Philosophy at Cambridge Newsletter of the Faculty of Issue 10 May 2013

ISSN 2046-9632

From the Chair Tim Crane

is to be able to fully fund all our graduate students, MPhil and PhD. The campaign has been initiated by some very generous donations from our alumni, and a brochure, Thinking Through the 21st Century: The Next Generation of Cambridge has been produced by the University’s Development Office. For a copy of this brochure, please contact the Development Office: www.campaign.cam.ac.uk. For other inquiries about this campaign, please feel free to contact me directly. The second exciting recent development—and our major news for this year—is that we have appointed Richard Holton and Rae Langton from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to professorships in the Faculty, starting in September this year. They are both world- leading philosophers who have made substantial contributions to a number of Professors Rae Langton and Richard Holton to join the Faculty different areas of the subject. Richard works especially on the Welcome to the tenth Faculty of Philosophy the researchers of the future, they are the philosophy of mind and its connections Newsletter. Charles de Gaulle is supposed researchers of the present. with psychology and moral philosophy, to have said that if you want things to But it has become increasingly difficult including decision-making, making stay the same, you have to perpetually in recent years for graduate students up your mind, weakness of the will renew them; and in the Faculty of in philosophy to fund their education. and temptation, among other things. Philosophy we have been trying to follow Despite the exceptionally generous His work draws on empirical work in his advice. The Faculty is known for its support of some of our alumni, as well psychology, and he is currently pursuing excellence in research, and for its rigorous as from the Colleges and the University, an inter-disciplinary project on the undergraduate degree programme. But in many of our graduate students struggle nature of addiction. order to maintain these things, we need to support themselves during their period Like Richard, Rae works in a number to be thinking constantly about how we of study. Here in the UK, we compare of different areas of the subject—ethics, might develop and improve. Two recent unfavourably with the top US institutions, feminist philosophy, metaphysics and the developments stand out. where graduate students are normally history of philosophy—and like him too, First, this newsletter marks the official fully-funded for the whole of their PhD. she has made significant contributions opening of a major fundraising campaign With the likelihood that the UK’s Arts and to them all. She is also well known for to support graduate students. Every Humanities Research Council will stop her work on questions about the ethics leading philosophy department depends funding MPhil students in the coming years, of pornography and objectification. She upon the quality of its graduate students, the situation looks as if it will get worse. has recently been made a member of and we have been fortunate in Cambridge It is for this reason that we are launching the American Academy of Arts and in having many superb students who a campaign to develop a fund for the Sciences, and will give the prestigious John have gone on to teach philosophy all over support of graduate students in philosophy Locke Lectures in Oxford in 2015. We are the world. Graduate students are not just at Cambridge. Our ambitious ultimate aim delighted that they are joining the Faculty.

Philosophy at Cambridge page 1 May 2013 People Meet our new appointments

Paulina Sliwa works He has also recently been a visiting scholar make correct decisions. His thesis provided mostly on ethics and at the University of Texas Austin, and a an account of how political agents search epistemology, and is visiting fellow at Harvard. for and extract information from the particularly interested in environment, and how this is then pooled questions where those into the social choice. He is currently two intersect. Recently, Luca Incurvati works extending this research and developing she has been thinking on the philosophy of an epistemic account of deliberative about moral knowledge, particularly its role , logic and democracy—the conditions under which in praise, blame, and morally good action. language, with occasional discussion and debate increases the She’s also interested in how our various forays into metaphysics. accuracy of decisions. cognitive imperfections—our proclivity to He has an undergraduate biases and computational limitations—bear degree and a masters from on how we should form and revise our Rome “La Sapienza”, and an MPhil and a PhD Brian Pitts is a post- beliefs. Paulina comes to Cambridge from from Cambridge. Before his appointment doctoral researcher who MIT in the other Cambridge, where she as a temporary lecturer in the Faculty, he works mostly on the wrote a dissertation on moral testimony. was a Junior Research Fellow at Magdalene philosophy of science, Prior to that she was an undergraduate College. His work has appeared in journals both the philosophy of at Balliol College, Oxford, where she read such as Analysis, Erkenntnis, Journal of physics (especially space Physics and Philosophy. She is excited to Philosophical Logic, Philosophical Studies and and time) and general join the vibrant research and teaching Review of Symbolic Logic. He has ongoing philosophy of science. He studied at Notre community at Cambridge! projects on conceptions of set, naturalism Dame (Philosophy/HPS) and the University in the philosophy of mathematics and the of Texas at Austin (Physics). He is interested notion of rejection. in the idea of progress and achieving Angela Breitenbach’s reflective equilibrium between ostensible research focuses on scientific examples and normative the history of modern Nicholas Vrousalis, methodology. In particular, in what can philosophy, specifically previously at KU Leuven be said in bringing together Bayesian and the philosophy of Kant, (Belgium), has joined the (more or less) reliabilist epistemologies. as well as questions in Faculty as a temporary philosophy of science, lecturer. He read philosophy of biology, and aesthetics. Economics at Trinity Hall, John Maier was Among other things, she is currently Cambridge. After some appointed as a post- working on a problem at the intersection graduate work in Economics, he went doctoral researcher of these interests, concerning a Kantian to Oxford to do a doctorate in Political working on pragmatism. conception of the role of beauty in science. Philosophy with G.A. Cohen. His research He works primarily She has an undergraduate degree and is concerned with distributive ethics, in metaphysics, the MPhil from the theories of exploitation, Marxism, and the philosophy of action, and a doctorate from the Humboldt- conceptual space at the intersection of and the philosophy of language. He has University of Berlin. After three years as a Analytical Marxism and Critical Theory. He previously held positions at the University Junior Research Fellow at Sidney Sussex is presently planning two Faculty-based of Sydney, the Australian National College, Cambridge, and three further workshops, one on domination and one on University, and the University of Colorado, years as a Lecturer at the University of East hate speech. and received his PhD. from Princeton Anglia, she is now very happy to return in 2008. He has recently completed a to the Cambridge Philosophy Faculty. monograph on agency and modality. Chris Thompson has joined the Faculty as Tim Button’s first book, a temporary lecturer. The Limits of Realism (OUP), He recently completed will be released in 2013. his PhD in philosophy It explores how sceptical at LSE. Prior to that, he Missed one of our events? angst (“am I just a brain worked as a civil service in a vat?”) has influenced policy advisor in the UK and New Zealand You can listen debates about what there civil services. His research interests lie and download is in the world, and about how we are able in political philosophy, epistemology, recordings of to talk and think about it. From 2010 to and their intersection in the philosophy Philosophy talks 2012, Tim was a research fellow at St John’s of public policy. His focus is on ‘social from Cambridge College, Cambridge, and he has remained epistemic mechanisms’, that is institutions University iTunesU there since his appointment as a lecturer. and procedures that allow democracies to www.cam.ac.uk/video-and-audio

Philosophy at Cambridge page 2 May 2013 Jane Heal retires after 26 years Departures Two long-serving members of support staff recently retired. We bid farewell to Mrs Margrit Edwards in December 2012 after 25 years with the University, 16 of these as Principal Secretary in the Faculty.

Mrs Lesley Lancaster retired in April 2013 from her role as Graduate Secretary after 22 years. They have both played an invaluable role in the smooth running of the Faculty. Staff and friends attended their retirement parties, to celebrate their contribution and to wish them well.

Dr Fraser MacBride left to take up a Chair at the University of Glasgow in Jane Heal at her retirement garden party, St John’s January 2013.

Professor Jane Heal retired from the situation and then allowing Dr Serena Olsaretti was appointed as Faculty at the end of 2012 after 26 years. our thoughts and emotions to run Research Professor at UPF (Barcelona). Daughter of a notable pair of Oxford forwards in a kind of imaginative philosophers, William and Martha Kneale, experiment. The competing idea, that Student Prizes she first arrived in Cambridge in 1964 as we learn to operate a kind of theory Katharine Jenkins (Emmanuel) was an undergraduate at New Hall to read that links humans’ physical behaviour awarded the Matthew Buncombe prize history, changing to Philosophy (then and external conditions to their mental for best overall achievement in the MPhil. ‘Moral Sciences’) after two years. Jane states was, she argued, at most a far The Craig Taylor prize for best performance then stayed on to do a PhD, working on less important factor in our attempts to in the Tripos went to Hugo Havranek problems in the philosophy of language. understand others. (Peterhouse) for Part IB and Bastian Stern After two years post-doctoral study Jane has written extensively on the (Trinity) for Part II. in the USA, she held a lectureship at philosophy of mind and language and Newcastle University, before returning to published two books, Fact and Meaning Routledge Lecture in Philosophy Cambridge in 1986. Jane was awarded (Blackwell 1989) and Mind, Reason and Professor Susan Wolf (Chapel Hill, North her personal professorship in 1999—the Imagination (CUP 2003). During her Carolina) gave the 7th Routledge Lecture same year that she became the first ever long career at Cambridge she made in Philosophy on 21 February 2013. Her female president of St John’s College. a major contribution to the Faculty, talk entitled ‘Responsibility, Moral and In 1997 she was elected a Fellow of serving on several committees and Otherwise’ examined the nature of the British Academy—still one of only being Chair of the Faculty Board. She responsible agency. A typescript is available a handful of women in philosophy to was instrumental in the success of from the faculty website. We are grateful to receive this honour. Decisive here, no the Faculty’s fundraising appeal, and Routledge for their continuing support. doubt, was her pioneering work in played a large part in the design of the what came to be known as ‘Simulation Faculty’s new premises. In retirement, Theory’. Jane developed the thought Jane continues to supervise graduate that our understanding of other people students and to pursue her research Future Events is achieved by, so far as we are able, in the philosophy of mind. She will placing ourselves inwardly in their also spend more time in her garden. Alumni Festival 2013 28 September 2013 Professor Michael Potter will give a talk entitled ‘Wittgenstein on Awards, Honours and Promotions Human Rights Commission in October Religion’. Further details are available Professor Huw Price has been elected to 2012 for a period of 3 years. from: www.alumni.cam.ac.uk. a Fellowship of the British Academy. Dr Angela Breitenbach has been awarded ‘Logic and Assertion: How are Alex Oliver was promoted to a a 2 year Leverhulme Trust Research they related?’ Professorship. He was also awarded a Fellowship from May 2013. Dr Adam Michael Potter will give his major research grant from NWO in the Caulton was awarded a British Academy inaugural lecture as Professor of Netherlands for a project on trust in Postdoctoral Fellowship to work on Logic. Details to be announced. banking with Professor Boudewijn de philosophy of physics. Dr Brian Pitts has Bruin (Groningen). a 2-year Templeton grant for 2014–16. Information about other Graduate student Rob Trueman was forthcoming events is available Emeritus Professor, Onora O’Neill was awarded the Analysis Trust Studentship for from the Faculty website. appointed as Chair of the Equality and 2012–13, here in the Faculty.

Philosophy at Cambridge page 3 May 2013 “Erroneously supposed to do no harm” Huw Price discusses a theme in his inaugural lecture

Bertrand Russell’s celebrated lecture ‘On the Notion of Cause’ was first delivered on 4 November 1912, as his Presidential Address to the Aristotelian Society. It gave Russell a place beside Hume as one of the great causal sceptics, and twentieth century philosophy one of its most famous lines: “The law of causality”, Russell declares, “Like much that passes muster among philosophers, is a relic of a bygone age, surviving, like the monarchy, only because it is erroneously supposed to do no harm”. On 1 November 2012, taking advantage of a happy accident of timing, I used my inaugural lecture as Professor to mark the centenary of ‘On the Notion of Cause’, and to ask what its conclusions look like with the benefits of a century’s hindsight. As I explained, the story has many Cambridge connections. Indeed, much of what Russell set out to achieve was given proper if sadly sketchy foundations in one of Frank Ramsey’s late papers from 1929, just four months before his untimely death. (It has taken the rest of us most of a century to catch up). Preparing my lecture, I wondered what Russell had had in mind in the other part of his famous line. Just what, in his The Queen and Prince Philip on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. view, was the harm that the monarchy Photo: Carfax from Wikimedia Commons is erroneously thought not to do? I assumed this would be an easy curiosity of sterner stuff—that the old battle lines particular would have had reason to have to satisfy—somewhere, the prolific Russell of the Russell’s remained unchanged. in mind—it resonates in several ways with would have written about the monarchy But this doesn’t tell us what Russell aspects of his own life. In all senses, then, it at greater length. But I searched in vain. thought the harm in question actually was, is an excellent fit. Eventually I wrote to Nicholas Griffin at that point in the nation’s history—when, The point in question is so simple that it of the Russell Archives at McMaster. He thanks in part to Russell’s own ancestors, is apt to seem banal. In selecting children told me that there was nothing to find, it had long been a “crowned republic”, on a hereditary basis for public office, not even in Russell’s correspondence, as Tennyson put it (a fact reaffirmed in we deny them a freedom we take for so far as he knew it. But he suggested a the recent crisis). So, as my centenary granted for our own children, to decide context for Russell’s remark. In 1910 Britain footnote to Russell’s great paper, I offered for themselves what they want to make of had concluded a constitutional crisis, my own proposal. In my view, there is a their lives. To see the issue in perspective, bought on by the Liberal government’s significant harm associated with modern imagine such a system being proposed in determination to remove the veto power constitutional monarchies (of which some contemporary democracy, starting of the House of Lords. A crucial step there are nine or ten in all, most of them from scratch. In future, various public was the King’s indication that he would in Western Europe)—a consequence offices would be filled by selecting infants support the Government, if necessary, remarkable for the fact that although in who would be brought up to fill the roles by creating sufficient new Liberal peers plain sight, it goes unmentioned, and in question. A knock at the door might to ensure passage of the Bill through the apparently almost unnoticed. It is indeed signal that your child had been chosen to Lords (Russell would have been one of “a relic of a bygone age”, as Russell puts it, be a future Archbishop of Canterbury, say. those new peers, in that counterfactual whose cost is hidden from us by the sheer The main objection would not be that it world). Professor Griffin suggested that familiarity of the system of which it is a was undemocratic, but that it was absurdly in the light of the King’s support, some consequence—by the fact that a traditional unfair to the individuals concerned. on the Liberal side were saying that the picture holds us in its grip, as Wittgenstein The fact that we do find this system monarchy wasn’t so bad after all; and might have put it. Moreover, while I don’t acceptable in practice, for one particular that Russell may have been taking the suggest that this is what Russell actually public office, turns mainly on its sheer opportunity to indicate that he was made had in mind, it is something that he in familiarity—that’s just how things are

Philosophy at Cambridge page 4 May 2013 done. Perhaps also, as Russell thinks in the This may seem an exaggeration. Couldn’t case of causation, we are in the grip of an heir simply abdicate, if she didn’t want bad metaphysics: we think of royalty as a to rule? Well, yes, but certainly not simply! It natural kind, and hence imagine that it is would be a difficult, public and personally a natural matter that royal children should costly process. She would be disappointing be brought up to play these roles—that’s a nation’s expectations, impressed on her the kind of beings they are, as it were. The throughout a childhood in which she had picture holds us captive, and central to it is been taught that this is her duty, her place the fantasy that what these families enjoy in life (there’s the small matter of putting is a matter of entitlement and privilege, not a sibling in the hot seat, too). Why should constraint and obligation. her freedom require her to scale such a It is easy to see how we got to this point, formidable fence, when our children come from the distant past this picture actually and go as they please? depicts: on the one hand, a great erosion This was my proposal concerning the of opportunity on the side of royalty, as— monarchy’s hidden harm, and it is easy thanks in part to Russell’s ancestors in the to see why I took it to be Russellian in British case—its powers were curtailed; on spirit. Russell felt the constraints of his the other, an even greater expansion of own childhood very deeply, and was opportunity on the side of ordinary people, greatly relieved to escape them when especially children, as we came to accept he came of age. Later, when he himself that young people should make their life became a father, he was an advocate choices for themselves. The combination of allowing children as much freedom Bertrand Russell in 1910. Photo courtesy of means that the heirs to modern democratic as possible. Famously, too, he was an Trinity College, Cambridge monarchies are now marooned on little opponent of conscription. He also had a islands of under-privilege, impoverished not talent for calling our attention to those only compared to their own ancestors, but uncomfortable truths that hide themselves A podcast and typescript of Huw also, more importantly, compared to the in plain sight. I think he would have felt Price’s inaugural lecture are available standards that now exist in the community it entirely appropriate to call attention to from the Faculty website. at large. this one.

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Philosophy at Cambridge page 5 May 2013 The Wittgenstein-Skinner Archive Arthur Gibson on Wittgenstein’s rediscovered archive

In early October 1941 German bombers attacked Oakington RAF base. Victims were rushed to hospital in Cambridge. The only slightly later admission of a polio patient was unnoticed, by-passed, being left untreated for very many hours in a corridor. This is how Wittgenstein’s closest friend Francis Skinner came to die at the age of 29. Within the week of Skinner’s funeral, in a state of trauma, Ludwig attempted to resign his Philosophy Chair; arranged to leave Cambridge for Guy’s Hospital working to fulfil his, now memorial, plan with Francis; attended Francis’ funeral; reclaimed from Skinner’s family the Wittgenstein- Wittgenstein’s dedication to Skinner; with thanks to William Truscott Skinner Archive, and posted them to Skinner’s school friend, Reuben Goodstein. himself in Wittgenstein’s identity via occasional hints of superior overlap. There Eventually Goodstein gave the Archive composition. One way that Wittgenstein are grounds for supposing that it is what to the Mathematical Association. It was acknowledged this was to dedicate Skinner Wittgenstein wished to write instead of, or a much-appreciated invitation from the as his custodian and editor of some of his to replace the “Yellow Book”. Association (and full acknowledgement other large volumes, long before Rhees, to it in references here), with the support Anscombe, and others. 3. “Communication of Personal Experience” of Trinity College, for me to research and (at 12,000 words, this comprises the prepare this unpublished Archive for hitherto unknown extension after the book publication. The Archive’s Contents ending of the published version of Detailed research on the Archive yields Brown Book), in fair copy form, with the following context. Wittgenstein’s The Archive is written in Skinner’s hand, finely nuanced revision of details in relationship with Skinner was redolent of with revisions by him and also periodically Wittgenstein’s hand, and with cross- his intense friendship with David Hume by Wittgenstein. Not infrequently this referencing to the printed Brown Book. Pinsent. Dying in World War I, 1918—some process involved complex interplay months short of his 29th year, the Tractatus between their complementary re-drafting 4. Lectures on Philosophy (This manuscript was dedicated to Pinsent. Probably this of phrasing in both their handwriting, is 20,352 words long, replete with lecture is mirrored in Wittgenstein’s gift of it to which lays bare some of Wittgenstein’s dates, the first of which is stated to be Francis (shown on the right). thought processes. This feature amounts “Wedn. Jan 17th” [1934]). It is a series of In different generations both Pinsent to striking new data of how Wittgenstein carefully crafted notes with continuous and Skinner lived in the same Trinity creatively worked. The Archive consists of arguments and strategies that do not College Court as Wittgenstein, studying the following nine manuscripts: correspond to any published narrative. mathematics; each went with Ludwig to Norway, and both wrote under his 1. The original Brown Book itself, 5. “Visual Image in his Brain” (comprised influence, with Pinsent substantially with hitherto unknown new sentences of 3,600 words, it was probably a private helping Wittgenstein to draft his only in Wittgenstein’s handwriting on its dictation to Skinner). Refined remarks in book review in English (I thank and opening pages. (It also displays a lecture note form. acknowledge the Hon. Mrs Anne Keynes significant number of German paragraphs and Prof. Simon Keynes for access to or sentences in Wittgenstein’s hand, 6. Lectures on Self-Evidence and Logic these unpublished Pinsent manuscripts). on facing pages to the English text. (20,544 words). Almost detailed lecture A descendant of David Hume, emulating These are often varying translations, or notes, with evidence of revision prior to its yet disputing with Wittgenstein, Pinsent sometimes extend the notion there final form. It comprises one term’s lectures, began composing a philosophical work expressed in English.) with evidence that the manuscript towards the end of his time with him. If has been crafted and re-shaped in this composition bears any relation to 2. A Pink Book, entitled Book I and Book the direction of becoming a unified Wittgenstein’s own —and II (composed of 14,200 words as well as manuscript. Although it returns to the it would be a distant one—it would many visual illustrations). It appears to be a matter of self-evidence in the Tractatus and find its referent in the late 1930s. So it fair copy, with revisions and the occasional is concerned to challenge Russell’s views is not surprising that Russell found it paragraph added by Wittgenstein. It is very on logic and pure mathematics, yet it is not disagreeable, as Pinsent noted. Francis different from the “Yellow Book” fragments a repeat of earlier views. Rather, it newly Skinner more completely submerged that Alice Ambrose published, with only develops denial of self-evidence.

Philosophy at Cambridge page 6 May 2013 7. Norwegian Notebook (4,400 words). Draft form. This was perhaps dictated to Skinner on his visit to Wittgenstein in Norway, while completed in Cambridge.

8. A Mathematical Investigation. This manuscript is entirely constituted of precise unusual forms of calculations. Since it does not obviously have Wittgenstein’s hand expressed in it, there is a problem of ascription. Nevertheless, given that it is a component in an Archive that Wittgenstein himself gathered as an expression of his and Skinner’s joint work, we should at least allow space for it to be aired. It comprises 12,353 mathematical symbols—without any narrative. It explores matters involving Fermat’s Little Theorem. Its deviation from the usual routes of calculation explicitly complements how Wittgenstein’s own philosophy exposes unexpected possibilities within the use of ‘rules’.

9. An incomplete cyclostyled copy of the Blue Book. It is the only typescript in the Archive. Significantly, it ends prematurely, roughly at the same point as a later Skinner Thouless’ copy of the Blue Book displays Skinner’s revision “to speak about philosophy”, with handwritten copy. Wittgenstein’s own handwriting also on the same page; with thanks to Trinity College, Cambridge

This last on the list is the least significant the uses of advanced mathematics and its Pure Mathematics and Mathematical member of the Archive, though it signals problems as analogies for the problems of Statistics, Cambridge University. He has a route to a research pathway. The Trinity mapping usage in natural languages and just finished preparing the Wittgenstein- College archivist, Jonathan Smith, who in philosophy. Skinner archive manuscripts for his deals with its Wittgenstein Collections, forthcoming book publication “Ludwig has written a pioneering (forthcoming) Professor Arthur Gibson (Jesus College Wittgenstein Dictating Philosophy: to chapter on the Blue Book (“Wittgenstein’s 1970–73) is based in the Department of Francis Skinner”. Blue Book: Reading Between the Lines” in N. Venturinha, The Textual Genesis of Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations. Routledge, 2013), analysing another newly discovered typed copy of the Blue Book Philosophers in the News given by Wittgenstein to Robert Thouless, recently acquired by Trinity College. This Cambridge Project for The Leveson Inquiry is highly annotated by Wittgenstein, and Existential Risk it has revisions in Skinner’s handwriting. Onora O’Neill was one of seven For example, Skinner’s hand presents a A new project to establish a Centre philosophers giving evidence at the revision “to speak about philosophy”, with for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) Leveson Inquiry into press ethics. In Wittgenstein also including other changes at the University of Cambridge has her written statement, she called for (see image). Throughout the Archive there attracted widespread media coverage the current Press Complaints Code is a complex role for such interaction recently. The project was co-founded to be re-written claiming it was “not between Wittgenstein and Skinner, no by the Bertrand Russell Professor merely ineffective but defective” and doubt under the former’s direction. Huw Price, Jaan Tallinn (one of the said that journalists and editors should My analysis of the Archive displays founders of Skype) and the eminent fully disclose their financial, commercial similar handwriting interaction between British astrophysicist, Lord Martin Rees. and property interests to demonstrate Wittgenstein and Skinner, but of a more CSER will support research to identify their capacity to be independent substantial sort. By such means and and mitigate catastrophic risk from when reporting. The written and oral others, the Archive displays great insights developments in human technology, evidence by philosophers is available into Wittgenstein’s thought processes including artificial intelligence. Further at: http://bit.ly/lev2012 portrayed by the manuscripts. Not a few of information and news is available from these thought process are concerned, in http://cser.org. original ways not published before, with

Philosophy at Cambridge page 7 May 2013 Elizabeth Anscombe Emily Thomas on one of the Cambridge greats

Elizabeth Anscombe (1919–2001) was effect—such as destroying one of the most significant philosophers a munitions factory—but of the twentieth century, known not realises that this will entail just for her academic work, but also the double effect of killing for her attachment to trousers, cigars innocents. Anscombe is and monocles. She spent most of her arguing that the actions of professional career at Cambridge, and the strategist are morally held the Chair of Philosophy in the Faculty worse in the first scenario, from 1970 until her retirement in 1986. and further that Truman is Anscombe made significant contributions akin to the first strategist: he to ethics, philosophy of mind and intended to kill the innocent. metaphysics; she also acted as literary Whether or not Anscombe executor and translator for the work of her is correct about Truman’s close friend Wittgenstein. motivations, her views on Wittgenstein is reported to have the matter are very much in disliked academic women in general, line with her more general but Anscombe was the exception, and in philosophical principles. recognition of her position in his affections It is worth noting that, he called her ‘old man’. Anscombe has also despite her efforts, Truman been dubbed ‘Dragon Lady’ and—as we was awarded the degree, will see—in the course of her career she although Anscombe did certainly did not shy away from controversy. succeed in pushing the An example of how her philosophical motion to a vote. And her views led her into controversy is her pamphlet is now a classic of development of a Catholic principle moral philosophy. known as the ‘doctrine of double effect’. Anscombe’s work has Anscombe’s views on this doctrine are been extremely influential. drawn from her famous and influential Her work on intention in monograph Intention (1957) but she G.E.M. Anscombe. Photo: B.J. Harris particular, is regarded as a developed them in several further pieces, landmark in philosophy of mind: just last including “War and Murder” (1961). The published), entitled Mr. Truman’s Degree year a new collection of essays appeared on doctrine draws a distinction between the (1956), Anscombe writes: it, and a number of influential philosophers intended outcomes of an action, and the including Michael Thompson (University unintended but foreseen ones. It holds that In the bombing of these cities [Hiroshima of Pittsburgh) explicitly see themselves as this distinction can be morally relevant, and Nagasaki] it was certainly decided to following her. Anscombe is a systematic, such that it is morally worse to intend harm kill the innocent as a means to an end. And original and brilliant thinker, and there is rather than to foresee it. Consider a doctor a very large number of them, all at once, no doubt that her work will continue to be administering morphine to a terminally without warning, without the interstices of discussed for a long time to come. ill patient, an act which will shorten the escape or the chance to take shelter... patient’s life. The doctor may be intending Choosing to kill the innocent as a means Emily Thomas (Christ’s College) is a PhD the patient’s death, or the doctor may be to your ends is always murder... I intend student in the Faculty. intending to deliver pain relief with the my formulation to be taken strictly; each foreseen, but unintended ‘double effect’ of term is necessary. For killing the innocent, the patient’s death. One might argue that, even if you know as a matter of statistical Your comments and contributions in the former scenario, the doctor is morally certainty that the things you do involve are always welcome. Please send culpable, whilst in the second scenario the it, is not necessarily murder. I mean that if them to the Editor at: doctor is not. Anscombe certainly took this you attack a lot of military targets, such as view, and she applied the doctrine to a munitions factories and naval dockyards, as Mrs Jenni Lecky-Thompson number of contemporary issues. carefully as you can, you will be certain to Faculty of Philosophy Consider, for example, Anscombe’s view kill a number of innocent people; but that is Sidgwick Avenue of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and not murder. Cambridge, CB3 9DA Nagasaki at the end of the Second World email: [email protected] War. When it was proposed that Oxford We can read this passage in light of the should give President Harry Truman an doctrine of double effect. Anscombe The Faculty gratefully acknowledges support honorary degree, Anscombe opposed the is distinguishing between the military for the newsletter from Polity Press. move because of his role in the bombing. strategist who intends to kill the innocent, In a privately circulated pamphlet (later and the strategist who intends some other

Philosophy at Cambridge page 8 May 2013