To say 'I love you' one must first be able to say the 'I.'
Ayn RandRead
The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man's rights, which means: to protect him from physical violence. A proper government is only a policeman, acting as an agent of man's self-defense, and, as such, may only resort to force only against those who start the use of force.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes that the primary role of government is to ensure the protection of individual rights from violence.
Ayn Rand asserts that the fundamental purpose of government is to safeguard the rights of individuals, specifically from acts of physical violence. She argues that a government’s function should be limited to that of a protector, intervening only when there is a breach of individual rights by others, thereby maintaining peace and security without overstepping its bounds into personal freedoms.
Themes
GovernmentRightsProtectionViolenceFreedom
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of government in society.
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It is my eyes which see, and the sight of my eyes grants beauty to the earth. It is my ears which hear, and the hearing of my ears gives its song to the world. It is my mind which thinks, and the judgement of my mind is the only searchlight that can find the truth. It is my will which chooses, and the choice of my will is the only edict I must respect.
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What is the basic, the essential, the crucial principle that differentiates freedom from slavery? It is the principle of voluntary action versus physical coercion or compulsion.
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One method of destroying a concept is by diluting its meaning. Observe that by ascribing rights to the unborn, i.e., the nonliving, the anti-abortionists obliterate the rights of the living.
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I think that when in doubt about the truth of an issue, it's safer and in better taste to select the least numerous of the adversaries.
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