This work investigates the complex relationship between Aristotle's two primary ethical treatises, the Eudemian Ethics and the Nicomachean Ethics, to determine their chronological and philosophical development. Sir Anthony Kenny, a distinguished scholar of ancient philosophy, utilizes a rigorous methodology involving stylistic analysis, historical context, and philosophical inquiry. He argues that the Eudemian Ethics represents a mature stage of Aristotelian thought, challenging the long-held academic consensus that prioritized the Nicomachean Ethics as the definitive text.

Experts recognize this volume as a significant contribution to the field of Aristotelian studies that forced a re-evaluation of the relationship between the two ethical texts. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the specialized nature of the philological arguments presented.