The next virtue in Rand's ethics, integrity, also enjoys esteem in conventional morality. While people may differ over exactly what constitutes a breach of integrity, to impugn a person's integrity is widely seen as among the most grave sorts of censure possible. The reason why Rand considers integrity important, however, is not the reason usually given. Integrity is proper neither inherently nor because of its value to others. Rather, Rand recognizes integrity as an instrument of rational egoism. Maintaining one's integrity is essential to achieving objective values and flourishing. To see this, we shall again proceed to consider what integrity is, why it is a virtue, and the specific demands that it places on us.

WHAT INTEGRITY IS

Rand describes integrity as “loyalty to one's convictions and values; it is the policy of acting in accordance with one's values, of expressing, upholding and translating them into practical reality.” This virtue reflects rationality's demand that one must “never sacrifice one's convictions to the opinions or wishes of others.” In Peikoff's words, integrity, in essence, is “loyalty to rational principles.” It “is the policy of practicing what one preaches regardless of emotional or social pressure. It is the policy of not allowing any consideration whatever to overwhelm the conclusions of one's mind, neither one's own feelings nor those of others.” This portrait is consonant with prevalent images of integrity.