Ayn Rand challenges the prevalent philosophical doctrines of our time and the "guilt", panic and despair they created. She was the proponent of a new moral philosophy - an ethic of rational self-interest - that stands in sharp opposition to the ethics of altruism and self-sacrifice. The fundamentals of this new morality are set forth in this book. The author also wrote "The Virtue of Selfishness", "Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal" and "Night of 16th January".