Nathaniel Branden,R.I.P.

Nathaniel Branden died today. He was for many years the leading follower of Ayn Rand and  lectured widely on her philosophy of Objectivism. He and Rand split in 1968, and after that his main work was in the psychology of self-esteem. He was by all accounts a dynamic and effective lecturer. For a brief time, Murray Rothbard and his followers in the Circle Bastiat met with Rand and her group, and through these meetings Rothbard came to know Branden. They soon clashed: Rand’s group wanted Rothbard’s wife JoAnn to listen to Branden’s taped lectures on arguments about the existence of God. Branden in these lectures defended atheism. JoAnn refused to do so, thinking that she had little to learn from him on this subject. Rothbard naturally supported his wife; and after further clashes on a few other issues, the Circle Bastiat and Rand’s group went their separate ways.