ARISTOTLE'S Ethics are not focused on a group of moral principles; they are developed from the affirmation of an end which subordinates all human activities. This end is sought for itself and is called "the good and the best".

The Aristotelian discussion of this theme has focused the attention of researchers and commentators on the question of practical reason. The main problem has been to determine if the end is fixed by moral virtue alone while practical reason is concerned only with the deliberation on the "means" that contribute to the end, or if practical wisdom plays a role as well in the determination of the end.

The Aristotelian discussion of this theme has focused the attention of researchers and commentators on the question of practical reason. The main problem has been to determine if the end is fixed by moral virtue alone while practical reason is concerned only with the deliberation on the "means" that contribute to the end, or if practical wisdom plays a role as well in the determination of the end.

The author is well known for his Études d'Estétique Médiévale in three volumes which are an indispensable guide to the several orientations in medieval aesthetics. One year later de Bruyne published this work, a manageable, brief version of the first one. As the author himself indicates in the "Introduction," the general conclusions of the Etudes are presented in an accessible way. Quotations have been reduced and most references refer to the longer work. Unfortunately, this makes the book completely dependent on (...) the Etudes. For that reason this book offers an interesting introduction not to the specialist or to the researcher but to the reader who wants to enjoy the spirit that inspired medieval aesthetics. (shrink)