zoom_in Click to enlarge

Elizabeth Anscombe

▲ ▼

description Elizabeth Anscombe Overview

Elizabeth Anscombe was a prominent British analytic philosopher known for her rigorous approach to philosophical problems. Her influential book *Intention* challenged dominant understandings of action and introduced key concepts in virtue ethics. She is particularly relevant to scholars and students studying moral philosophy, action theory, and the history of ethical thought.

help Elizabeth Anscombe FAQ

Why is Elizabeth Anscombe's Intention important?

Intention, published in 1957, reshaped analytic philosophy of action by asking what it means to act intentionally. It influenced later work on practical reasoning, intention, and agency.

What did Anscombe argue in Modern Moral Philosophy?

In her 1958 essay Modern Moral Philosophy, Anscombe criticized modern moral theories for using obligation language without a coherent lawgiver framework. The essay also helped revive interest in virtue ethics and introduced the term consequentialism.

What was Anscombe's connection to Ludwig Wittgenstein?

Anscombe studied with Wittgenstein and became one of his literary executors. She translated his Philosophical Investigations into English, making her central to the reception of his later philosophy.

Why did Anscombe oppose Harry Truman's honorary degree at Oxford?

Anscombe publicly opposed Oxford giving Truman an honorary degree because of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Her protest reflected her Catholic moral commitments and her interest in intention, responsibility, and killing.