Elizabeth Anscombe’s Challenge

An Adequate Philosophy of Psychology

Abstract

This paper revisits Elizabeth Anscombe’s call for an ‘adequate philosophy of psychology’ through the lens of contemporary psychology education. It argues that current curricula tend to institutionalize a predominantly causal-explanatory model of mind, in which the conceptual resources required to understand intentional action remain underdeveloped. Drawing on an illustrative analysis of selected European psychology programmes, the paper identifies a structural imbalance between empirical training and conceptual reflection. From an Anscombean perspective, this imbalance risks obscuring the distinction between causes and reasons, which is central to understanding human action. While contemporary psychology does engage with concepts such as intention and motivation, these often remain theoretically underexamined within a naturalistic framework. The paper concludes by proposing a cooperative model in which philosophical analysis and empirical research are integrated, thereby enriching both disciplines and contributing to a more adequate account of human agency.