Anscombe, Elizabeth

"The greatest tragedy is not to fail at something great, but to succeed at something small."

"It is impossible to overstate the case for the intelligence of animals and the brutishness of man."

"The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed."

"I would say that in the modern world the ethical question which is most productive of actual evil is the question of abortion."

"Truthfulness, as a disposition, is not something that generally goes with capriciousness."

"What we have forgotten is that in order to do anything well, we must first understand it."

"The use of the word 'modern' often conceals rather than reveals what is actually novel or problematic."

"If I have any justification, I do not know what it is."

"One cannot, without absurdity, deny that there are such things as duties and virtues."

"The chief characteristic of Abelard's philosophy is its intellectualism."

"It is a curious thing that people should be so amazed at the existence of moral absolutes."

"Virtue and vice are not just a matter of choice; they are habits."

"The concept of intention is absolutely crucial to moral philosophy."

"We cannot understand human action if we ignore the role of intention."

"A young man, not versed in logic, cannot handle his affairs well."

"The question of whether a man is responsible is far more complex than we usually suppose."

"Responsibility requires understanding, and understanding requires education."

"The modern world's great moral blindness consists in ignoring the nature of human action."

"We must learn to think before we learn to speak."

"The good life is not the life of ease, but the life of virtue."

"One's existence is not merely a brute fact; it is a gift."

"The danger of modern philosophy is that it has lost sight of reality."

"To understand morality, one must first understand what it means to act."

"Passion without reason is mere appetite."

"The human will is not simply a faculty for choosing; it is the faculty for pursuing the good."

"We have become too clever in our thinking and too foolish in our living."

"Logic is the safeguard against sophistry and self-deception."

"The virtue of humility is not about underestimating oneself, but about seeing oneself truly."

"Action without intention is mere motion, not true action."

"We live in an age that mistakes cleverness for wisdom."