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LibertarianismImage:Nbranden.jpg|left|frame|Nathan
iel Branden

Nathaniel Branden is a Canada|Canadian
psychotherapy|psychotherapist and author of
self-help books and multiple articles on ethical
and political philosophy. In addition to his work
on the psychology of self-esteem, Branden has also
played a prominent role in developing and
promoting Ayn Rand's philosophic system, which is
known as Objectivist philosophy|Objectivism.

Branden was born in 1930 with the name Nathan
Blumenthal in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. He
received a BA in psychology from the University of
California Los Angeles. He received a Doctor of
Philosophy|Ph.D. in psychology from California
Coast University.

In 1950, after having exchanged letters and phone
calls, Branden met novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand.
The pair went on to develop a eighteen-year
personal and professional relationship.
Eventually, Rand and the much younger Branden had
a romantic affair, despite both being married
(they first sought the consent of their spouses).

For many years Branden was considered to be the
leading figure in the Objectivist movement, second
only to Rand herself. He was the leader of a group
of Rand's closest associates known as the "Ayn
Rand Collective|Collective", which also included
his wife Barbara Branden. Rand considered him to
be her soul mate and designated him her
"intellectual heir". In the late 50's Branden
founded the Nathaniel Branden Institute to promote
Objectivism through guest lectures and educational
seminars around the United States. The NBI became
enormously successful, and soon expanded to
offices all over the US and around the world. 

In 1968, the close relationship between Rand and
Branden came to an abrupt end when Rand discovered
that Branden was having a sexual relationship with
a third woman, actress Patrecia Scott. Rand then
expelled Branden from the Objectivist movement. 
In a public announcement, she did not mention the
relationship as such, but cited his alleged misuse
of funds among other factors in the decision.
Branden subsequently admitted to behaving
"irrationally"
http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/bio/biofaq.html#Q4.4
though in his memoirs he would later admit that he
considered Rand's move a hysterical over-reaction.
The two never reconciled, and Branden remained a
persona non grata in the Objectivist movement.
Shortly thereafter Branden moved from New York to
California and married Patrecia Scott (a divorce
with Barbara having occurred before his break with
Ayn). Scott died in a freak accident in 1977, and
Branden married a third time in 1978, wedding
businesswoman Devers Israel.

===Post Objectivist Career===

In 1989 Branden published his account of this time
in his life.  The memoir was entitled Judgment
Day. Then in 1999, Branden re-published a revised
edition, entitled My Years with Ayn Rand.
Branden's account provides an inside view of Ayn
Rand as a person, the development of Objectivism,
its inner circle, and the tumultuous relationships
between Ayn Rand and her associates.  

Branden has since rejected many elements of the
Objectivist philosophy, and his memoirs argue the
ideology, though well-meaning, was so strict in
its logic it ultimately led to a cold, emotionless
existence for himself and others. He likewise
argued the obsession with Rand herself led to an
unhealthy cult of personality within the movement,
damaging the common-sense of both Rand and other
Objectivists. 

Branden has nevertheless retained most of his
strict capitalist politicial views, though some of
these have evolved since the split with Rand: for
example, unlike Rand, he says he "will leave the
door open for emergency situations that I just
can’t imagine being resolved in a market|free
market context like natural disasters and
epidemics. If they could be, then they should be.
But the fact of emergencies should not be made as
justification for violating individual rights, so
as you can see, it’s a very tiny difference." 
In addition to changing his views on Objectivism,
he now views Objectivists differently: 
"Philosophical principles are no substitute for
thinking, yet many Objectivists act as if they
were."http://www.nathanielbranden.com/ess/int02.ht
ml

Nathaniel Branden continues to write and practice
psychotherapy in Los Angeles, California|Los
Angeles, California, as well as present seminars
and workshops on self-esteem.  He is affiliated
with the United States Libertarian Party, though
he was unenthusiastic about it in the 2004
election.http://www.nathanielbranden.com/ess/int02
.html  Most "orthodox" Objectivists like those at
the Ayn Rand Institute oppose libertarianism
outright (see libertarianism and Objectivism for
more information).

==Books==
* Who Is Ayn Rand? (with Barbara Branden) (1962)
* The Virtue of Selfishness (with Ayn Rand) (1964)
* Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal (with Ayn Rand,
Alan Greenspan, and Robert Hessen) (1966)
* The Psychology of Self-Esteem (1969) 
* Breaking Free (1970)
* The Disowned Self (1971)
* The Psychology of Romantic Love (1980)
* The Romantic Love Question & Answer Book (1982)
* Honoring the Self (1983)
* How To Raise Your Self Esteem (1987)
* Judgement Day (1989)
* The Art of Self Discovery (1993)
* The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem (1994)
* Taking Responsibility (1996)
* The Art of Living Consciously (1997)
* My Years with Ayn Rand (1999)
* 32nd Anniversary Edition of Psychology of
Self-Esteem (2001)

Nathaniel Branden's 20 books have been translated
into 18 languages, with more than 4 million copies
in print.

== External links ==
Wikiquote
* http://www.nathanielbranden.com
NathanielBranden.com
* http://www.eqi.org/branden.htm Notes from
Branden's books and tapes
* http://www.theatlasphere.com/ The Atlasphere -
Social networking site for fans of Ayn Rand and
Nathaniel Branden's philosophical teachings