In this reading series, we will consider G.E.M. Anscombe in dialogue with major thinkers from the history of philosophy. Where Anscombe could have avoided such engagement (following her teacher Wittgenstein or certain trends in Anglo-Analytic philosophy) she instead regularly grappled with major figures from the canon. With each reading, we will take up Anscombe’s relation with a certain figure and a central question that she was trying to unfold through her conversation with the masters.
This reading group will be facilitated by Terence Sweeney, Ph.D, the John and Daria Barry Foundation postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. It is cosponsored by Penn’s Program for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society.
Schedule & Readings
January 18: Hume: What are causes?
"Hume and Julius Caesar" and “Whatever Has a Beginning Must Have a Cause': Hume's Argument exposed."
February 15: Descartes: Is there a self?
“The First Person”
March 15: Wittgenstein
Readings TBD
April 5: Wittgenstein
Readings TBD
Time: 7:00pm-8:00pm
Registration: This reading group will meet over Zoom. It is free and open to all undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and independent scholars with an interest in Anscombe’s writing. Please click the button below to sign up and receive the Zoom information.
If you are interested in joining this seminar or if you have any questions about the series, please reach out to Dr. Terence Sweeney at tsweene5@sas.upenn.edu.