Metaphysical Women

Iris Murdoch, Mary Midgley, Philippa Foot and Elizabeth Anscombe were philosophy students at Oxford during the Second World War when most male undergraduates (and many tutors) were conscripted. Taught by refugee scholars, women and conscientious objectors, the four friends developed a philosophy that could respond to the war's darkest revelations.

What if one of the greatest unexplained events in modern history was true—and almost no one knew about it? In 1968, more than 250,000 people witnessed an event that continues to defy explanation. For nearly three years, a radiant woman appeared above a church in Cairo, Egypt. Police officers saw her. Physicians examined the reported healings. Journalists documented the events. Government officials launched investigations. Authentic photographs were taken. Yet more than half a century later... No widely accepted natural explanation exists.

A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A vibrant portrait of four college friends—Iris Murdoch, Philippa Foot, Elizabeth Anscombe, and Mary Midgley—who formed a new philosophical tradition while Oxford's men were away fighting World War II. The history of European philosophy...