French Literature Reviews - 2026
V. Aucouturier, Elizabeth Anscombe. L'esprit en pratique
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
Elizabeth Anscombe - L'esprit en pratique
Valérie Aucouturier
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/01/13 PUBLISHER: CNRS ISBN: 978-2-271-07353-2 EAN: 9782271073532 FORMAT: Paperback NUMBER OF PAGES: 230 p.
Elizabeth Anscombe (1919-2001) was one of the foremost British philosophers of the 20th century. Influenced by Aristotle and medieval scholasticism, but above all by her mentor Ludwig Wittgenstein, she breathed new life into debates in the philosophy of action and moral philosophy. Action has always been a puzzling subject for philosophers because, as something irreducible to mere movement without an agent, it engages the will, intentions, and moral values.
It therefore lies at the intersection of the philosophy of mind and moral philosophy: clarifying the role of the will and intentions in action sheds light on the degrees of an agent's responsibility, particularly moral responsibility. Consequently, understanding how the spontaneity of action intertwines with its teleological dimension is a major challenge for philosophy. L'esprit en pratique explains why Anscombe's philosophy of mind requires a detour through the philosophy of action, describing the "mental" in its observable manifestations.
It also shows why any consideration of ethics must be grounded in a clear vision of the motives for action and the type of agent driving it. Engaging fully with contemporary debates on subjectivity, intentionality, and responsibility, Anscombe's philosophy profoundly reshapes the concept of intention.
Table of Contents:
PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Mental Events
The Intentionality of Sensation
The First Person: Self-Reference or Self-Consciousness
PHILOSOPHY OF ACTION
"Generally, a man intends to do what he actually does" Reasons and Causes
Practical Knowledge
MORAL PHILOSOPHY
Human Action and Responsibility
The Extent of an Agent's Responsibility
The Abandonment of Morality
Valérie Aucouturier holds a PhD in philosophy, and her research focuses on practical intentionality and the epistemology of psychology. She recently published Qu'est-ce que l'intentionalité ? (2012).
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An article reviewing this book can be read on the website laviedesidees.fr:
Elizabeth Anscombe (1919-2001) was one of the foremost British philosophers of the 20th century. Influenced by Aristotle and medieval scholasticism, but above all by her mentor Ludwig Wittgenstein, she breathed new life into debates in the philosophy of action and moral philosophy. Action lies at the intersection of the philosophy of mind and moral philosophy, as clarifying the role of the will and intentions in action sheds light on an agent's responsibility.