PHIL 51489 The Philosophy of Elizabeth Anscombe
One of the most important English philosophers of her generation, G. E. M. Anscombe (1919-2001) was a colorful figure who drove her seven children around in a retired London taxi cab, wore a monocle, smoked cigars, and was fond of swearing in her famously mellifluous voice. She brought Ludwig Wittgenstein to public knowledge with her translations of his later works—crucially, Philosophical Investigations (1953). She almost single-handedly invented contemporary action theory with her 1957 monograph, Intention, and changed the course of 20th century Anglophone ethics with her seminal essay, "Modern Moral Philosophy" in 1958. She made important, controversial contributions to a wide variety of topics in philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and philosophy of language. In this seminar, we will read, talk, write, and think about Anscombe’s philosophical work.