What is Freedom?

I believe that the Socratic Seminar question number 20 is a crucial element in understanding Ayn Rand's ideals in The Fountainhead. What is freedom to Howard Roark? Roark is an interesting literary hero because of his quest for complete independence and self-reliance. He is not likeable or charismatic in a way that appeals to the general populace and he finds comfort in solitude. He disagrees with the media in regards to the way Gail Wynand presents it and the way Ellsworth Toohey manipulates it. His success is hindered by his inability to compromise and he rarely obtains big architectural projects. So, the question is: is this freedom? Roark's egotistical and provincial perspective in life could be what Ayn Rand defines as liberation. This directly relates to the Syrian issue today. After the Syrian government deployed chemical weapons on the rebels the United States ultimately chose the unpopular decision to threaten the Syrian government because of their infringement upon United Nation legislation. Russia, however, retaliated by warning the United States that our intervention would cause Russia to use menacing force against us. This relates to Roark because the United States used our freedom to go against public opinion and Russia, similar to Toohey, did what would be best regarded by other nations. Ayn Rand's definition of freedom is Roark. It is strength. It is independence. It is autonomy. 

The United States displayed strength and determination of our own will throughout the Syrian issue by going against the requests of our allies to pursue what we as a country decided what was just. The issue illuminates the differences between the Democracy of the United States and the corrupt Federation of Russia. While Russia is moving towards Democracy, the corruption in their government is precisely what Rand was warning the world of in The Fountainhead. What the United States chose to do was risky, but it illustrated our independence as a country. Ayn Rand's novel asserts that narcissism is an important quality for men to acquire. Roark's arrogance is the characteristic that most helped him resist the forces that were attempting to corrupt him. It is no secret that Americans have pride in their country and the freedoms that we enjoy, but is this pride so extreme that it reaches arrogance? In my opinion I find many Americans to be nationalistic and in some cases close-minded to the benefits of the governments of other nations. This conceit, however, often does not get in the way of Americans' ability to criticize their government, which I think is an element of the United States that was highly agreeable to Rand. This clash of opinions is an important part of Rand's philosophy in that people should work to serve their own purpose.

Now, according to Rand, what is freedom? Through her character Howard Roark she personified freedom as independence and the ability to be economically, emotionally, and mentally stable without the assistance of any other human. Communist Russia of the early 20th Century certainly did not fit Rand's ideas, so she left to her Capitalistic beacon of hope, the United States. Of course, the United States didn't live up to her unrealistic expectations but it was certainly closer to the ideal than the corruption in Russia. Syria serves as an example of how Rand's philosophy can be applied to a modern day situation. The strength and weakness of Rand's definition of freedom are demonstrated by the situation with Syria. The strength being that the United States accomplished a safer world by disregarding the opinions of our allies and the weakness is that Rand probably would not have condoned helping another country that would not be able to return anything of value, even though it was the morally correct thing to do. Rand wrote Roark to be the embodiment of everything she wished to find in the "movers" of the world. The independent forces that would produce change and create, by her definition, a better society to live in. Ayn Rand's philosophy is appealing to me by encouraging people to work for themselves and to advance themselves through their own talents and hard work without feeding off of others like a parasite or manipulating others for what they can do for you. Although, I think that Rand's philosophy takes independence to the extreme. Love, nurture, compromise, and coexistence are incredibly valuable components to me in being happy in life. Roark is an egotist, and that, for Rand, is freedom.