Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand (1905–1982) was a Russian-born American novelist and philosopher who developed Objectivism and wrote The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

Objectivism: Ayn Rand’s philosophical system, centered on reason, individual rights, and laissez-faire capitalism. The philosophy she developed and presented through fiction and nonfiction.
Saint Petersburg: A major Russian city, called Petrograd during part of the early twentieth century. Rand was born and raised there before emigrating to the United States.
Frank O'Connor: An American actor who was Ayn Rand’s husband from 1929 until his death in 1979. He supported her writing career while maintaining a largely private life.
Collectivism: A political or social outlook that gives priority to a group over individuals. Rand treated collectivism as the central political antagonist of individual rights.
Objectivist movement: The intellectual movement organized around Ayn Rand’s philosophy and its interpretation. It carried her ideas beyond her books through institutions, publications, and lectures.
The Fountainhead: A 1943 novel by Ayn Rand about architect Howard Roark and his conflict with convention. Its success established Rand as a novelist and dramatizes her ideal of individual integrity.
Bolshevik Revolution: The October 1917 seizure of power in Russia by Vladimir Lenin’s Bolshevik party. The new regime nationalized Rand’s family’s pharmacy and disrupted her education.
Nathaniel Branden: A Canadian-American psychologist and writer who helped promote Objectivism and later broke with Rand. His role in the Objectivist movement and personal rupture with Rand marked a major episode in her circle.
Altruism: Concern for others’ welfare, expressed through actions intended to benefit them. Rand rejected self-sacrifice as a moral duty and criticized altruism in that sense.
Ayn Rand Institute: A nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to promote Ayn Rand’s ideas and works. The institute became a prominent organization for teaching and advocating Objectivism.

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