Philosophy demands literature that can abet the understanding of.
Without reflective literature, man cannot begin to comprehend.
the essential messages behind philosophy. One such philosophy, objectivism,.
is represented exceptionally by the timeless novel, The Fountainhead.
Through the use of compelling dialogue, Ayn Rand reveals her own feelings.
towards objectivism, and her thoughts towards conformity and independence.
The interpretations and the implications of several of the quotes within.
The Fountainhead accurately depict the essence of objectivism and.
encourages the opposition of conventional standards through the embodiment.
of the uncompromising innovator "standing against the world.".
Society dictates that there will be those that follow and those that.
will lead the followers. Peter Keating is one that adheres to conformity; a.
man of little independent thought, a follower. Howard Roark, on the other.
hand, is a man aspiring to achieve a level of complete and utter.
independence from traditional principles. One telling passage occurs in a.
scene where Keating and Roark are discussing architecture.
Keating: "How do you always manage to decide?".
Roark: "How can you let others decide for you?".
As two men on the extreme sides of conformity and independence, it is hard.
for Keating to understand how someone could be so sure of himself, whereas.
it is incomprehensible for Roark to believe that Keating could have so.
little self-assurance and such a lack of resolve regarding the decisions he.
chooses to make. In this regard, Howard Roark is greater than Peter Keating.
Often times in world affairs, smaller nations adhere to a state of.
Finlandization; they buckle under the pressures of a larger nation because.
they lack the strength to strive for independent thought. Howard Roark, is.
a man who refuses to succumb to that greater entity and is able to think.
and judge for himself.
Egotism is defined as an exaggerated sense of self importance.