The Philosophy of AYN RAND

FOR THE NEW INTELLECTUAL
This book presents the essentials of Ayn Rand’s philosophy “for those who
wish to acquire an integrated view of existence.” In the title essay, she offers
an analysis of Western culture, discusses the causes of its progress, its
decline, its present bankruptcy, and points the road to an intellectual
renaissance.

Excerpt:“Man’s mind is his basic tool of survival. Life is given to him, survival is
not. His body is given to him, its sustenance is not. His mind is given to him,
its content is not. To remain alive, he must act, and before he can act he must
know the nature and purpose of his action. He cannot obtain his food
without a knowledge of food and of the way to obtain it. He cannot dig a
ditch—or build a cyclotron—without a knowledge of his aim and of the
means to achieve it. To remain alive, he must think.