Modern intellectuals reject man's capacity for heroism. In their novels, plays, and films they portray an endless line-up of dreary anti-heroes; in real life, they seek to discredit every actual hero, past and present. What principles give rise to such an antipathy toward heroes––and why is this antagonism a necessary consequence of modem philosophy? Ayn Rand, by contrast, proclaims heroism as the_essence of the human potential. What are the principles underlying her view––and why is hero-worship necessary, given the basics of Objectivism? These are the intriguing questions this course answers.