking through my local library, and I saw this huge old looking book on a bottom shelf, I reached down and picked it up. There it was the image of a train shooting off into some distant future, looking as it was almost going to hit me. I grabbed it and was instantly intrigued. I went to check it out and started reading, I opened to the first page of the story and there it was looking up at me four words that would change my entire outlook on life, "Who is John Galt?" I stayed up the entire night reading it, I read it from June, 16 at 2:34 p.m to June, 17 12:34 p.m. I spent the rest of my day to contemplating how these ideas could fit into my current view of reality. They did'nt, there were several glaring contradictions, i.e existence of God etc., After I sorted out the contradictions and checked my premises, I pretty much started swallowing all of Ayn Rand's works whole and jumping into her philosophy whole-heartedly. That led me to where I am now.