The Evolution of Virtue Ethics: Anscombe and Foots Influential Perspectives

Abstract

Discussion; Philosophers, G.E.M Anscombe and Phillipa Foot claims. G.E.M Anscombe’s work is the genesis of contemporary virtue ethics and is deemed the most influential philosopher in the 20th century. She criticizes prominent philosophers such as Hume, Butler, Bentham, Kante, and Mill because they were obsessed with law and obligation disengaging from religion and virtues. Anscombe does his work with brevity and frustration. He provides a direct light to morality that most moral philosophers have failed. The most interesting aspect is that G.E.M Anscombe’s work was marked with keen analytical sensibility and worked in almost every area of philosophy. Anscombe believed that these prominent philosophers were consequentialists, and philosophers should stop doing moral philosophy until they have adequate philosophy in psychology (Frey 2020). Incorporation of God in philosophy, independent of Kante and Utilitarianism, conveys the meaningfulness in moral philosophy. Anscombe believes in prudent and sensible and does not phase out moral obligation. The most interesting aspect Anscombe highlights is philosophers doing philosophy in a non-committal way, yet they need a reference on what is sinful, permissible, and immoral. Her work is sensible and idealistic due to its association with the aspect of religion. Phillipa Foot argues that we should act in a view that demonstrates our own interests. Seconding Anscombe on the context of virtues, he upholds cultivating virtues in their own interest. This philosopher argues we formulate laws and rules in our interests, and we do not have a procedure to emulate. This theory is absurd since human nature needs direction to make decisions will universally of interest in society, and through this, we can question what is evil. Foot's philosophical thinking is misleading and selfish and cannot educate society. Anscombe's theory attributes God in his philosophical making, which defines human nature contrary to Foot’s...