Absicht

Elizabeth Anscombe's 1957 publication Absicht is one of the classic texts of 20th century philosophy. The pupil and confidante of Wittgenstein attempts to clarify one of the central concepts of action theory, that of "intention", and argues for a close conceptual connection between intention and action. Only behaviour described as intentional can be considered an action; only then can reasons for action be given. On the other hand, unintended behaviour or consequences must be explained causally, one of the influential theses of this book, in which Anscombe also develops its enormously effective distinction between intentions and predictions. Intention is a veritable treasure trove of brilliant insights and distinctions, a standard work that has now been retranslated by Joachim Schulte.