Objectivism is an integrated system of thought that defines the abstract principles by which a man must think and act if he is to live the life proper to man. She later expressed her philosophy in nonfiction form. Ayn Rand was once asked if she could present the essence of Objectivism while standing on one foot. Reason, the conceptual faculty, is the faculty that identifies and integrates the material provided by man's senses.
Reason is man's only means of acquiring knowledge.
Human Nature Man is a rational being. Reason, as man's only means of knowledge, is his basic means of survival. But the exercise of reason depends on each individual's choice. Man is a being of volitional consciousness. Men have the right to use force only in self-defense and only against those who initiate its use.