Anthem
What ideas do the rulers appeal to in order to justify their collectivist society?
Alissa Rosenbaum
Alissa Rosenbaum
Pointing out the evils of capitalism and class inequality, the state defends collectivism. This dystopia is a response to when there were major inequalities between people of different socio-economic groups. Mass collectivism, in theory at least, ensured that all people were treated the same. This idea, taken to extreme in the novel, robbed people of their individuality and ingenuity. Civilization ceased to evolve and became stagnant.