1 Introduction Recent literature in the history of twentieth-century philosophy has centred around the historical and philosophical connections between four philosophers: G. E. M Anscombe (1919–2001), Philippa Foot (née Bosanquet) (1920–2010), Mary Midgley (née Scrutton) (1919–2018) and Iris Murdoch (1919–1999). All four met as undergraduates at Oxford University at the turn of the Second World War. Murdoch and Midgley arrived at Somerville College, Oxford—a (then) all-women's college in 1938.
