This work investigates the nature of virtue and vice and their relationship to fundamental moral concepts like goodness and rightness. Thomas Hurka, a prominent philosopher, utilizes a perfectionist framework to argue that virtues are intrinsic goods defined by their alignment with other independent goods and evils. He systematically critiques competing ethical theories, specifically virtue ethics, to establish the superiority of his own moral taxonomy.

Experts in moral philosophy recognize this text as a rigorous contribution to the perfectionist tradition. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the precision of Hurka's logical arguments.