Back to the Rough Ground is a philosophical investigation of practical
knowledge, with major import for professional practice and the ethical
life in modern society. Its purpose is to clarify the kind of knowledge
that informs good practice in a range of disciplines such as education,
psychotherapy, medicine, management, and law. Through reflection on key
modern thinkers who have revived cardinal insights of Aristotle, and a
sustained engagement with the Philosopher himself, it presents a radical
challenge to the scientistic assumptions that have dominated how these
professional domains have been conceived, practiced, and
institutionalized.