Talk:G. E. M. Anscombe

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Contents 1 Polymath? 2 Signs with bad sounds 3 ? 4 Truman 5 C.S. Lewis

[edit] Polymath?

She's in the polymath category, but I don't see anything here in the article that really confirms that status. I don't know much about her myself... can anyone explain this a bit more? (The honor seems to have been bequeathed here. Kindly, David Bergan 06:51, 29 January 2006 (UTC)

Polymath seems fair: she contributed significantly to nearly every branch of philosophy, to theology, to logic (at, I believe, a fairly advanced level), she translated extensively from German, and, I believe, Greek and Latin--maybe I'm wrong there, and her translations, particularly of Wittgenstein, are usually considered definitive. She was a noted public intellectual and debater as well.

On the other hand, if we're looking only at the range of her work rather than its degree of importance, she's no more a polymath than any number of professional scholars. How many maths does it take to be poly?

I think what stands out is her prominence both in ethics and theology and in logic and metaphysics--the two "ends" of philosophy, on a common picture. This is, increasingly, a rarity even among professional philosophers.

[edit] Signs with bad sounds

It is not true that she decided to retain, because of cacophony, her surname after marrying Peter Geach. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.19.14.43 (talk) 19:23, 3 January 2007 (UTC).

[edit] ?

I don't see that it says this. It is true that she received his marriage proposal on the condition that she would not have to take his name.

Was that the only condition? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.19.14.27 (talk) 02:34, 4 January 2007 (UTC).

Who knows, but the facts about her name are well known and were frequently addressed to her. She must have been asked about it in public, after colloquia for example, literally hundreds of times. She and her husband are/were among the very best known philosophers, decades before people were familiar with women not following the tiresome (modern) tradition of taking their husbands'last names. It is surprising from a present day standpoint that there should be so much interest in such a thing, and thus so much common knowledge about it, but on reflection it is obvious that there would have been.

[edit] Truman

Why are all the external links about Harry Truman?--80.42.50.121 18:10, 10 March 2007 (UTC)

I have moved the content here - since it read more like talk page material.Walkerma 05:04, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

Assorted links concerning Truman's degree and Anscombe's protest of it

The academic procession before Truman's degree in Civil Laws was presented is depicted here; the page also includes a clip of Truman being interviewed in London by ITN reporter Robin Day in which Truman refers the hearer to his autography for a defense against the type of charge Anscombe made; Anscombe is alluded to only as "a lady."

Historical details are also discussed by Philippa Foot in the BBC program linked above.

It is claimed here that a previous U.S. president, Millard Fillmore, had "refused an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law from Oxford. He said, "No man should accept a degree that he can not read.""

The academic hood former President Truman wore at the Oxford degree granting ceremony Anscombe protested is depicted here.

[edit] C.S. Lewis

I'd like to see a source for the suggestion that C.S. Lewis gave up theological argument because he lost a debate with her. That sounds a bit silly, particularly in light of the fact that Mere Christianity was published in 1952. 71.182.167.210 (talk) 05:41, 16 December 2007 (UTC)

• Mere Xty was a collection of previous writings from 1943. After the debate, Lewis turned to other ways than philosophy to justify his faith. While some might say he did some kind of apologetics afterwards, it was a different kind. One source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/people/cslewis_10.shtml - another: http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/lewis/cs-lewis.htm - there should be more. --JimWae (talk) 22:42, 16 December 2007 (UTC)