Aristotle legitimated oppression but Alasdair MacIntyre justifies resistance, arguing for ethical excellence and against social elitism. With MacIntyre, Aristotelianism becomes revolutionary. Aristotle remains the most influential philosopher of practice, and this book first explores the theoretical bases of what he said about ethical, political and productive activity. It traces ideas of action through St. Paul, Aquinas, Luther, Kant, Hegel, Heidegger and others, and then examines MacIntyre's contribution. MacIntyre's case for the Thomistic Aristotelian tradition developed out of his attempt to devise a Marxist ethics informed by analytic philosophy. He analyzes social practices in ethical and teleological terms, opposing them to managerial institutions and arguing for the cooperative defence of our moral agency. In presenting these ideas, Knight advances a theoretical argument for the reformation of Aristotelianism and an ethical argument for social change.