In 1956 Oxford University awarded an honorary degree to the former US president Harry S. Truman for his role in ending the Second World War. One philosopher, Elizabeth Anscombe (1919 – 2001), objected strongly. She argued that although dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki may have ended the fighting, it amounted to the murder of tens of thousands of innocent civilians. It was therefore an irredeemably immoral act. And there was something fundamentally wrong with a moral philosophy that didn’t see that. This was the starting point for a body of work that changed the terms in which philosophers discussed moral and ethical questions in the second half of the twentieth century. A leading student of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, Anscombe combined his insights with rejuvenated interpretations of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas that made these ancient figures speak to modern issues and concerns. Anscombe was also instrumental in making action, and the question of what it means to intend to do something, a leading area of philosophical work. With Rachael Wiseman, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool Constantine Sandis, Visiting Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hertfordshire, and Director of Lex Academic Roger Teichmann, Lecturer in Philosophy at St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford Producer: Luke Mulhall
BBC sounds music Radio podcasts thanks for.
Downloading this episode of in our time.
There's a reading list to go with it on our website, and you can get news about our programs if you follow us on Twitter bbcinourtime.
I hope you enjoyed the program.
Hello.
In 1956, Oxford University awarded an honorary degree to the former us president, Harry S.
Truman for his role in ending the Second World War.
One philosopher, Elizabeth Anscombe, objected strongly.
She argued that although dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki may have ended the fighting, it amounted to the murder of tens of thousands of innocent civilians.
It was therefore an irredeemable, immoral act.
And there was something fundamentally wrong with the moral philosophy that didn't see that this was the starting point for a body work that changed the terms in which philosophers discussed moral and ethical questions.
In the second half of the 20th century, Anscombe was also instrumental in making action and the question of what it means to intend to do something.
A leading area of philosophical work with me to discuss Elizabeth Anscombe, Rachel Wiseman, senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Liverpool, Constantine Sandys, visiting professor of philosophy at the University of Hertfordshire and director of Lex Academic, and Roger Teichman, lecturer in philosophy at St Hilda's College, University of Oxford.
Roger, can you tell us about Anscombe's early life, family background and education?
Yes, sure.
So Anscombe was Elizabeth Anscombe, or Gertrude Elizabeth Margaret Anscombe in full.
Her father was Alan Wells Anscombe.
He was a soldier.
Her mother, Gertrude Elizabeth Nate Thomas, was a teacher.
Elizabeth was born in 1919 in Limerick in Ireland, because her father was posted there.