Collected Philosophical Papers by G. E. M. Anscombe (review)

BOOK REVIEWS Collected Philosophical Papers. By G. E. M. ANSCOMBE. University of Minnesota Press, 1981. Vol. I: From Parmenides to Wittgenstein. Pp. 141. $25.00 cloth; $9.95 paper. Vol. II: Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Mind. Pp. 239. $32.50 cloth; $11.95 paper. Vol. III: Ethics, Religion and Politics. Pp. 161. $27.50 cloth; $10.95 paper. For some time now Elizabeth Anscombe has been a major figure in the world of British philosophy. She was born in 1919. She studied at Oxford , where she took a First in Greats. Later she taught at Oxford; and in 1970 she became Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge University. It is hard for any generation of philosophers to know which of its members will be read and admired in years to come. I should suppose, however, that Professor Anscombe's work stands a fair chance of surviving for a long time to come. It is often arresting, illuminating, and profound. It is less tied to contemporary debates than is the work of many modern writers. And its range of interest is surprisingly wide. Professor Anscombe has made important contributions to the study of the history of philosophy. And she has things to say of philosophy of mind, philosophy of action, causation, ethics, and religion. We are also indebted to her for helping to make available much of Wittgenstein's writings, few of which were published in his lifetime. So we must be grateful for the appearance of these Collected Philosophical Papers. And the volumes are especially wel