"Objectivism does not deny that 'many factors' are involved in historical causation. Economic, psychological, military, and other forces play a role. Ayn Rand does not, however, regard all these forces as primaries.
"There is no dichotomy between philosophy and the specialized factors. Philosophy is not the only cause of the course of the centuries. It is the ultimate cause, the cause of all the other causes. If there is to be an explanation of so vast a sum as human history, which involves all men in all fields, only the science dealing with the widest abstractions can provide it. The reason is that only the widest abstractions can integrate all those fields.
"The books of philosophers are the beginning. Step by step, the books turn into motives, passions, statues, politicians, and headlines.
"Philosophy determines essentials, not details...."
Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
Dr. Peikoff