What is Ayn Rand's theory of rational self-interest?
Rational self-interest, or egoism, is the ethical principle that one's own life and happiness are one's highest moral purpose. It is not about whim-worship or a disregard for others, but about the rational pursuit of one's own values. This requires independent thinking, productive work, and the refusal to sacrifice oneself to others or to demand that others sacrifice themselves to you. It is the only morality that recognizes the individual as an end in himself.