Objectivist philosophy

Objectivism is the philosophy developed by Russian-born American philosopher and author Ayn Rand. In short, Objectivism holds that there is an independent reality, of which human beings are conscious of through their senses, in which reason is the only way of gathering knowledge and only the individual rational mind can process these data, in which the proper moral purpose of one's life is to pursue one's own rational self-interest, and in which the only moral social system is full laissez-faire capitalism with a government strictly limited to courts, police, and a military, because it is the only system where humans are barred from initiating the use of physical force upon each other (either within or outside the structure of said government).

Notes

• {{note|Rand}} Rand, Ayn. (1996) Atlas Shrugged. Signet Book; 35th Anniv edition. Appendix. ISBN 0451191145