[Off-Topic] The Fountainhead: Howard Roark's Defense

I just posted about Atlas Shrugged: Is Money the Root of All Evil? and right after that I went to watch the film The Fountainhead, the 1949 film adaptation of Ayn Rand’s novel of the same name — if I’m not mistaken, her first fiction work. I recommend reading the book and watching the film too. Its final scene contains a defense speech by the main character that is the description of Rand’s idea of individualism. I thought it was so good I decided to publish the subtitled excerpt in Portuguese.

The full text of the book is much longer, and you can read it in English in full on this site. Just to give a taste, here’s an excerpt:

The man who attempts to live for others is a dependent. He is a parasite in motivation and makes those he serves parasites as well. The relationship produces nothing but mutual corruption. It is impossible in concept. The closest approximation to it in reality — the man who lives to serve others — is the slave. If physical slavery is repulsive, how much more repulsive is the concept of servility of the spirit? The conquered slave has a vestige of honor. He has the merit of having resisted and of considering his bad state as a bad one. But the man who enslaves himself voluntarily in the name of love is the lowest creature. He degrades the dignity of man and he degrades the concept of love. But that is the essence of altruism.

Men have been taught that the highest virtue is not to achieve, but to give. Yet one cannot give that which has not been created. Creation comes before distribution — or there will be nothing to distribute. The need of the creator comes before the need of any possible beneficiary. Yet we are taught to admire the second-hander who dispenses gifts he has not produced above the man who made the gifts possible. We praise an act of charity. We shrug at an act of achievement.

Men have been taught that their first concern is to relieve the suffering of others. But suffering is a disease. Should one come upon it, one tries to give help and assistance. To make the highest test of virtue to make suffering the most important part of life is to make the man have a desire to see others suffer so that he can be virtuous. Such is the nature of altruism. The creator is not concerned with disease, but with life. Yet the work of the creators has eliminated one form of disease after another, in the body and spirit of man, and has brought more relief in suffering than any altruist could ever conceive.

Men have been taught that it is a virtue to agree with others. But the creator is the man who disagrees. Men have been taught that it is a virtue to swim with the current. But the creator is the man who goes against the current. Men have been taught that it is a virtue to stand together. But the creator is the man who stands alone.

Men have been taught that the ego is the synonym of evil, and selflessness the ideal of virtue. But the creator is the egotist in the absolute sense, and the selfless man is the one who does not think, feel, judge or act. These are functions of the ego.

Watch the full thing, it’s worth it:

It’s an Ayn Rand overdose like this, two consecutive posts, but it’s been a while since I stopped to read/listen/watch so many inspiring pieces. I hope you enjoy.