Foot, Philippa (1920-2010)

Philippa Foot

Philippa Foot (born Bosanquet)

*October 03, 1920 (Owston Ferry, Lincolnshire)
†October 03, 2010 (Oxford, Oxfordshire)

Philippa Foot was a British philosopher known for her work in ethics, particularly in virtue ethics. She was a key figure in reviving Aristotelian ethics in the 20th century, focusing on the role of virtues in moral reasoning. Foot is also famous for introducing along with Judith Jarvis Thomson the “trolley problem,” a thought experiment used to explore moral dilemmas. Her notable works include Virtues and Vices and other Essays in Moral Philosophy (1978) and Natural Goodness (2001), where she examined morality in terms of human nature and practical reason. She taught at Oxford and University of California, Los Angeles.

Primary Sources

Foot, Philippa. 2001. Natural Goodness. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/0198235089.001.0001.

Foot, Philippa, and Alan Montefiore. 1961. “Symposium: Goodness and Choice.” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volumes 35:45–80.

Foot, Philippa. 2002. Virtues and Vices: And Other Essays in Moral Philosophy. https://doi.org/10.1093/0199252866.001.0001.

Foot, Philippa. 2002. Moral Dilemmas: And Other Topics in Moral Philosophy. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/019925284X.001.0001.

Foot, Philippa. 2004. “Rationality and Goodness.” In Modern Moral Philosophy, edited by .

Foot, Philippa. “Rationality and Goodness.” In Modern Moral Philosophy, edited by Anthony O’Hear, 1–14. Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511550836.002.

Foot, P. R., and Jonathan Harrison. 2015. “Symposium: ‘When Is a Principle a Moral Principle’?” Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume 28 (1): 95–134. https://doi.org/10.1093/aristoteliansupp/28.1.95.
Secondary Sources

Natural Goodness Secondary Sources:

FitzPatrick, William J. 2017. Teleology and the Norms of Nature. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203815090.

Lott, Micah. 2012. “Have Elephant Seals Refuted Aristotle? Nature, Function, and Moral Goodness*.” Journal of Moral Philosophy 9 (3): 353–75. https://doi.org/10.1163/174552412X625727.

Hacker-Wright, John 2013. Philippa Foot’s Moral Thought. London, New York: Bloomsbury, 117-131.

Thompson, Michael. 2009. Life and Action: Elementary Structures of Practice and Practical Thought. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674033962.
Online Sources
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