The Lexicon · Genealogy · Modern
ANSCOMBE, ELIZABETH
1919–2001
Intention (The Description Under Which We Act)
Anscombe noted that the same physical motion can be sawing wood, building a coffin, or providing for a family — depending on the description. CoCA insists on the description. The act of placing a urinal in a gallery is industrial accident, plumbing supply, or sacrament — depending on the wall text. The wall text is the description. The description is the liturgy. We have always been Anscombian.