Why is only reason named as the human method of survival?

Thank you Greg for editing the longer question. The reason Aristotle, and Ayn Rand, list reason as mans principle means of survival is that all of the other specific methods are dependent upon reason in order to exist. Yes and alien would notice shelter and food gathering before he noticed that chimpanzees weren't reasoning however, if the alien was intelligent he would have to realize that both shelter and food gathering require a process of reasoning. A man has to know that he requires food for survival, has to know how to obtain food, and has to know how to prepare and eat it, before he can survive... all of these are processes of observation and conceptualization that make up reasoning. The list you refer to was most likely written by someone who refuses to recognize the fundamental importance reason plays in human existence... Man does not need to revisit "A foundation" man has only one foundation of knowledge, and he simply needs to understand it.

Man can't even survive by hunting and gathering except that he can organize tools and hunting parties and out-wit his prey. He is inferior on the standards of all other species. He can't out-climb and out-wait a cat, can't compete with Chimps' strength to gather bananas, can't digest grass, can't grab fish, etc. Failing utterly to live as an animal does, man can exercize his greater intellect and build the modern world. And it is THAT that makes his intellectuality his defining feature