ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2nd edition). New York: Macmillan, 2006.
 (REF B51 .E53 2006)
This new edition of the Encyclopedia of Philosophy provides an update on articles from the original edition and adds 450 new entries. Entries are lengthy essays written by scholars on philosophical concepts and philosophers that cover analytic, continental, and national/cultural traditions. Each entry also contains a substantial bibliography. The tenth volume contains an index, a thematic outline of the contents, and lists of bibliographies, philosophy dictionaries and encyclopedias, and journals.

Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. New York: Routledge, 1998.
 (REF B51 .R68 1998)
This 10-volume set was created by thirteen hundred philosophers from six continents. It focuses on providing articles on philosophers and key areas of thought in philosophy. Entries have extensive references and further reading lists.

Oxford Companion to Philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
 (REF B51 .O94 1995)
This reference work includes many brief entries on philosophers, concepts, and national philosophies. There are some longer entries for major philosophers. Bibliographies are included for each entry.

DICTIONARIES & GUIDES:

Xreferplus: Philosophy & Psychology
 (Internet site: http://scroll.lib.wsc.ma.edu:2048/login?url=http://www.xreferplus.com/topic.jsp?sub=39)
An online collection of 5 reference books, including Bloomsbury Guide to Human Thought; The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy; and A Dictionary of Philosophy.

The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
 (REF B41 .C35 1999) or Online
These brief entries for concepts and philosophers are useful for quick clarification or understanding. The entries do not contain bibliographies. Online version is available through Xreferplus

Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers. Bristol: Thoemmes Continuum, 2005.
 (REF B851 .D53 2005)
This dictionary "contains 1082 entries by over 500 authors [and] provides an account of philosophical thought in the United States and Canada between 1860 and the present." Each signed entry by a scholar includes a biographical essay highlighting major contributions to the field of philosophy, a bibliography, a list of other relevant works, and a further reading list.

Dictionary of World Philosophy. Pablo A. Iannone. New York: Routledge, 2001.
 (REF B41 .I26 2001)
Written by a single author, this dictionary strives to treat philosophical traditions from around the world equally. Since it was written as a term dictionary, no biographical entries are present. Entries include a further reading list.

Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion: Eastern and Western Thought. William L. Reese. Amherst, NY: Humanity Books, 1999.
 (REF B41 .R43 1999)
This dictionary covers terms in religion and philosophy and provides analyses of major philosophers and religious leaders. Entries are cross-referenced.

Masterpieces of World Philosophy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1990.
 (REF B75 .M37 1990)
Each essay discusses the principal ideas advanced by a major philosophical work and includes commentary by several philosophers. A further reading list is included with each essay.

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Non-Western Philosophies

A Companion to World Philosophies. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1997.
 (REF B121 .C664 1997)
Non-Western philosophies including, African, Chinese, Indian, Buddhist, and Islamic traditions, are covered by articles that address various philosophical topics in each tradition, as well as background and contemporary topics. Each article has a bibliography, and the work contains an index.

The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Boston: Shambhala, 1989.
 (REF BL1005 .L4813 1989)
This encyclopedia provides brief, explicative entries on the basic terminology and ideology of Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Zen. Several bibliographies are included that list primary and secondary sources.

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Western Philosophies

Oxford History of Western Philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
 (REF B72 .O8 1994)
The history of Western philosophy is covered through six chapters and many pictorial representations throughout this book. A further reading list is included.

Great Thinkers of the Western World: The Major Ideas and Classic Works of More Than 100 Outstanding Western Philosophers, Physical and Social Scientists, Psychologists, Religious Writers, and Theologians. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1992.
 (REF B72 .G74 1992)
Each of the 100 great thinkers is covered in an essay, which covers their major works and ideas. A further reading list is provided with each entry. The book is organized chronologically and covers up to the mid-twentieth century.

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Specialty Areas

Dictionary of Existentialism. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.
 (REF B819 .D455 1999)
Entries include a list of primary works and a bibliography. Also includes a general selected bibliography for the dictionary.

Encyclopedia of Classical Philosophy. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.
 (REF B163 .E53 1997)
This encyclopedia covers Greek and Roman philosophy from the sixth century B.C.E. to the sixth century C.E. Articles are brief, but interconnected with each other, and each article includes a bibliography.

Encyclopedia of Postmodernism. New York: Routledge, 2001.
 (REF B831.2 .E63 2001)
Key terms and persons involved in the field of postmodernism are covered by this encyclopedia. Entries are brief, but a further reading list is provided.

Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
 (REF BH56 .E53 1998)
Lengthy essays on the various disciplines and traditions of aesthetics, which serve as both historical reference materials and critical discussions. Bibliographies follow each entry.

Encyclopedia of Ethics (2nd Edition). New York: Routledge, 2001.
 (REF BJ63 .E45 2001)
Covers ethical theory among English-speaking philosophers and includes biographical entries on notable theorists. Each entry is peer-reviewed and includes a bibliography. There is both a subject and citation index.

Dictionary of Ethics, Theology and Society. New York: Routledge, 1996.
 (REF BJ63 .D45 1996)
Essays on "the major ethical, theological and political influences which have come to form Western society" can be found in this dictionary. Some of the entries are abortion, capital punishment, sexuality, nuclear energy. Each entry has a bibliography.

Encyclopedia of Ethics. New York: Facts on File, 1999.
 (REF BJ63 .E46 1999)
Acting more as a dictionary, this reference source provides brief entries on contemporary ethical terms. A selected bibliography is included.

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Philosophy of Science

Companion Encyclopedia of the History and Philosophy of the Mathematical Sciences. New York: Routledge, 1994.
 (REF QA21 .C645 1994)
As this encyclopedia covers the history of mathematics, it also addresses some of the philosophical questions that have arisen during various periods and traditions. Most of the material dealing with philosophical questions is found within the broader chapter entries.

Dictionary of Concepts in the Philosophy of Science. Ed. Paul T. Durbin. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988.
 (REF Q174.7 .D87 1988)
This dictionary covers controversial concepts in the history and philosophy of science, such as biotechnology, gender, computers, and time. Each entry includes a definition, history, major issues involved with the topic, and a bibliography.

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Biographies

Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Philosophers. New York: Routledge, 1996.
 (REF B804 .B52 1996)
Each of the over 1,000 entries includes a list of main publications, secondary literature, and a brief synopsis of the philosopher's life and work.

World Philosophers and Their Works. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 2000.
 (REF B104 .W67 2000)
Articles on 226 of the "greatest world philosophers of all time" can be found in this reference book. Each entry includes biographical information, principal philosophical works, influence, analysis of works, and a further reading list.

Biographical Encyclopedia of Islamic Philosophy. Ed. Oliver Leaman. New York: Thoemmes Continuum, 2006.
 (REF B741 .B56 2006)
This two volume set has entries "on approximately 300 important thinkers and key concepts in Islamic philosophy." Entries are brief, but contain information on a thinker's life and their contributions to Islamic Philosophy. Bibliographies and further reading lists follow each entry.

American Philosophers Before 1950. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 2003.
 (REF PS129 .D5 v.270)
British Philosophers, 1500-1799. Detroit, MI: Gale Group, 2002.
 (REF PS129 .D5 v.252)
British Philosophers, 1800-2000. Detroit, MI: Gale Group, 2002.
 (REF PS129 .D5 v.262)
Medieval Philosophers. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1992.
 (REF PS129 .D5 v.115)
Twentieth-Century American Cultural Theorists. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 2001.
 (REF PS129 .D5 v.246)
Each of these volumes is part of the Dictionary of Literary Biography series, and contains articles that provide historical, personal, and cultural information about philosophers during the specified time period. A reference list and bibliography is provided for each entry.

Fifty Major Philosophers: A Reference Guide. New York: Routledge, 1988.
 (REF B72 .C59 1987)
Written by Diané Collinson, these entries provides biographical information, major philosophical tenants, and explanations of one or two aspects of the philosopher's thoughts. A bibliography for each entry is included as well as a dictionary.

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Miscellany

Dictionary of Philosophical Quotations. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1992.
 (REF B21 .D54 1992)
This is a collection of quotations highlighting various philosophers' arguments. The quotes are organized by speaker, and a subject index is included.

Writing Philosophy Papers. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub. Co., 1997.
 (REF B52.7 .S44 1997)
This guide provides answers to questions about organization, documentation, research, and writing style in philosophy papers.

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Databases: Indexes, Abstracts, and Bibliographies Use to locate journal articles as well as published and unpublished research.

Ely Library Catalog. For books, audio-visual materials, etc. in the Ely Library
 (Internet Site: http://catalog.lib.wsc.ma.edu/)
The following are examples of subject headings relevant to philosophy for use in the Ely Library Catalog. Do not limit yourself to this list! Use the Library of Congress Subject Headings (Big Red Books) located at the reference desk for more possibilities or browse the online catalog for ideas. See Database Searching Guides for more help.

Philosopher's Index     Limited to WSC community
 (Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Philosopher's)
The Philosopher's Index is an index to nearly 570 journals covering scholarly research in fifteen fields of philosophy. Entries include author-written abstracts. Coverage for some journals goes back to 1940. See Database Searching Guides for more help.

Religion & Philosophy Collection     Limited to WSC community
 (Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Religion)
Covers epistemology, political philosophy, philosophy of language, moral philosophy and the history of philosophy. Limit your searches to Peer Reviewed for scholarly articles. See Database Searching Guides for more help.

JSTOR      Limited to WSC community
 (Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#JSTOR)
JSTOR is a PDF format, full text collection of journals that covers various subjects, including philosophy. See Database Searching Guides for more help.

Project Muse      Limited to WSC community
 (Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Project Muse)
Project Muse provides access to 223 full-text journals from university press publishers covering multiple topics in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences. See Database Searching Guides for more help.

Academic Search Premier     Limited to WSC community
 (Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Academic)
This is a multi-disciplinary full text database containing full text for nearly 4,650 serials, including more than 3,600 peer-reviewed publications. See Database Searching Guides for more help.

Academic OneFile      Limited to WSC community
 (Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#Academic_OneFile)
Contains more than 3,000 full text journals, including peer-reviewed journals and reference sources with extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects.

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Web Sites

WWW Resources by Subject: Philosophy   [Ely Library at Westfield State College]
 (Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/phil.htm)
A directory of philosophy Internet links selected by Librarians.

Try also the list of Internet Search Engines And Subject Directories
 (Internet Site: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/engines.htm)
Be careful as you create your search. Refer to the tutorial: Searching the World Wide Web for information on the Internet, Netscape, and the World Wide Web, as well as for instructions on using web search engines, evaluating Internet Sites, and using subject specific search guides.

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URL: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/guidephil.htm
Page maintained by David Podboy
Last updated June 13, 2007