Walker For Medicine and Society: Approaches to Moral Reflection Aristotle: 384-322 BCE A student of Plato for 20 years in the Academy and teacher of Alexander the Great, Aristotle was a key founding figure of Westen philosophy with influences on modern logic, science, theology and ethics, Known especially for his logical system (Aristotelian logic), his works related to biological and physical science (and causation), his metaphysical works, and his ethical system in the Nicomachean Ethies* and other works. Aristotle also wrote extensively on many other subjects including politics, art, and psychology (or the ‘sou!’). Aristotle's ethical system is a prime example of virtue ethics, but another important type of virtue ethics is stoicism, Stoicism and Aristotelian virtue ethics differ primarily in so far as stoics did not see any necessary connection between achieving virtue and human happiness. While Aristotle agrees that one needs a bit of luck to attain human happiness, he also sees this as, in one sense, the goal of virtue. Immanuel Kant: 1724-1804 Kant was a highly influential German philosopher whose work is critical to areas of modern philosophy such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics. Kant is particularly well known for his three critiques: Critique of Pure Reason, Critique cof Practical Reason, and Critique of Judgment. In the first critique he deals with the structure of reason and what we can know. In the second critique, he lays out his more complete view of ethics (for which the Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals* lays the foundation). The third critique deals with the foundations of aesthetics. Itis common to think of Kant’s ethics as the prime example of deontological (or duty- based) cthies, however, other systems of moral thought such as Divine Command Theory (and related particular systems of rules such as the Ten Commandments) are also deontological. John Stuart Mil 1806-1873 Mill was a British philosopher influenced early on by the works of Jeremy Bentham, & key carly figure in utilitarianism, Mill was also influenced in his more mature philosophical views by Harriet Taylor as seen in particular on his work on the ‘Subjugation of Women. While his two best known philosophical works are On Liberty, which deals with social and political philosophy, and Uiilitarianism* he also wrote on economics, and religionFrom the outset utilitarianism has been a reform oriented moral philosophy. It provides not simply a theoretical view of morality, but a foundation for social and political change in favor of conditions that improve human welfare. Utilitarianism is commonly appealed to as the prime example of a consequentialist moral theory, however other conseqentialist moral theories inelude perfectionism according to which the goal of morality is to strive to attain human perfection of character in a well-lived life. Aspects of virtue ethies are perfectionist as is Nietzsche’ s moral philosophy.