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Reference Materials
Use the reference sources below to get background information on your topic:
- Oxford Reference (Online)
includes Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy / Simon Blackburn (2016) - Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
This source is "designed so that each entry is maintained and kept up-to-date by an expert or group of experts in the field. All entries and substantive updates are refereed by the members of a distinguished Editorial Board before they are made public. Consequently, our dynamic reference work maintains academic standards while evolving and adapting in response to new research." - Online Papers in Philosophy
- International Directory of Philosophy and Philosophers
- Fifty Major Philosophers / Diané Collinson ; Kathryn Plant (2006) (Online) (Online)
- Directory of American Philosophers (1963- )
- Encyclopedia of Ethics / Lawrence C. Becker ; Charlotte B. Becker (2001)
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Philosophy Books
Library of Congress (LC) subject headings is available online. You can also perform a Subject search in our discovery layer, Omni using the following subject headings:
- Aesthetics
- Cognition
- Cognitive Science
- Continental Philosophy
- Ethics
- Existentialism
- Feminist Theory
- Hermeneutics
- History -- Philosophy
- Humanism -- Italy
- Idealism, German
- Knowledge, Theory of
- Logic
- Metaphysics
- Ontology
- Phenomenology
- Philosophical Anthropology
- Philosophy, African
- Philosophy, Ancient
- Philosophy, European
- Philosophy, Indic
- Philosophy of Mind
- Philosophy of Religion
- Platonists
- Political Science -- Philosophy
- Pragmatism
- Social Sciences -- Philosophy
- Transcendentalism
Book Reviews
There are a number of ways to find book reviews in philosophy.. If you are searching within a philosophy database, such as Philosopher's Index, make sure to choose Advanced Search. Scroll further down and locate the "Document Type" field for "Book Review." Select this item and enter your search terms, and run the search.
Consult our Find Book Reviews guide for help to find book reviews in general databases. You can also check Omni, for open-access reviews of philosophiccal works. See for example:
- Analytic Philosophy (Online)
- Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews (2002 -)
- Philosophy in Review = Comptes rendus philosophiques (1997 -)
- Philosophischer Literaturanzeiger ein Referateorgan für die Neuerscheinungen der Philosophie und ihrer gesamten Grenzgebiete (1949-)
Branches of Philosophy
The five main branches of western philosophy are:
- Aesthetics is the study of philosophical questions about art and beauty.
- Epistemology is the study of knowledge and how and what we know.
- Ethics is the study of how people should act, and what is good and valuable.
- Logic is the study of good reasoning.
- Metaphysics is the study of existence and the nature of reality.
These branches of philosophy also overlap with other areas of philosophical thought.
Philosophical Approaches
- Philosophy of Language is the study of the nature, origins, and usage of language.
- Philosophy of Mind is the study of the nature of mind.
- Philosophy of Science is the study of philosophy and computer science.
Listed below are reference materials, books and eBooks from our library collections.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics Reference Materials
- The Blackwell guide to aesthetics / Peter Kivy (2004)
- The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics / Michael Kelly et. Al. (2014)
Handbooks/Companion
- The Oxford handbook of aesthetics / Jerrold Levinson (2003) (Online at Hathi Trust)
- The Routledge Companion to Aesthetics / Berys Gaut ; Dominic McIver Lopes (2013)
- A Companion to Aesthetics / Wiley Blackwell (2009)
- A Companion to ancient aesthetics / Pierre Destrée, Penelope Murray (2015)
Aesthetics Books/eBooks
- Aesthetics : key concepts in philosophy / Daniel Herwitz (2008) (Online) (Online)
- Aesthetics and the philosophy of art: an introduction / Robert Stecker (2010)
- Aesthetics and the environment: the appreciation of nature, art and architecture / Allen Carlson (2000)
Web Resources
Epistemology
Epistemology Reference Materials
- The Routledge Companion to Epistemology /Sven, Bernecker; Duncan, Pritchard (2011)
- Metaphysics and Epistemology: a guided anthology / Stephen Cade Hetherington (2014) ; (2013)
- Epistemology: Contemporary Readings / Michael Huemer (2002) (Online) (Online)
- A Companion to Epistemology / Jonathan Dancy ; Ernest Sosa (2010) BD161.C637 2010 ; (1992) BD161.C637
Handbooks
- Handbook of Risk Theory : Epistemology, Decision Theory, Ethics, and Social Implications of Risk / Sabine
Roeser et. al. (2012) (Online) - The Oxford Handbook of Epistemology / Paul K. Moser (2002) (Online) (Online) (Online)
Epistemology Books/eBooks
- Metaphysics and Epistemology : a Guided Anthology / Stephen Cade Hetherington (2014) (2013)
- The Practice of Value / Joseph Raz, et. al. (2005)
- Self and Other : Exploring Subjectivity, Empathy and Shame / Dan Zahavi (2015) (2014)
- Truth, etc : Six Lectures on Ancient Logic / Jonathan Barnes (2007)
- Truthmakers : the Contemporary Debate / Helen Beebees (2010) (2005)
Ethics
Ethics Reference Materials
- Encyclopedia of Ethics / Lawrence C. Becker ; Charlotte B. Becker (2001) (Online at HathiTrust) (Online)
- Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics / Ruth F. Chadwick (1998) (Online at HathiTrust)
- A Companion to Ethics / Peter Singer (2013)
- Encyclopedia of Bioethics / Stephen G. Post (2004)
- Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy / J. Baird Callicott ; Robert Frodeman (2009) GE42.E533 2009
Handbooks /Guides
- Evil : a Guide for the Perplexed / Chad V. Meisler (2012) (Online) (Online) (Online)
- The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory / Hugh FaFollette (2013)
Ethics Books/eBooks
- Character : New Directions from Philosophy, Psychology and Theology / Christian B. Miller; Kristoffer, Ahistrom-Vij
(2015) (Online) (Online) (Online) - Sorting out Ethics / Richard M. Hare (2000) (1997 - Online at HathiTrust, Online) (Online)
- The Elements of Moral Philosophy / David Fordyce (2012)
- Ethics, Values and Civil Society / Michael Schwartz ; Howard, Harris ; Stephen Cohen (2013) (Online) (Online)
Special Topic: Medical Ethics
- Medical Ethics / Robert M. Veatch (1997) (Online at HathiTrust)
- Medical Ethics / Michael Boylan (2014) (2013)
- Medical Ethics, Law and Communication at a Glance / Patrick Davey (2017) (Online) (Online)
- Ethics in Epidemiology and Public Health Practice Collected Works / Steven S. Coughlin (2009)
(Online) (Online) - Intuition in Medicine : a Philosophical Defense of Clinical Reasoning / Hillel D. Braude (2012)
Web Resources
- Applied Ethics Resources on WWW
- Bioethics.net: Where the World Finds Bioethics
- Bioethics Information Resources
- EthicShare
- Global Digital Library on Ethics
- The Kennedy Institute of Ethics (Georgetown University)
- Codes of Ethics
Logic
Logic Reference Materials
- A Dictionary of Logic /Thomas Macaulay Ferguson; Graham Priest (2016)
- A Dictionary of Philosophical Logic / Roy T. Cook (2009)
- Introduction to Logic / Harry J. Gensler (2010)
Handbooks
- Handbook of Philosophical Logic / M. Gabbay ; Franz Guenthner (2014) (Online) (Online)
- Handbook of Mathematical Logic / Jon Barwise ; Jerome H. Keisler (1977) (Online at HathiTrust)
- The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic / Stewart Shapiro (2005) (Online) (Online)
Logic Books/eBooks
- The Genealogy of Disjunction / R. E. Jennings (1994) (Online) (Online)
- The Law of non-Contradiction / Bradley, Armour-Garb (2010)
- Plural Logic / Alex Oliver (2017) (Online) (Online)
- Walking the Tightrope of Reason : the Precarious Life of a Rational Animal / Robert J. Fogelin (2003) (Online) (Online)
Web Resources
- Logic : a Study Guide (Logic Matters) (updated 2020)
- Logic in Argumentative Writing (Purdue OWL)
- Logic and Fallacies: Conducting a Logical Argument (1997)
- Fallacies File
- The Many Worlds of Logic: A Resource for Logic Teachers and Students of Logic
- Modal Logic Playground
- Puzzle Baron's Logic Puzzles
Metaphysics
Metaphysics Reference Materials
- A Companion to Metaphysics / Jaegwon Kim ; Ernest Sosa (2009)
BD111.C626 2009 ; (1995) BD111.C626 1995
Metaphysics Books/eBooks
- Real Time II / D. H. Mellor (2002) (Online) (Online)
- Metaphysics the key concepts / Helen Beebee; Nikk Effingham; Philip, Goff (2011) (Online) (Online)
(2010 - Online) - Self and Other : Exploring Subjectivity, Empathy and Shame / Dan Zahavi (2015) (Online) (2014 - Online)
- Metaphysics / Peter Van Inwagen (1993) Online at HathiTrust
- Essays in the metaphysics of mind / Jaegwon, Kim (2010)
- Metaphysics: the fundamentals / Robert C. Koons (2015)
- Aquinas on Being and Essence / Joseph Bobik (1965) B765.T53D52 1965
- The Metaphysics of Truth / Douglas Edwards (2018) (Online) (Online)
Language
Language Reference Materials
- The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Language / Gillian Russell, et. Al. (2013)
(2012 - Online, Online) - Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Sciences of Language / Oswald Ducrot (1979) (Online at HathiTrust)
- Dictionary of Logic as Applied in the Study of Language / Witold Marciszewski (1981) BC9.D48
Language Books/eBooks
- The Language Web : the Power and Problem of Words / Jean Aitchison (1997) P106.A34 1997
- Logic in Linguistics / Jens S. Allwood, et. Al. (1977) P106.A4213
- Why Does Language Matter to Philosophy / Ian Hacking (1975) (Online at HathiTrust)
- A Companion to the Philosophy of Language / Bob Hale ; Crispin Wright ; Alexander Miller (2017)
Handbooks
- Handbook of Logic and Language / Johan van Benthem ; Alice ter Meulen (1997) (Online at HathiTrust)
(2011) (QA76.9.N38.H36)
Mind
Mind Reference Materials
- A History of Psychology : Original Sources and Contemporary Research / Ludy T., Benjamin (2009)
BF81.H58 2009 - The Mind/Brain Identity Theory (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
- Dictionary of Philosophy of Mind
- Encyclopedia of Consciousness / William P. Banks (2009) BF311.E53 2009
- Oxford Companion to the Mind / R. L. Gregory (2004) (Online at HathiTrust) (Online)
Mind Books/eBooks
- This is Philosophy of the Mind : an Introduction / Pete Mandik (2014)
- Key Terms in Philosophy of Mind / Pete Mandik (2010) (Online) (Online)
- The Continuum Companion to Philosophy of Mind / James Garvey (2011) (Online) (Online)
Web Resources
Science
Science Reference Materials
- The Philosophy of Science : a Companion / Anouk Baberousse et. al. (2018) (Online) (Online)
- The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science / J.L. Heilbron (2003)
- A Companion to the History of Science / Bernard Lightman ; Bernard Lightman (2016)
- Dictionary of Concepts in the Philosophy of Science / Paul T. Durbin (1988) (Online at HathiTrust)
Science Books/eBooks
- PhiloComp.net.
- Philosophy of Science : a Very Short Introduction / Samir Okasha (2016) Q175.O4555 2016
- Heidegger and Cognitive Science / Julian Kiverstein ; Michael Wheeler (2012) B3279.H49.H3415 2012
- Heidegger’s Philosophy of Science / Trish Glazebrook (2000) (Online at HathiTrust) (Online)
Web Resources
Philosopher's Index
Provides citations with abstracts to articles, books and other published literature on philosophy and related topics. Topics include: aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphysics. Also covers the philosophy of related interdisciplinary fields such as education, history, law, and science.
PhilPapers: philosophical research online
PhilPapers is a comprehensive directory of online academic philosophy. Index includes philosophy books, journal articles, and open access archives.
JSTOR
Provides access to the complete archives of major journals in a variety of subjects. JSTOR is a "moving wall" archive: newer years are added as publishers allow. For example, one journal may cover everything up to 3 years ago, while another may cover everything up to 5 years ago.
Année Philologique
Contains the citations of journal articles, books for ancient Greek and Roman history, literature, languages, archaeology, religion and philosophy.
Academic OneFile
Includes the full text of philosophy journals.
Web of Science
This science and social science index also contains a wide selection of philosophy content on science or social science topics.
- Philosophy TV
- a video website devoted to philosophical thinking - Philosophy (Youtube)
- Philosophy for Beginners (University of Oxford)
- According to the producer, Dr. Marianne Talbot "This is the series for you if you are a complete beginner to philosophy. It is an introduction to the main areas of philosophy, to the philosophical method, and to some of the sub-disciplines of philosophy." - Philosophical Installations (University of Oregon)
- "1588 Philosophy videos all in one place - free for non-commercial use."
Sites of Interest
- Ask Philosophers
- Basics of Philosophy
A huge subject broken down into manageable chunks." - Daily Nous
Daily Nous provides information and news for and about the philosophy profession - North American Kant Society
"The goal of the society is to further the study of Kantian thought and scholarship from a variety of traditions and disciplines." - Pathways to Philosophy
Find learning materials from The International Society for Philosophers, including information on Writing a philosophy paper. - PHILOS-L Home Page (University of Liverpool)
- Philosophers' Imprint "is a refereed series of original papers...it also aims to attract non-academic readers to philosophy by
making excellent philosophical scholarship available without license or subscription." - Philosophy Bites
Podcasts of top philosophers interviewed on bite-sized topics... - Philosophy News
"News from around the web on a variety of philosophical topics." - Philosophy Now
This bi-monthly magazine allows you to read four articles free a month without a subscription. - Philosophy Talk celebrates the value of the examined life.
- The Bertrand Russell Archives
"McMaster University is home to the scholarly study of Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), British
philosopher, logician, essayist, and renowned peace advocate." - The Philosopher's Magazine
"We publish philosophy that’s clear, thought-provoking, and relevant. Each issue features a mix of
essays, interviews, opinions, columns, news and reviews." - Wittgenstein : Philosophy, Work and Legacy (University of Bergen)
Organizations
- American Philosophical Association
"The American Philosophical Association promotes the discipline and profession of philosophy, both within the academy and in the public arena." - British Philosophical Association
"The BPA was established in 2003, and its aim is to promote and foster the teaching and study of, and research in Philosophy in the United Kingdom, within higher education and also within the wider community." - l'Association canadienne de philosophie / Canadian Philosophical Association
"The Canadian Philosophical Association was founded in 1958 to promote philosophical scholarship and education across Canada, and to represent the interests of the profession in public forums."
