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. Smith has lectured all across the United States including
Harvard University,
Wheeling Jesuit University,
Duke University,
University of Pittsburgh, and
New York University, and to groups of businessmen. She has also organized conferences, often ones emphasizing objective law. She is on the board of ''
The Philosopher's Index'' and is on the Academic Advisory Council of The Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism at
Clemson University. Smith is a member of the Ayn Rand Society, which exists within the
American Philosophical Association. She is also on the board of directors of the
Ayn Rand Institute. ==Selected publications==