Aristotle's influence spread throughout the Hellenistic and post-Hellenistic world. That influence was largely lost from Islamic civilization after several centuries, but by then Aristotelianism had, in the Catholic West, gained an unprecedented philosophical preeminence. This preeminence was largely lost in the Enlightenment, but Aristotelianism may be thought to have then become a reasonably distinct tradition in rivalry to others.

 

Aristotelianism contrasts with other Western philosophical traditions in one way, and in another way with non-Western intellectual traditions. Its form as a tradition is contentious, and therefore so too is its relation to other traditions. So, whilst some Aristotelians attempt to reconcile their position with that of Kant, others attempt to find allies in opposition to liberalism.