elizabeth anscombe

concepts of moral obligation and of moral duty

• the use of the word ‘ought’ in a moral sense, are harmful, and shouldn’t be used.

• these concepts were survivals from an earlier wave of ethics which was rooted in a belief in God, and in a secular, post-religious world, concepts such as ‘morally ought’ and ‘morally right’ are devoid of meaning.

• monotheistic religion transformed morality into a set of laws that had to be obeyed; laws require a legislator and an enforcer (i.e. God and The Church).

• However, new forms of morality (such as Kantian deontology/ Utilitarianism) had disregarded God and weakened the institutions of faith.

• The issue with this is that whilst they still viewed morality in terms of rules, they no longer had a figure that would be a legislator or lawmaker, and this meant that modern philosophers lacked the foundations for the meaningful application of their moral concepts. Thus, morality becomes incoherent.  

anscombe + virtue ethics

• Anscombe argues that moral philosophy needs an adequate philosophy of psychology. Modern moral philosophies are rooted in shallow concepts of human nature and psychology, and any acceptable moral framework needs to be supported by a realistic view of human intention, passions and capacities.  

• Ultimately, Anscombe’s paper points towards the need for an alternative that doesn’t attempt to retain the legalistic structure in religious-based ethics. Anscombe believed it was important that we instead used the concepts of virtues, because this moral sense did not exist in Aristotle’s work. 

anscombe on aristotle

• Anscombe identified two elements with universal application of Aristotelian Virtue Ethics;

• the first was a general analysis of the concept of morality and the relationship between moral obligation and the supposed divine legislator;

• the second element was the contrast between the consequentialist approach of ethics and the approach based on virtues 

• Anscombe initiated the movement for virtue ethics in moral philosophy and she supported the return of virtue ethics as a logical response to the issue of morality becoming incoherent. 

difference between anscombe and aristotle

• Conceptual Foundation: Anscombe delved into the moral philosophy of virtue from a more explicitly religious perspective, rooted in her Catholic faith. Aristotle's virtue ethics, on the other hand, was more secular and grounded in philosophical inquiry. 

• Teleology: Aristotle's virtue ethics is teleological, meaning it is focused on achieving a particular end or goal (eudaimonia - human flourishing). Anscombe, while acknowledging the importance of flourishing, emphasized the role of intention and moral duty, often associated with deontological ethics. 

• Action Guidance: Anscombe critiqued Aristotle's lack of guidance in moral decision-making. She argued for a more rule-based approach to ethics, which could provide clear direction in complex moral situations. Aristotle's virtue ethics, while providing virtues as guiding principles, doesn't offer explicit rules or algorithms for moral decision-making. 

STRENGTH: PHRONESIS

• Anscombe highlighted the importance of practical wisdom in navigating moral situations, drawing from Aristotle’s concept of phronesis. This allows virtue ethics to avoid the rigidity of deontology and the consequentialist obsession with outcomes. 

• Support from Rosalind Hursthouse: In On Virtue Ethics (1999), Hursthouse expanded on Anscombe’s work, arguing that practical wisdom provides a way to resolve ethical dilemmas by considering the virtues relevant to a situation. 

• Moral Realism: Anscombe’s framework aligns with moral realism, suggesting that virtues reflect objective aspects of human nature. 

WEAKNESS: neglect of practical universality

• Nussbaum criticises anscombe for not providing enough practical guidance on how virtues should be applied in contemporary, multicultural societies. While Anscombe draws on Aristotelian ethics, Nussbaum sees this as insufficient for addressing modern ethical dilemmas. 

• Nussbaum’s Argument: Virtue ethics must go beyond abstract discussions of character and flourishing to provide concrete guidance on pressing issues like gender equality, global justice, and environmental ethics. 

• Critique of Anscombe: Nussbaum implies that Anscombe’s focus on critiquing modern moral philosophy does not adequately address how virtues can be operationalized in complex, pluralistic societies.