Initiation of Force

The philosophy of Objectivism holds that the initiation of force is an evil against which the government should protect its citizens. Here, "force" is defined as that which inhibits the proper functioning of a human mind as perpetrated by another human. For example, acquiring a brain tumor is not considered an initiation of force, while a person striking another with a club is so considered (provided that there was no prior application of force). The initiation of force is evil precisely because it prevents a person from using his mind to further his life on earth, and it is the proper role of government to protect its citizens from such evil.

It is critically important not to confuse the initiation of force with self-defense. While both employ force, the former is evil while the latter is good. Self-defense is good because it helps to eliminate the mind-arresting property of the initiation of force, thus making self-defense beneficial to human life.