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Out of the despair of the Second World War, four brilliant women friends brought philosophy back to life and laid the foundation of today's ethical thinking.

Iris Murdoch, Mary Midgley, Philippa Foot and Elizabeth Anscombe studied philosophy together at Oxford University during the Second World War when many male students and tutors were conscripted.

Taught by refugee scholars, conscientious objectors and a number of women tutors the four friends were profoundly affected by the unprecedented horrors of war, especially the Holocaust, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In response they set out to make sense of the disorder and despair that followed, and developed a philosophy relevant to everyday life, which went on to shape contemporary ethical thinking.

‘Metaphysical Animals’ is vividly and expertly written by philosophy lecturers, Clare Mac Cumhaill and Rachael Wiseman.

They took inspiration from their own friendship with one of the key players in this remarkable and little known story, Mary Midgley.

Omnibus of five parts abridged by Katrin Williams.

Read by Fenella Woolgar.

Producer: Liz Allard

First broadcast on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 in February 2022.

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