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I am often asked whether I am primarily a novelist or a philosopher. The answer is: both. In a certain sense, every novelist is a philosopher, because one cannot present a picture of human existence without a philosophical framework; . . . In order to define, explain and present my concept of man, I had to become a philosopher in the specific meaning of the term.

— Ayn Rand, “Preface,”
For the New Intellectual

Owner: ©Leonard Peikoff  |  Credit: Ayn Rand Archives
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Reality
Reason
Self-Interest
Capitalism

Reality

In contrast to the idea that reality is a plaything of gods or that it varies from person to person, Objectivism holds that facts are facts, independent of anyone’s wishes or beliefs. Things are what they are — and act accordingly. Reality — nature — is absolute: “You can’t eat your cake and have it, too.”

Reason

In contrast to the idea that you can’t know anything for sure or must be guided by faith or instinct, Objectivism holds that you can achieve certainty, but only if you use reason. Reason — sense-perception, concepts, logic — is your only means to knowledge and your only guide to successful action.

Self-Interest

In contrast to the idea that your life belongs to others (family, nation, God), whom you must obey and serve, Objectivism holds “that your life belongs to you and the good is to live it.” You deal with others not as master-servant but as fellow traders, trading value for value in matter and spirit.

Capitalism

In contrast to the idea that the state exists to promote the “public interest,” Objectivism holds that it exists to protect each individual’s rights. It should control neither ideas nor production: “a separation of state and economics, in the same way . . . as the separation of church and state.”

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