Atlas Shrugged
What is Quentin Daniels' greatest desire?
part 2, chapter 2
part 2, chapter 2
It would seem that Daniel's desire was to study science for its own sake and not for the betterment of organizations with self-interest. He felt that the State Science Institute and "Governmental scientific inquiry" were a contradiction in terms. He wanted to study science free from monitory profit and power that others would gain from his work.