The Virtue of Selfishness

Signet, 50th Anniversary Edition, 1964
Paperback, 173 pages
 
A collection of essays that sets forth the moral principles of Objectivism, the philosophy that holds man's life — the life proper to a rational being — as the standard of moral values and regards altruism as incompatible with man's nature, with the creative requirements of his survival, and with a free society.
More Than 1.3 Million Copies Sold!
 
Since their initial publication, Rand's fictional works — Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged — have had a major impact on the intellectual scene. The underlying theme of her famous novels is her philosophy, a new morality — the ethics of rational self-interest — that offers a robust challenge to altruist-collectivist thought. 

In this series of essays, Rand asks why man needs morality in the first place, and arrives at an answer that redefines a new code of ethics based on the virtue of selfishness.

With additional articles by Nathaniel Branden.