Tara Smith

Dr. Tara A. Smith is a professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). She is also holder of the BB&T Chair for the Study of Objectivism and holder of the Anthem Foundation Fellowship for the Study of Objectivism at UT. Tara specializes in moral and political theory. Her published works include the books Viable Values: A Study of Life as the Root and Reward of Morality (2000), Moral Rights and Political Freedom (1995), and Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist (2006). She is also a contributing author to several essay collections about Ayn Rand’s novels. Tara has written in journals such as the Journal of Philosophy, American Philosophical Quarterly, Social Philosophy and Policy, and Law and Philosophy. She has organized conferences and lectured all across the United States including Harvard University, Wheeling Jesuit University, Duke University, University of Pittsburgh, and New York University.