Anthem by Ayn Rand

The ideal that a man's "pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life" is realized in this story through the journey of Equality 7-2521. His journey also validates the statement that when a character acts selfishly against the prevailing vice(s) of the dominant social order, true virtue exhibits itself.

In this story, the dominant social order imposes a strong sense of brotherhood, and "we" instead of "I". In fact, the word "I" isn't even used in the book until page 108. Acts of independence, such as the ones committed by Equality 7-2521, are "regarded as a treacherous blasphemy", as stated on the very first page of the book, and are punishable by death. Despite these heavily enforced rules, Equality 7-2521 is defiant. He acts selfishly when he finds the tunnel and makes International 4-8818 keep it a secret, he acts selfishly when he keeps his discoveries in the tunnel a secret, he acts selfishly when he talks to the Golden One. These selfish acts have negative impacts on him throughout the story, such as him being tortured and having to escape to the Uncharted Forest.

However, everything he does, he does to help his brothers, as he says on pages 64-65, "Then we thought of the meaning of what lay before us. We can light our tunnel, and the City, and all the Cities of the world with nothing save metal and wires. We can give our brothers a new light, cleaner and brighter than any they have ever known. The power of the sky can be made to do men's bidding." Equality 7-2521 risks his safety to share his new light with the Council of Scholars to help make everyone's lives easier and better. His actions show virtue as he is doing what he thinks is the right thing to do.

Equality 7-2521 also shows virtue in his hopes for the future after he runs to the Uncharted Forest. On page 122, he says of his new home, "And all my brothers, and the Councils of my brothers, will hear of it, but they will be impotent against me. And the day will come when I shall break the chains of the earth, and raze the cities of the enslaved, and my home will become the capital of a world where each man will be free to exist for his own sake. For the coming of that day I shall fight, I and my sons and my chosen friends. For the freedom of Man. For his rights. For his life. For his honor."

He has plans to break down the prevailing vices of the dominant social order that conceals the secrets of the Unmentionable Times and oppresses the idea of individualism.