In Section 1 we observed that living organisms are distinguished from other entities by the necessity to sustain their own existence (pp. 1.4:19-21). Only living beings are confronted with the basic alternatives: "to be or not to be." Because the mind is the tool whereby humans maintain and improve their lives (pp. 1.3:37-9, 1.4:25), Hamlet's choice presents itself to a human being in the form: "to think or not to think." Consequently, thinking is the most fundamental of the virtues, from which spring all of the others considered here: rationality, independence, integrity, honesty, justice, productiveness, and pride (). With regard to every issue and every decision, the egoist focuses his or her mind and strives to broaden awareness and understanding.

If the most fundamental virtue is thinking, then the most fundamental vice is the refusal to think. For instance, two centuries ago, most doctors believed that the proper treatment for most diseases was to bleed the patient by means of leeches. Later, this practice was discredited on the basis of new data. Although leeches have been reintroduced into medicine recently for treatment of certain special conditions, it is widely recognized that the practice is not a panacea as once believed.     

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