"JUNE 17, 1962 - At a sales conference at Random House, preceding the publication of Atlas Shrugged, one of the book salesmen asked me whether I could present the essence of my philosophy while standing on one foot. I did, as follows: 1. Metaphysics: Objective Reality 2. Epistemology: Reason 3. Ethics: Self-interest 4. Politics: Capitalism If you want this translated into simple language, it would read: 1. Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed; or wishing won't make it so. 2. You can't eat your cake and have it, too. 3. Man is an end in himself. 4. Give me liberty or give me death." -Ayn Rand, Introducing Objectivism The Philosophy of Objectivism: A Brief Summary