This collection investigates the role and structural significance of the 'highest good' within the ethical frameworks of Aristotle and Kant, questioning why a concept once central to moral philosophy has largely vanished from contemporary discourse. Editors Joachim Aufderheide and Ralf M. Bader curate a series of essays from leading scholars who examine the intersection of Aristotelian and Kantian value theories. By comparing these two seemingly opposed ethical systems, the contributors demonstrate that both philosophers share underlying structural similarities regarding the highest good despite their divergent content. The text serves as a rigorous academic inquiry into the historical and theoretical evolution of moral teleology.

Experts in the field recognize this volume as a specialized contribution to the study of moral philosophy, particularly for those interested in the bridge between ancient and modern ethics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored for scholars and advanced students of philosophy.