This lecture establishes the central principle that in a capitalist society, private ownership of the means of production serves the material self-interest of everyone, irrespective of whether or not he himself owns means of production. It also shows, as a corollary, how the institution of inheritance serves the material self-interest of everyone, irrespective of whether or not he himself is an heir. Dr. Reisman then applies these principles to the subject of taxation and shows why everyone should oppose taxes on corporations, on inheritances, and on the "rich" in general even more than taxes on the income of the average wage earner. The lecture is based on material originally presented in 1983 at the first TJS summer conference.