LIFE Index

As always Ayn Rand goes to the nature of existence and seeks facts to solve any problem. All living organisms, she observes, face the issue of life versus death. Life is always conditional and unless an organism takes appropriate actions to survive, it will die.

Most plants survive by sinking down roots for water and nutrients and growing to the sun for the benefits of photosynthesis.

Simpler animals such as ants have rigid built-in behavior patterns that they follow to survive.

Higher animals such as cats or chimpanzees have more complex behavior patterns that they use to survive, and use more learned behavior. They cannot form concepts and are limited to the perceptual level of knowledge. That is why they have a reduced range of survival methods compared to man.