Comparative essay contrasting both Kant and Aristotle's views on the philosophy of societal virtue.

A Turn Inward Aristotelian philosophy, some two thousand three hundred years old, is perhaps one of the most influential philosophies in history. After being preserved by Arab scholars during the fall of Rome, the teachings of Aristotle were found by Christians during the dark ages. His works, including Nichomachean Ethics, were of great influence to many Christian philosophers during medieval times, but soon philosophies began to shift, marking the conception of the Enlightenment. Philosophy took …

…this thinking can be found in Kant's beliefs about a priori reason and the categorical imperative. By ignoring consequences within society, as well as the ends attained by each possible action Kant feels each individual can find true moral goodness through pure reason. This type of procedural logic is representative of the moral and ethical "turn inward" which exemplifies Kant's philosophy as well as the revolutionary shift thinking that became the basis of the Enlightenment.