The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, Second Edition (7Summits)

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2005 | ISBN: 0199264791 | 1077pages | PDF | 70.6MB

This version of The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, edited by Ted Honderich is a major new edition of the definitive philosophical reference work for all levels of readers. It provides a stimulating introduction for general readers, and indispensable guidance for students. Its breadth and depth of coverage makes it suitable for those working at a higher level in philosophy and related disciplines. A distinguished assembly of nearly 300 philosophers contribute more than 2000 entries, many of them considerably revised and updated There are added 300 brand-new pieces on a range of current topics. Contributors, including Isaiah Berlin, Anthony Kenny, Michael Dummett, Alasdair MacIntyre, W. V. Quine, and John Searle.

The articles range in length from a few sentences to several page essays. Some essays are biographical ( Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Plato, Socrates, etc.); others are topical(epistemology, metaphysics, logic); some are on the on the most prominent "national" philosophies (American, Indian, Japanese). Each concludes with a useful list of references. An index and frequent cross-references enhance ease of access. Back matter includes a time line and schematic diagrams of types and schools of philosophy.
Editor Ted Honderich sees The Oxford Companion to Philosophy not only as a reference work, but as "something more amiable than that. It diverts. It suits a Sunday morning."

It might be argued that the various authors in The Oxford Companion of Philosophy provide a balance that a single-author work like Simon Blackburn's Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy cannot.