Though Aristotle had praised pride as the crown of the virtues, Ayn Rand's identification of pride as "moral ambitiousness" marked a major breakthrough in understanding this virtue. These lectures explore her insight in order to unlock a more vivid conception of what pride entails. What exactly does moral ambitiousness refer to? What does pride demand of us? And what does pride deliver––what is its specific value to human life? Since the proud person seeks his own moral perfection, Dr.Smith examines what such perfection consists of, the dangers of dismissing this ideal, and the usual reasons given for rejecting it. 

(Portions of these lectures are based on a presentation to the Toronto Objectivist Association and a previously published paper.)