As “man is a being of self-made wealth,” wrote Ayn Rand, “so he is a being of self-made soul.” If this is true, if knowledge, virtue and character are primarily acquired through voluntary action over time, what does this imply for how children ought to be educated? This talk examines Maria Montessori’s views on the matter and explores the ways her pedagogy recognizes and respects the child’s process of self-creation.