Should philosophers practice what they preach? G.E.M. Anscombe

Should philosophers practice what they preach? It could be argued that if philosophy aims to give meaning to our personal lives and shape the values that guide our decisions, then philosophers should be the first to set an example of rationality and integrity.?

But then again, why should philosophers be judged differently to other professions? Who hasn’t wondered why medics don’t live healthier lives? As a boy, I remember doctors smoking in their surgeries; and what about lawyers who will go to any length to win a case, including breaking the law; while some architects live in very different homes to those they design for the rest of us. It seems there are many contradictions inherent to certain professions and even to some aspects of life, an ancient phenomenon captured in the Biblical proverb “Physician, heal thyself.”?

Furthermore, we should bear in mind that the professionalization of philosophy has converted it into an activity largely carried out within the confines of academia, with a clear dividing line between the private and professional spheres.??In recent years, this distinction has been further underscored, helped by the anonymity urban societies afford, as well as by management practices. Work is one thing; who we are as individuals is quite another, a dichotomy that might be the result of circumstance, motivation or contradictory principles: “My house is my kingdom” goes the refrain, delimiting the private area where we are free and do not have to account for our actions.?

Equally, this seeming contradiction among philosophers might be explained in terms of human frailty: we all aspire to excellence, but we also know that our own limitations, vices or lack of willpower often prevent us from attaining it.?

That said, there have been philosophers who embodied the ideals of integrity and consistency between their beliefs and their actions. The archetypal thinker prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for his beliefs is Socrates , who accepted a death sentence he considered unjust because he believed in the higher principle of obedience to legitimate authority. The Greek thinker spent his final hours surrounded by his disciples speculating about the immortality of the soul before dutifully downing his cup of hemlock.

Other philosophers have also exposed themselves to danger for refusing to compromise their ideas. Rousseau finally emigrated to Switzerland, while Descartes chose lengthy stays in Sweden to avoid the wrath of the Catholic Church. Plato , Hobbes and Machiavelli fled into exile. But all in all, philosophy has proved to be a less dangerous occupation than politics or even science, although sadly, there are still many countries around the world where thinkers are persecuted for their ideas.?

Gertrude Elizabeth Margaret Anscombe, who died in 2001 at the age of 81, provides us with an outstanding example of a modern philosopher whose commitment to her beliefs led her to speak out publicly against what she considered injustice. In 1956, she opposed Oxford University’s decision to award an honorary degree to Harry S. Truman , arguing that the US president was responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians after ordering atomic bombs be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the closing days of the World War II. Her opposition was not based on her politics, but was instead the conclusion of the philosophical analysis developed in her work: several of her essays explore the concepts of intentionality and causality with the aim of establishing when we are responsible for our actions, independently of their consequences.

Even more controversial was Anscombe’s staunch opposition to the use of birth control , particularly in Africa. Anscombe, who was better known by her initials, G.E.M., had converted to Catholicism in her youth, as had her husband, Peter Geach, a fellow academic, with whom she had seven children. Her opposition to the use of contraceptives reflected her commitment to Vatican doctrine, prompting much criticism from her colleagues, a number of whom successfully demonstrated the conceptual weakness of her arguments in this regard. She was also opposed to abortion rights, another example of what some of her colleagues diplomatically described as her ‘outspokenness’, an unusual quality among British academics at the time.

Anscombe had been a disciple of the great Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein at Cambridge in the 1930s and was later named by him as the executioner of his work: in 1953 she translated his?Philosophical Investigations . Wittgenstein’s influence shows through in Anscombe’s thinking, for example the importance he made of examining the use of ordinary language when constructing conceptual propositions. The combination of Wittgenstein’s influence and Anscombe’s Catholicism has also placed her among the analytical thomists, a philosophical movement that sought an exchange between the ideas of 13th?century theologian Thomas Aquinas and contemporary analytical philosophy. Like Wittgenstein, Anscombe was not trying to create an overarching philosophical theory, but instead sought to address specific questions.?

That said, she differed from Wittgenstein, who distrusted people who publicly defended moral choices.

Anscombe acquired an early reputation as a fine speaker after defeating C.S. Lewis , himself a conservative Anglican, at a historic debate held at the Oxford Socratic Club in 1948. Lewis’s subsequent decision to give up philosophy and focus on writing is often attributed to his run in with Anscombe. Mary Geach, Anscombe’s daughter, later explained the event in terms of the difference between a philosopher and a sage: “The way to show respect for a sage is to accept his teaching, but the way to respect the philosopher is to argue.”?

Anscombe was certainly possessed of a formidable capacity for concentration and would often give lectures without the use of notes, establishing a style more akin to thinking out loud. Michael Dummett , a colleague during her time at Oxford, summed up her rigor and discipline:??

“After?Philosophical Investigations?was published, she presided over a group to discuss it at her house. During that term, she had a baby, and I heard that the labour was extremely difficult. Assuming that the discussion group would be cancelled, I went round the next day with a bottle of wine for a celebration. I found Elizabeth in a dressing–gown and the discussion in full swing; she merely glanced at me, remarking that I was late.”?

Anscombe continued to write throughout her life, even after retiring from Cambridge University, where she spent the latter years of her career. She suffered from a heart condition as she grew older, but her death in 2001 was most likely brought on by injuries suffered in a car accident.?

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Note: An extended version of this article, along with references, was published in my book In an Ideal Business

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