The "Style" of a Civilization
In The Fountainhead at Kiki Halcombe's party, Toohey rhapsodizes about Howard Roark's face, alluding to "the style of a civilization." (It is in Part II: Ellsworth Toohey, Chapter VI. I have it as pages 280-282 in the book club edition.)
Kiki asks Dominique,"... what did you think of that new one, you know, I saw you talking to him, that Howard Roark?"
"I think," Dominique said firmly, "that he is the most revolting person I've ever met."
"Oh, now, really!"
"Do you care for that sort of unbridled arrogance? I don't know what one could say for him, unless that he's terribly good-looking, if that matters."
"Good looking? Are you being funny Dominique?"
[...]
Toohey, has been listening; and he sees what she does. She leaves. He stays with Kiki Holcombe, but is reflecting out loud to himself, hardly aware of the woman.
[...]
"Have you ever thought about the style of a soul, Kiki?"
"The... what?"
"The style of a soul. Do you remember the famous philosopher who spoke of the style of a civilization? He called it 'style.' He said it was the nearest word he could find for it. He said that every civilization has its one basic principle, one single, supreme, determining conception, and every endeavor of men within that civilization is true, unconsciously and irrevocably to that principle... I think, Kiki, that every human soul has a style of its own also...."
I misremembered it as the spirit of a civilization and thought that Rand meant Hegel who coined the term Zeitgeist (Spirit of the Times), but that was incorrect.
I googled down ten pages. I logged in to JSTOR and searched academic papers. I cannot find a reference to a philosopher who wrote of the "style of a civilization."
Does anyone here know whom Rand was citing?
Kiki asks Dominique,"... what did you think of that new one, you know, I saw you talking to him, that Howard Roark?"
"I think," Dominique said firmly, "that he is the most revolting person I've ever met."
"Oh, now, really!"
"Do you care for that sort of unbridled arrogance? I don't know what one could say for him, unless that he's terribly good-looking, if that matters."
"Good looking? Are you being funny Dominique?"
[...]
Toohey, has been listening; and he sees what she does. She leaves. He stays with Kiki Holcombe, but is reflecting out loud to himself, hardly aware of the woman.
[...]
"Have you ever thought about the style of a soul, Kiki?"
"The... what?"
"The style of a soul. Do you remember the famous philosopher who spoke of the style of a civilization? He called it 'style.' He said it was the nearest word he could find for it. He said that every civilization has its one basic principle, one single, supreme, determining conception, and every endeavor of men within that civilization is true, unconsciously and irrevocably to that principle... I think, Kiki, that every human soul has a style of its own also...."
I misremembered it as the spirit of a civilization and thought that Rand meant Hegel who coined the term Zeitgeist (Spirit of the Times), but that was incorrect.
I googled down ten pages. I logged in to JSTOR and searched academic papers. I cannot find a reference to a philosopher who wrote of the "style of a civilization."
Does anyone here know whom Rand was citing?
