Amber Donovan joins me to discuss connections between Mary Midgley’s and Iris Murdoch’s ideas about how we ought to think of ourselves in the world. Murdoch’s idea of unselfing encourages us to look out at the world and Midgley’s idea of Gaia helps us to see ourselves as part of a greater whole. How can we go about our lives with these two ideas in mind?

With Amy Ward

In this episode, I talk with Anne-Marie MacCallion about how our four women are connected to the philosophical projects of feminism.

With Amy Ward

Dr. Rachael Wiseman and I have a conversation about how a concern for morality brought our four philosophers—Mary Midgley, Iris Murdoch, Philippa Foot, and Elizabeth Anscombe—together after World War II.

With Amy Ward

Dr. Rachael Wiseman and I talk about why Elizabeth Anscombe does not agree with Philippa Foot’s arguments about the doctrine of double effect. For Anscombe, the doctrine of double effect does not say anything about what we should do; it tells us that there are some things we should not do.

*content warning: discussion of murder and some events in WWII, and brief comments on abortion

With Amy Ward

In this episode, Dr. Rachael Wiseman offers some context to Elizabeth Anscombe’s pamphlet ‘Truman’s Degree’.

*content warning: discussion of murder and some events in WWII

With Amy Ward

This episode explores another moral trap that Elizabeth Anscombe points out in her pamphlet on Truman’s degree. The particular brand of pacifism that she talks about works to get rid of the distinction between killing and murder; Anscombe thinks this is a dangerous move because murder becomes merely a way of killing and loses its sense of prohibition.

*content warning: discussion of murder and some events in WWII

With Amy Ward

For our last Quartet member, we turn to Elizabeth Anscombe and the pamphlet she wrote to protest US President Harry Truman’s honorary degree at Oxford University. To stop ourselves from falling into the trap of ‘either/or’ thinking that is often featured in hypothetical moral situations, Anscombe reminds us that some actions are wrong no matter what situation we are in.

*content warning: discussion of murder and some events in WWII

With Amy Ward

In our final episode about Natural Goodness, I ask Ana Barandalla what she thinks is important to learn from Philippa Foot’s concept of morality.

With Amy Ward

Continuing in conversation with Ana Barandalla on Natural Goodness, this episode addresses some problems in Philippa Foot’s ethical picture. In particular, we talk about her use of the term ‘defect’.

With Amy Ward

Ana Barandalla is back to discuss Philippa Foot’s book Natural Goodness, and in particular, the idea of having a standard form of life for humans which can serve as an objective standard for moral judgements.

With Amy Ward