'No one’s rights can be secured by the violation of the rights of others.'.'An individualist…says: 'I will not run anyone’s life-nor let anyone run mine.'Since the only proper function of a government is to protect man’s rights, it cannot claim title to his life in exchange for that protection.'.But…“collective rights” is a contradiction in terms.' 'Since only an individual man can possess rights…'individual rights' is a redundancy.'America’s abundance was created not by public sacrifices to 'the common good,' but by the productive genius of free men.'.'If some men are entitled by right to the products of the work of others, it means that those others are deprived of rights.'.'Any alleged 'right' of one man, which necessitates the violation of the rights of another, is not and cannot be a right.'.'Man holds…rights, not from the Collective nor for the Collective, but against the Collective…man’s protection against all other men.'.'The collective cannot decide what is to be the purpose of a man’s existence nor prescribe his choice of happiness.'.Without property rights, no other rights are possible.' 'The right to life is the source of all rights-and the right to property is their only implementation.'The right to property…is not a guarantee that a man will earn any property, but only a guarantee that he will own it if he earns it.'.'The right to property…does not mean that others must provide him with property.'.'Rights impose no obligations on except of a negative kind: to abstain from violating his rights.'.'A 'right'…means freedom from physical compulsion, coercion or interference by other men.'.'Under a proper social system…a private individual may do anything except that which is legally forbidden a government official may do nothing except that which is legally permitted…This is the American concept of 'a government of laws and not of men.'”.'When the framers of the American republic spoke of “the people”…they meant a sum of individuals, each of whom…retains his inviolate guarantee of individual rights.'.'A proper government is only a policeman, acting as an agent of man’s self-defense, and, as such, may resort to force only against those who start the use of force…government that initiates the employment of force against men who had forced no one…reverses its only moral purpose.'.'The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man’s rights.'.'No man or group may initiate the use of physical force against others.'.'The moral justification of capitalism is man’s right to exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself.'.'The recognition of individual rights entails the banishment of physical force from human relationships.'.'Individual rights are the means of subordinating society to moral law.'.

As we mark the anniversary of Rand’s February 2 birth, consider some of her most insightful words:

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