Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead:
Envisioning A New Moral Ideal
Aaron Smith
Sept 5, 2018
"But what is heroic?"
"And what constitutes man's highest potential? What is the moral ideal that one should admire, look up to, and seek to emulate?"
"Consider some of the central aspects of Roark's character that Rand regards as elements of that ideal.
In Rand's view, everything that makes man great and noble stems from an individual's first-hand commitment to the truth and to the value of his own life and happiness. The ideal man is the man who thinks, values and lives first-hand - and that is precisely what Howard Roark represents.
"Roark's essential characteristic is his independence."
He is independent in every fundamental sense: in his thinking, in his motivation, in his choice of values, and in his work.
His thoughts are his own first-hand conclusions and he recognizes no authority above his own independent judgment. As such, he does not look to others to tell him what to think, nor dies he surrender his convictions when others disagree, disapprove, or demand that he shut his eyes and have faith.
Roark is motivated not by social expectations or unexamined feelings, but by his own chosen values..."
~ Read entire article By, Aaron Smith @: AynRand