Ebook: The Highest Good in Aristotle and Kant

The notion of the highest good used to occupy a primary role in ethical theorizing, but has largely disappeared from the contemporary landscape. A prima facie surprising fact is that this notion was central to both Aristotle’s and Kant’s ethical theories. Given that their approaches to ethics are commonly conceived as being diametrically opposed, it would seem somewhat unexpected that both of these philosophers should agree in assigning a significant role to the highest good. This book provides a treatment of the notion of the highest good in Aristotle and Kant and show that, even though there are important differences in terms of content, there are important similarities in terms of the structural features of Aristotle’s and Kant’s value theories. By carefully analysing Aristotle’s and Kant’s theories of the highest good, the chapters in this book shed light on their respective ethical theories and highlight the richness, complexity, and fruitfulness of the notion of the highest good.