The moral justification of capitalism does not lie in the altruist claim that
it represents the best way to achieve “the common good.” It is true that
capitalism does—if that catch-phrase has any meaning—but this is merely a
secondary consequence. The moral justification of capitalism lies in the fact
that it is the only system consonant with man’s rational nature, that it
protects man’s survival qua man, and that its ruling principle is: justice.