The Virtue of Selfishness. Ayn Rand's revolutionary concept of egoism. Essays on the morality of rational selfishness and the political and social implications of such a moral philosophy. Essays include: "The Objectivist Ethics," "Man's Rights," "The Nature of Government, "The 'Conflicts' of Men's Interests," and "Racism."

Ayn Rand's nonfiction writings extend over thousands of pages, in scores of essays, articles, periodicals and books. From the 1960s until her death, she elucidated the principles of Objectivism in such books as The Virtue of Selfishness and Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology. Applying Objectivism to current affairs, Miss Rand wrote on such varied topics as Marilyn Monroe, antitrust and the Apollo 11 mission.

Atlas Shrugged is Ayn Rand's masterpiece. It integrates the basic elements of an entire philosophy into a highly complex, yet dramatically compelling plot—set in a near-future U.S.A. whose economy is collapsing as a result of the mysterious disappearance of leading innovators and industrialists. The theme is: "the role of the mind in man's existence—and, as corollary, the demonstration of a new moral philosophy: the morality of rational self-interest."

The Fountainhead is the story of an innovator—architect Howard Roark—and his battle against the tradition-worshipping establishment. Its theme: "individualism versus collectivism, not in politics, but in man's soul; the psychological motivations and the basic premises that produce the character of an individualist or a collectivist." Ayn Rand presented here for the first time her projection of the ideal man. Roark's independence, self-esteem, and integrity have inspired millions of readers for more than half a century.

Anthem is a novelette depicting a world of the future, a society so collectivized that even the word "I" has vanished from the language. Anthem's theme is: the meaning and glory of man's ego.

We the Living, set in Soviet Russia, is Ayn Rand's first and most autobiographical novel. Its theme is: "the individual against the state, the supreme value of a human life and the evil of the totalitarian state that claims the right to sacrifice it."

The Ayn Rand Institute is the authoritative online source for information on the life and works of novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand.

Continue »