Philosophy Subject Guide

Dictionaries

 

11 resources available
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A dictionary is basic reference source that provides definitions of the words and phrases in a field. In addition, the A-Z listing may also include brief biographical sketches and appendices often have useful tables, chronologies, and other reference facts.

The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy
B 41 .C35 1995 (Ref)
Authoritative, single-volume work with 4,000 entries and cross-references that covers all aspects of the field. There is a Western emphasis, but significant non-Western coverage can be found. No living philosophers or article bibliographies are included.

A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names"This is a concise guide to technical terms and personal names often encountered in the study of philosophy." Written by Garth Kemerling and reflecting his own philosophical interests, the source also links to other key online dictionaries and encyclopedias.

A Dictionary of Philosophy
B 41.D52 1999 (Ref)
Antony Flew presents the second edition of a "dictionary of a different paradigm," i.e., for him philosophy is "pursued as an academic discipline by departments of philosophy within institutions of tertiary education" (Preface). Regardless, the volume presents an alphabetical list of words, philosophers, ideas, and actions that define the world of philosophy. Multiple cross-references; definite British emphasis.

The Dictionary of Philosophy of Mind
Sponsored by Washington University, St. Louis, the online dictionary is "intended as a free resource for all those interested in the philosophy of mind." (Quoted from site.) Uses HotBot search engine to retrieve term (s), but also has an alphabetical index with a letter by letter display of topics.


The Ism Book: A Field Guide to the Nomenclature of Philosophy"The Ism Book is an intellectual field guide that provides brief definitions of theories, doctrines, movements, and approaches in philosophy, religion, politics, science, the arts, and related disciplines. It was originally written in 1990 and was first posted on the web in March 1996. In 2005 it was totally revised and nowadays it is continuously updated on the web by Peter Saint-Andre who has placed it in the public domain" (ISM Web site).


A Dictionary of Philosophy (Thomas Mautner)
B 41 .M38 1996 (Ref)
Overall, this volume has more entries, including pronunciations, than The Cambridge Dictionary or The Oxford Companion (2,300) and does include some substantial articles on major movements and people. Basic coverage is for Western philosophy with a slight nod to Islamic thought.

Dictionary of World Philosophy
B41 .I26 2001
"Extremely comprehensive, this resource written by [A. Pablo Iannone] offers entries for terms, philosophical areas of inquiry, and traditions drawn from global philosophies. ... Coverage includes traditions from African, Arabic, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Jewish, Korean, Latin American, Maori, and Native American philosophies" [quoted from Choice review]. Includes suggested readings; cross-references are printed in italics.

Key Ideas in Human Thought
B 41 .K48 1993 (Ref)
A broadly based, alphabetically arranged dictionary of "ideas" (2500 entries) that covers intellectual/philosophical history including the arts, science, religion, economics, and philosophy itself. Excellent cross-references provide an internal "network of thought."

The Oxford Companion to Philosophy
An excellent addition, now available through NetLibrary, to the single-volume encyclopedic dictionaries of the assorted disciplines, and comparable match to The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, with the latter written largely by American authors and the former mainly by British contributors. However, the Cambridge volume is not available online. Does include living philosophers and ranges across the world's philosophical traditions. Brief bibliographies, some portraits, and an "assorted miscellany" of philosophical ideas.
The print copy, call number B 51 .O94 1995 (Ref), is found in Waldo Library Central Reference.

The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy" The most authoritative and up-to-date concise dictionary of philosophy. ... [that] defines many terms and concepts not normally found in such reference works, including entries for laughter, and the meaning of life, and covers relevant terms from disciplines such as mathematics, physics, biology, artificial intelligence, and linguistics. There are biographies of nearly 500 individuals, with more women appearing than in other philosophical dictionaries" (Quoted from Preface, Oxford Reference Online). More info

A World of Ideas: A Dictionary of Imporant Theories, Concepts, Beliefs, and Thinkers
B41 .R64 1999
"Rohmann developed this resource after finding inadequate dictionary and encyclopedia definitions for dialectical materialism. Alphabetically arranged by idea or thinker, it is cross-referenced within the text and the index. Typical entries include the history, meaning, and context of ideas as varied as aesthetics, chaos theory, federalism, and Rastafarianism. More than 100 intellectual figures such as Aquinas, Sartre, Piaget, and Machiavelli are described insightfully and succinctly" [quoted from Library Journal review].


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