Атлант расправил плечи
“This is John Galt speaking”
"Manhasnoautomaticcodeofsurvival.Hisparticulardistinctionfromallotherlivingspeciesisthenecessitytoactinthefaceofalternativesbymeansofvolitionalchoice.Hehasnoautomaticknowledgeofwhatisgoodforhimorevil,whatvalueshislifedependson,whatcourseofactionitrequires.Areyouprattlingaboutaninstinctofselfpreservation?Aninstinctofself-preservationispreciselywhatmandoesnotpossess.An‘instinct’isanunerringandautomaticformofknowledge.Adesireisnotaninstinct.Adesiretolivedoesnotgiveyoutheknowledgerequiredforliving.Andevenman’sdesiretoliveisnotautomatic:yoursecreteviltodayisthat(hatisthedesireyoudonothold.Yourfearofdeathisnotaloveforlifeandwillnotgiveyoutheknowledgeneededtokeepit.Manmustobtainhisknowledgeandchoosehisactionsbyaprocessofthinking,whichnaturewillnotforcehimtoperform.Manhasthepowertoactashisowndestroyer—andthatisthewayhehasactedthroughmostofhishistory.
"Alivingentitythatregardeditsmeansofsurvivalasevil,wouldnotsurvive.Aplantthatstruggledtomangleitsroots,abirdthatfoughttobreakitswingswouldnotremainforlongintheexistencetheyaffronted.Butthehistoryofmanhasbeenastruggletodenyandtodestroyhismind.
"Manhasbeencalledarationalbeing,butrationalityisamatterofchoice—andthealternativehisnatureoffershimis:rationalbeingorsuicidalanimal.
