Every major horror of history was committed in the name of an altruistic motive. Has any act of selfishness ever equaled the carnage perpetrated by disciples of altruism?

In this remark, Rand advances a central Objectivist polemic: that moral systems demanding self-sacrifice (“altruism,” in her specialized sense) can be used to sanctify coercion and mass violence. By contrasting “altruistic motive” with “selfishness,” she challenges the common assumption that professed benevolence guarantees moral legitimacy. The rhetorical question implies that atrocities are more often enabled by collectivist ideals—duty, service, the “greater good”—than by straightforward personal gain. The point is not that compassion is evil, but that elevating self-sacrifice as a moral absolute can provide limitless justification for violating individuals, since any harm can be framed as necessary for others.