It is refreshing to see at least one commenter who really knows Ayn Rand's work, stand up and be counted. Thank you, "John Bales."

Rand advocated rational selfishness, individual rights, freedom, capitalism, productivity and trade, as well as integrity, independence, honesty, justice and self-esteem. Her views on the nature of virtue itself are important to understand why she rejects altruism as moral and rejects sacrifice completely. In her view, there is no justification for making sacrifices - for exchanging something one values more, for something one values less or not at all. The basic principle of "win/win transactions" is that both parties to a transaction view the result as of benefit. That is the meaning of "mutually beneficially." It does not mean that each party is identically enriched, but rather that each considers himself better off. The farmer with buckets of produce to sell is happier with the pocket of money to buy other things he needs; each purchaser is happier to have some fresh food instead of that money in his pocket. Both parties have come away from the transaction voluntarily entered into, happy with the outcome.

Man's basic means of knowledge is reason, not faith. Man's tool of survival is his mind, the rational faculty. We can no more think collectively than we can digest food collectively. That tool is one that does not function automatically. Each individual must choose to think, at every moment in every activity. Each of us must constantly be making decisions that may not seem like "life or death" alternatives, as in fact nowadays they rarely are. Thanks to centuries of trial and error, and learning from experience, much knowledge has been gained and passed down generation to generation, such that we don't have to keep discovering anew how to turn elements, plants and animals into food, shelter, clothing and all the things we now take for granted.

The choice to think and the need to act on one's thinking requires one thing: that we be free from coercion/threat or actual physical force used against us to prevent us from acting on our own judgment about what to do with our lives. Making those decisions is the essence of rational selfishness - thinking and planning and acting to achieve goals that support our lives and the lives of those we care about. Selfishness in this sense does not mean doing what the hell you want on a whim or for no reason; it means acting in one's own best interest. There is nothing to prevent each person from living selfishly by this meaning of selfishness. The more people who understand and live by the ideas of Ayn Rand, the happier, more productive and more wealthy they all become.

Ayn Rand did not view "the rich" as heroic and "the poor" as evil or rotten. Rather, she drew the line between "productive" and "non-productive." There are leaches and moochers in all strata of life. They are not only found in the poorest communities but also the middle class and the richest. Being productive, trading with others and not expecting or demanding the unearned: that is the sort of person who earns moral credit in her view, regardless of the extent to which they achieved monetary success.

I read some of Atlas S, terrible, she was no writer. It probably seems intelectual to Americans!

Down to last 2 weeks to election to crown the Grand Poobah of the World. Lefty/Dems are throwing everything they can to see what might stick.. No plan, no ideas, no success. This last debate may be classic, on foreign policy, in which Barry's global policy is burning up & he will be called on the carpet. Don't miss this one. All evidence points to R2's surging success. Wouldn't want to be street level in Syria or Libya for the next 14 days if wag-the-dog happens. UNBAMA!

Rand's "selfishness" is no different than a flight attendant's instruction to affix your own oxygen mask first, before helping others. Altruism teaches that helping yourself first is "immoral." But how does a dead man (or impoverished or unhappy man) help anyone, even as small a group as himself, much less his own family?

Beware of those who tell you not to read for yourself and seek to form your opinions for you - they seek to rule you.

This writer fails to note that Ayn Rand did not agree with the commonplace ideas of "selfishness" and "altruism." This is an important omission. And since her views on the subject are widely available, I doubt that it an innocent omission.

Rand belived in selfishness in an Aristotelian sense of "self-interest properly understood." To Rand, selfishness consisted in hewing to the virtues of rationality, productiveness, pride, independence, integrity, honesty and justice. She believed that men should pursue their values by production and trade, and that no one should seek to obtain values from others by initiating the use of force. She was a strong advocate of the rights of individuals. Rand defined altruism as did Compte as placing the interests of others above your own--feeding your neighbor's child before feeding your own child, for example. In common usage selfishness means pursuing ones values by hook or crook with no concern for the rights of others. Rand considered such behaviour immoral and not in ones self-interest. She believed that one is properly concerned with ones own values, including the well-being of friends and family. Her philosophy, Objectivism is a benevolent philosphy. If one does not get that message from this article, then one has been misled by it.