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The Nature of Government Published 1963 |
The Virtue of Selfishness |
Ayn Rand answers...
Man's rights can be violated only by the use of physical force. It is only by means of physical force that one man can deprive another of this life, or enslave him, or rob him, or prevent him from pursuing his own goals, or compel him to act against his own rational judgment.The precondition of a civilized society is the barring of physical force from social relationships - thus establishing the principle that if men wish to deal with one another, they may do so only by means of reason: by discussion, persuasion and voluntary, uncoerced agreement.
The necessary consequence of man's right to life is his right to self-defense. In a civilized society, force may be used only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use.
