BRACERS Record Detail for 132444
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BR's letter was meant for the Newnham College authorities in a effort to extend the Smithson Studentship held by G.E.M. Anscombe (Mrs. Peter Geach) while she was a doctoral student at Oxford. BR comments on 2 dissertations by Mrs. Geach. Wittgenstein also provided a letter of reference. Nevertheless, she was turned down.
The location of the original, doubtless handwritten, is unknown. The typed copy is in Newnham AC/3/2/45 -- likely in Anscombe's student file.
BR TO NEWNHAM COLLEGE, 20 MAY 1945
BRACERS 132444. TDS(TC)(DX). Newnham College, Cambridge
Proofread by K. Blackwell
May 20th 1945.
I have read Mrs. Geach’s two dissertations on “Statements about words” and “The Identity of Bodies”. The first of these has, I think, considerable merit. It distinguishes clearly and satisfactorily between different kinds of statements about words, e.g. “‘Rabbit’ has two syllables” and “‘Rabbit’ is a noun.” The dissertation is very brief, and only broaches the subject of which it treats; but it gives ground for believing that Mrs. Geach could treat the subject effectivelya at greater length.
The second dissertation, on “The Identity of Bodies”, gains by Mrs. Geach’s knowledge of scholastic philosophy, which is exceptional among those who have acquired modern logic. On the other hand, it does not, in my opinion, pay sufficient attention to physics; for example, it does not discuss the fact that a human body, which, from the point of view of common sense and physiology, preserves its identity, is, from the point of view of physics, composed of different atoms at different times. Still less does Mrs. Geach consider the bearing of quantum theory on her problem. But I am aware that she might argue that the problem she wishes to discuss is independent of such considerations.
Mrs. Geach has been attending my lectures on non-demonstrative inference, and in that connection I have had considerable philosophical discussion with her. From what I have learnt of her in this way, I think that her two dissertations do not do her justice. She is a very earnest and sincere student, profoundly interested in philosophical problems, and possessed of a very considerable store of learning, particularly in ancient philosophy. I shall expect her in time to produce work of distinct merit.
Her synopsis of a discussion of the concept of the soul is promising, and might lead to a very interesting book, particularly if the historical parts are rather fully developed.
I shall be glad if she is awarded a research fellowship and I think that her work will justify the award.
(Signed) RUSSELL.
Textual Notes- a
effectively editorially replaced affectively
