Tara Smith (philosopher) explained

Tara A. Smith
Nationality:	American
School Tradition:	Objectivism
Institutions:	Ayn Rand Institute
Main Interests:	Metaethics, ethical naturalism, virtue ethics, ethical egoism, rational egoism, value theory, political philosophy, natural rights, philosophy of law, constitutional law, objectivity, intrinsicism
Notable Ideas:	objective value, virtuous egoism, objective law

Tara A. Smith (born 1961) is an American philosopher. She is a professor of philosophy, the BB&T Chair for the Study of Objectivism,^[1] and the Anthem Foundation Fellow for the Study of Objectivism^[2] at the University of Texas at Austin.

Career

Smith specializes in moral and political theory. She did her undergraduate work at the University of Virginia and received her doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. 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. Smith has written in journals such as The Journal of Philosophy, American Philosophical Quarterly, Social Philosophy and Policy, and Law and Philosophy.^[3]

Smith has lectured all across the United States including Harvard University,^[4] Wheeling Jesuit University,^[5] Duke University,^[6] University of Pittsburgh,^[7] and New York University,^[8] and to groups of businessmen.^[9] She has also organized conferences, often ones emphasizing objective law.^{[10] [11]}

She is on the board of The Philosopher's Index^[12] and is on the Academic Advisory Council of The Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism at Clemson University.^[13] Smith is a member of the Ayn Rand Society,^[14] which exists within the American Philosophical Association. She is also on the board of directors of the Ayn Rand Institute.^[15]

Selected publications

Books

• Book: Moral Rights and Political Freedom . Lanham, Maryland . . 1997 . 0-8476-8026-6.
• Book: Viable Values: A Study of Life as the Root and Reward of Morality . Lanham, Maryland . Rowman & Littlefield . 2000 . 0-8476-9760-6.
• Book: Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist . New York . . 2006 . 0-521-86050-4.
• Book: Judicial Review in an Objective Legal System . New York . . 2015 . 978-1-107-11449-4.
• Book: Egoism Without Permission: The Moral Psychology of Ayn Rand's Ethics . Pittsburgh, PA . . 2024 . 978-0-822-94819-3.
• Book: The First Amendment: Essays on the Imperative of Intellectual Freedom . Ayn Rand Institute Press . 2024 . 979-8-986-27034-0.

Articles

• On Deriving Rights to Goods from Rights to Freedom . Law and Philosophy . September 1992 . 11 . 3 . 217–234 . 10.1007/BF01000643. Smith . Tara . 145539972 .
• Why a Teleological Defense of Rights Needn't Yield Welfare Rights . Journal of Social Philosophy . December 1992 . 23 . 3 . 35–50 . 10.1111/j.1467-9833.1992.tb00131.x. Smith . Tara .
• Rights Conflicts: The Undoing of Rights . Journal of Social Philosophy . September 1995 . 26 . 2 . 139–156 . 10.1111/j.1467-9833.1995.tb00078.x. Smith . Tara .
• Tolerance & Forgiveness: Virtues or Vices? . Journal of Applied Philosophy . April 1997 . 14 . 1 . 31–41 . 10.1111/1468-5930.00037. Smith . Tara .
• Reconsidering Zero-Sum Value: It's How You Play the Game . Journal of Social Philosophy . September 1997 . 28 . 2 . 128–139 . 10.1111/j.1467-9833.1997.tb00381.x. Smith . Tara .
• Rights, Wrongs, and Aristotelian Egoism: Illuminating the Rights/Care Dichotomy . Journal of Social Philosophy . September 1998 . 29 . 2 . 5–14 . 10.1111/j.1467-9833.1998.tb00104.x. Smith . Tara .
• Intrinsic Value: Look-Say Ethics . The Journal of Value Inquiry . December 1998 . 32 . 4 . 539–553 . 10.1023/A:1004333128077. Smith . Tara . 169146184 .
• The Practice of Pride . Social Philosophy and Policy . December 1998 . 15 . 1 . 71–90 . 10.1017/S0265052500003071. Smith . Tara . 145136219 .
• The Metaphysical Case for Honesty . The Journal of Value Inquiry . December 2003 . 37 . 4 . 517–531 . 10.1023/B:INQU.0000019033.95049.1e. Smith . Tara . 145321925 .
• "'Social' Objectivity and the Objectivity of Value" in Book: Science, Values, and Objectivity . Machamer . Peter K. . Wolters . Gereon . Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . University of Pittsburgh Press . 2004 . 0-8229-4237-2 . amp.
• Morality Without the Wink: A Defense of Moral Perfection . Journal of Philosophical Research . 2004 . 29 . 315–331 . 10.5840/jpr_2004_6.
• "Forbidding Life to Those Still Living" in Book: Essays on Ayn Rand's We the Living . Mayhew . Robert . Lanham, Maryland . Lexington Books . 2004 . 0-7391-0697-X.
• "Independence in The Fountainhead" in Book: Essays on Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead . Mayhew . Robert . Lanham, Maryland . Lexington Books . 2006 . 0-7391-1577-4.
• Why Originalism Won't Die – Common Mistakes in Competing Theories of Judicial Interpretation . Duke Journal of Constitutional Law & Public Policy . 2007 . 2 . 159–215.
• The Importance of the Subject in Objective Morality: Distinguishing Objective from Intrinsic Value . Social Philosophy and Policy . 2008 . 25 . 126–148 . 10.1017/S0265052508080059. Smith . Tara . 145275159 .
• "'Humanity's Darkest Evil': The Lethal Destructiveness of Non-Objective Law" in Book: Essays on Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged . Mayhew . Robert . Lanham, Maryland . Lexington Books . 2009 . 978-0-7391-2779-7.

See also

• American philosophy
• List of American philosophers

External links

• Faculty page at University of Texas at Austin Department of Philosophy
• Academic review of Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist
• The Objective Standard's review of Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist
• Carrie-Ann Biondi, Review of "Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist" Reason Papers 30 (2008)
• Page at the Ayn Rand Institute which lists her books and some articles
• Archive of Tara Smith's articles at the Capitalism Magazine website

Notes and References

1. Web site: BB&T Donates $2 Million for Ayn Rand Research at The University of Texas at Austin | The University of Texas at Austin . Utexas.edu . 2008-12-07 . 2009-04-04.
2. Web site: Anthem Foundation Renews Gift for Ayn Rand Research on 50th Anniversary of "Atlas Shrugged" | The University of Texas at Austin . Utexas.edu . 2009-04-04.
3. Web site: Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics . Cambridge University Press . April 4, 2009.
4. Web site: The Harvard Objectivist Club . Hcs.harvard.edu . April 4, 2009.
5. Web site: News Story – Wheeling Jesuit University . Wju.edu . February 19, 2008 . April 4, 2009.
6. Web site: VEM News & Events . Vem.duke.edu . April 4, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090215083939/http://www.vem.duke.edu/news.htm . February 15, 2009 .
7. Web site: Talks & Conferences Archive- Department of History and Philosophy of Science . Pitt.edu . April 4, 2009.
8. Web site: TARA SMITH at NYU – Feb. 6th – "Unborrowed Vision" – THE FORUM for Ayn Rand Fans . Forums.4aynrandfans.com . April 4, 2009.
9. Web site: The Ayn Rand Institute: Tara Smith . Aynrand.org . April 4, 2009.
10. Web site: Concepts and Objectivity: Knowledge, Science, and Values . University of Pittsburgh . https://web.archive.org/web/20221012031738/https://sites.pitt.edu/~hpsdept/news/news/ConceptsObjConf2006.pdf . October 12, 2022 . live.
11. Web site: Objectivity in the Law . University of Texas . February 3, 2008 . April 4, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080512050039/http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/philosophy/content/news/COIL.pdf . May 12, 2008 .
12. Web site: Department of Philosophy . Utexas.edu . March 8, 2005 . April 4, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090104001758/http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/philosophy/faculty/profiles/Smith/Tara/ . January 4, 2009.
13. Web site: The Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism . Business.clemson.edu . 2009-03-02 . April 4, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090329074502/http://business.clemson.edu/BBTCENTER/cci/index.htm . 2009-03-29 .
14. Web site: The Ayn Rand Society . Ayn Rand Society . April 4, 2009.
15. Web site: July 29, 2005 . The Ayn Rand Institute . Aynrand.org . April 4, 2009.