Abstract

In her famous book Intention Anscombe gives an example of a man doing shopping with a list; the man is followed by a detective who observes the shopping and makes his own list of items. This is a good example for discussing theoretical and practical knowledge. In my article I show that practical knowledge is a kind of knowledge different from theoretical one, and the main difference between them is that the former is a cause of its proper object. Thus, in part , referring to Anscombe’s example, I show one of the principal differences between theoretical and practical knowledge. Further, in the same part, I elaborate the description of practical knowledge as developed by a scholastic philosopher Godfrey of Fontaines; his general claims about the two kinds of knowledge strikingly coincide with Anscombe’s insights. In part I bring up two important issues connected with the presented account of practical knowledge. In part I draw up, on the basis of –, three main traits of practical knowledge which distinguish it from theoretical one. Key words PRACTICAL WISDOM, GODFREY OF FONTAINES, G.E.M. ANSCOMBE