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The Oxford Companion to Philosophy New Edition ( Oxford University Press, USA )
Release Date: 2005-05-26
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $65.00
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Product Description
Offering clear and reliable guidance to the ideas of philosophers from antiquity to the present day and to the major philosophical systems around the globe, he Oxford Companion to Philosophy is the definitive philosophical reference work for readers at all levels. For ten years the original volume has served as a stimulating introduction for general readers and as an indispensable guide for students and scholars. A distinguished international assembly of 249 philosophers contributed almost 2,000 entries, and many of these have now been considerably revised and updated in this major new edition; to these are added over 300 brand-new pieces on a fascinating range of current topics such as animal consciousness, cloning, corporate responsibility, the family, globalization, terrorism .
Here is, indeed, a world of thought, with entries on idealism and empiricism, epicureanism and stoicism, passion and emotion, deism and pantheism. The contributors represent a veritable who's who of modern philosophy, including such eminent figures as Isaiah Berlin, Sissela Bok, Ronald Dworkin, John Searle, Michael Walzer, and W. V. Quine. We meet the great thinkers--from Aristotle and Plato, to Augustine and Aquinas, to Descartes and Kant, to Nietzsche and Schopenhauer, right up to contemporary thinkers such as Richard Rorty, Jacques Derrida, Luce Iragaray, and Noam Chomsky. There are short entries on key concepts such as personal identity and the mind-body problem, major doctrines from utilitarianism to Marxism, schools of thought such as the Heidelberg School or the Vienna Circle, and contentious public issues such as abortion, capital punishment, and welfare. In addition, the book offers short explanations of philosophical terms (qualia, supervenience, iff), puzzles (the Achilles paradox, the prisoner's dilemma), and curiosities (the philosopher's stone, slime). Almost every entry is accompanied by suggestions for further reading, and the book includes both a chronological chart of the history of philosophy and a gallery of portraits of eighty eminent philosophers.
An indispensable guide and a constant source of stimulation and enlightenment, The Oxford Companion to Philosophy will appeal to everyone interested in abstract thought, the eternal questions, and the foundations of human understanding.
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 Good reference. ( jrmcdonald56 )
Like the old Latin dictionary; another thing you need for the shelf. Funny how some understandings change over the years.
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 Comprehensive, but...
My first observation is that the binding (hardcover) is poor quality. It seems that a lot of my recent Oxford Press purchases have been lower quality than one would expect. But hey, the price is what it is.
The second problem I have with the Oxford Companion is that of editorializing. Of course some editorial bias is to be expected, but in certain entries it seems to step over the line.
Now with those two gripes out of the way, I can say that the comprehensiveness is impressive. I wouldn't have expected this much coverage of the various lesser known thinkers in a single volume. Commendable.
The font is easy to read, not too small.
The language and explanations of different concepts are very readable, easily understood. Very close to 5 stars.
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A superb reference with some surprising omissions..... ( lovetheblues07 )
I honestly believe this is one of Oxford's best Companions, covering the field of philosophy from the beginning of time to the present, from entries on philosophers, to ideas, theories and definitions, and everything in between. This is a surprisingly accessible reference book and yet could also easily serve the needs of those in academia.
It was surprising however, to see that one of the most prominent 20th Century philosophers is listed, yet his mentor, who heavily influenced him and his entire life, is not listed at all. A mentor who put out much in the way of philosophical writings in the second half of his life. When Mohandas Gandhi began a philosophical life of absolute non-violence as a way to the truth, few realize that most of the ideas which steered him in this direction came from Leo Tolstoy's religious and spiritual writings. While oversights can be forgiven, they can also bring into question the integrity of a work such as this. In Gandhi's entry in the Companion, Tolstoy is not even listed (nor does Tolstoy have his own entry), and this is the person who started him on the path of absolutist non-violence. And the author of Tractacus Logico, Ludwig Wittgenstein, carried Tolstoy's works around with him while he was a soldier in World War I, yet nary a mention of that in Wittgenstein's entry. I do not believe Tolstoy's influence can be overstated as his works touched and influenced many people, and yet he does not even garner a short entry.
An excellent reference notwithstanding.
**** ½ stars.
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Great Reference Book ( vmr_books )
Philosophy professors generally tend to stay away from teaching, and act more like guides. While this is ideal since I do not want to be influenced by anyone else's bias, it makes navigating Philosophy a little difficult. You will find that studying Philosophy is not like any other conventional learning. This is a great go-to book for definitions of philosophical terms and ideas. Many different viewpoints are almost always included. I recommend this to any student of Philosophy
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Great Companion ( randytar )
I love this book. It's basically an abriged encyclopedia of philosophy, full of concise explanations about philosophers and philosophical themes. It's not perfect. Each entry is written by a different author, all of them university professors, many of them noted philosophers such as Searle, Singer, or MacIntyre. This necessarily means some entries are better written than others, and from time to time authorial bias seeps through and slants the way a theme or philosopher is presented. Nonetheless, almost every entry I've read has been at least interesting, and many have provided crisp, keen insights in a microscopic amount of space. It has enormous bookshelf value, and I keep it right next to my desk. Kudos to the publishers.
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