The Movement That Began on a Dining Room Table

Abstract

Abstract It is well known that Nathaniel Branden was instrumental in launching the Objectivist movement. But less well known is how unlikely that achievement was. This article throws a spotlight on what this one man—almost single-handedly—accomplished. The author argues that an Objectivist movement was hardly inevitable. Ayn Rand's lifelong focus had always been fiction and she had little interest in creating, or even allowing, a movement built around her ideas. Branden overcame her objections, proved that a movement based on her philosophy would succeed, and laid the groundwork for the efforts that continue today.