Q0526
“It would be a great improvement if, instead of "morally wrong," one…” — Elizabeth Anscombe (Modern Moral Philosophy (1958))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Modern Moral Philosophy (1958). Theme: virtue.
English
It would be a great improvement if, instead of "morally wrong," one always named a genus such as "untruthful," "unchaste," "unjust."
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Modern Moral Philosophy (1958) and files it under Analytic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Elizabeth Anscombe
G. E.
How to read this passage
Virtue ethics asks not only which acts are right, but what kind of person one becomes. Courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom are classic Western lists; Confucian ren and yi offer related but distinct vocabularies. This passage enters that discussion through virtue, language, justice.
Concepts in this quote
- Virtue
- Virtue names excellences of character—habits of perception and action oriented toward the good.
- Language
- Language appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat language as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Justice
- Justice concerns fairness, rights, desert, and the arrangement of institutions that claim to treat people as equals.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Elizabeth Anscombe. (n.d.). It would be a great improvement if, instead of "morally wrong," one always named a genus such as "untruthful," "unchaste," "unjust." In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0526
MLA: Elizabeth Anscombe. “It would be a great improvement if, instead….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0526.
Chicago: Elizabeth Anscombe. “It would be a great improvement if, instead….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0526.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “It would be a great improvement if, instead…”?
The passage is attributed to Elizabeth Anscombe, Modern Moral Philosophy (1958). The archive attributes this English wording to Modern Moral Philosophy (1958) and files it under Analytic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Elizabeth Anscombe mean by virtue?
Virtue ethics asks not only which acts are right, but what kind of person one becomes. Courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom are classic Western lists; Confucian ren and yi offer related but distinct vocabularies. This passage enters that discussion through virtue, language, justice.