Nietzsche or Aristotle?: Reflections on Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue

cism, for if Maclntyre is right, this is precisely the genre required for understanding moral philosophy, and for appreciating the tradition of the virtues which he seeks to defend. Like the English novels he so admires, it is crammed full with "characters" (who sometimes make rapid entrances and exits) and intricate "sub-plots," but so much so, that it is easy to lose the thread of the main plot. Since Maclntyre's primary intention is to provide a rational vindication of "the moral tradition to which Aristotle's teaching about the virtues is central" (p. 238), it is essential to outline the main story line even at the risk of neglecting the extraordinary richness of detail as his narrative unfolds.