The Virtue of SelfishnessIn this slim volume Ayn Rand lays out her philosophy in a nutshell. Altruism weakens society, and society is strengthened by rational self-interest. This collection of essays originally appeared The Objectivist Newsletter. In addition to influencing our political landscape, Rand has had an out-sized influence on the modern entrepreneur. Mark Cuban, Jimmy Wales, and John Mackey have all cited Rand as having a positive influence.
Why this is libertarian/conservative: Libertarianism has gone from the fringes to the mainstream in the last 50 years. We have a Senator named Rand and nobody flinches. Imagine the hoopla that would surround a candidate with the first name Marx, named out of respect to Karl Marx. These days people associate Ayn Rand with a select set of ideas that support the conservative/libertarian marriage. Few remember her as the radical atheist, pro-abortion, and Reagan-hating woman she was. Although there are a die-hard few that recognize all of those positions as consistent with her philosophy.
Buy the Kindle version: The Virtue of Selfishness
I chose this collection of essays because I think it serves as a good introductory text. If you're interested something more substantial check out Rand's Atlas Shrugged, thought by many to be one of the most important works of the 20th century.
Buy the Kindle version: Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Edition)
or the book:
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