Related Guides
Background Sources: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography This link opens in a new window The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is the national record of men and women who have shaped British history and culture, worldwide, from the Romans to the 21st century." Does not include living people or those recently deceased.
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy organizes scholars from around the world in philosophy and related disciplines to create and maintain an up-to-date reference work.
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy The purpose of the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP) is to provide detailed, scholarly information on key topics and philosophers in all areas of philosophy. The Encyclopedia's articles are written with the intention that most of the article can be understood by advanced undergraduates majoring in philosophy and by other scholars who are not working in the field covered by that article.
- Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment Covering the “long” Enlightenment, from the rise of Descartes' disciples in 1670 to the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in 1815, these 700 articles by leading scholars range from discussions of mercantilism and democracy to the battlefield to the dissemination of ideas in salons and coffeehouses.
- The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation is the definitive source for information about the entire range of religious and social changes that altered the face of Europe in the sixteenth century, encompassing not only issues of church polity and theology but also developments in politics, economics, demographics, art and literature.
- The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, 3rd. ed. This is the leading, full-scale comprehensive dictionary of philosophical terms and thinkers to appear in English in more than half a century. Written by a team of more than 550 experts and now widely translated, it contains approximately 5,000 entries ranging from short definitions to longer articles.
- The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, 3rd. ed. This bestselling dictionary is written by one of the leading philosophers of our time, and it is widely recognized as the best dictionary of its kind. Comprehensive and authoritative, it covers every aspect of philosophy from Aristotle to Zen.
- A Dictionary of Philosophy of Religion A Dictionary of Philosophy of Religion is an indispensable resource for students and scholars. Covering historical and contemporary figures, arguments, and terms, it offers an overview of the vital themes that make philosophy of religion the growing, vigorous field that it is today.
- The A to Z of Descartes and Cartesian Philosophy The A to Z of Descartes and Cartesian Philosophy includes many entries on Descartes's writings, concepts, and findings.
- The A to Z of Kant and Kantianism The A to Z of Kant and Kantianism provides a comprehensive dictionary that will aid not only students, but also teachers and the general public, since it contains hundreds of entries describing Kant's life and works, and explaining his concepts as well as the contributions of his followers (and also some opponents).
- Spinoza Dictionary In this work, Baruch Spinoza, one of the cardinal thinkers of all times, answers the eternal questions of man and his passions, and God and nature. In the deepest sense, this dictionary of Spinoza’s philosophy is a veritable treasury of sublime wisdom.
Background Sources: Handbooks, Guidebooks & Companions
- Oxford Handbooks Online: Philosophy. This link opens in a new window Oxford Handbooks Online: Philosophy publishes original, peer reviewed, research reviews covering the key issues and exploring major debates in philosophy.
- The Oxford Handbook of Skepticism The Oxford Handbook of Skepticism features twenty-six newly commissioned articles by top figures in the field of skepticism. In the history of philosophical thought, few themes loom as large as skepticism. Skepticism has been the most visible and important part of debates about knowledge
- The Routledge Companion to Eighteenth Century Philosophy he Routledge Companion to Eighteenth Century Philosophy is an authoritative survey and assessment of this momentous period, covering major thinkers, topics and movements in Eighteenth century philosophy.
- The Oxford Handbook of British Philosophy in the Seventeenth Century The Oxford Handbook of British Philosophy of the 17th Century provides an advanced comprehensive overview of the issues that are informing research on the subject of British philosophy in the seventeenth century, while at the same time offering new directions for research to take. It covers the whole of the seventeenth century, ranging from Francis Bacon to John Locke and Isaac Newton.
- The Oxford Handbook of British Philosophy in the Eighteenth Century This book examines British philosophy in an eighteenth-century context. It looks at the theories of John Locke that mattered most to philosophers of the period, along with Isaac Newton's complex and contested legacy.
- The Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Religion The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion presents a substantive and in-depth treatment of the most central topics related to the philosophy of religion. As a distinct discipline, the philosophy of religion is an innovation of the last two hundred years, but its central topics—the existence and nature of the divine, humankind's relation to it, the nature of religion and its place in human life—have been with us since the inception of philosophy.
- The Cambridge Companion to the French Enlightenment The Cambridge Companion to the French Enlightenment brings together essays by leading scholars representing disciplines ranging from philosophy, religion and literature, to art, medicine, anthropology and architecture, to analyse the French Enlightenment. Each essay presents a concise view of an important aspect of the French Enlightenment, discussing its defining characteristics, internal dynamics and historical transformations.
- The Cambridge Companion to the Scottish Enlightenment The second edition of this Companion presents a philosophical perspective on an eighteenth-century phenomenon that has had a profound influence on Western culture. A distinguished team of contributors examines the writings of David Hume, Adam Smith, Thomas Reid, Adam Ferguson and other Scottish thinkers.
Locke
- The Cambridge Companion to Locke The essays in this volume provide a systematic survey of Locke's philosophy informed by the most recent scholarship. They cover Locke's theory of ideas, his philosophies of body, mind, language, and religion, his theory of knowledge, his ethics, and his political philosophy. There are also chapters on Locke's life and subsequent influence. New readers and non-specialists will find this the most convenient, accessible guide to Locke currently available.
- A Companion to Locke This collection of 28 original essays examines the diverse scope of John Locke's contributions as a celebrated philosopher, empiricist, and father of modern political theory.
- Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Locke on Government John Locke is one of the most important figures in the history of political thought. His Second Treatise on Government was one of the most significant political statements of its time and provides the foundations of liberal political thought. His views on the social contract, political obligation, rebellion, revolution and property remain strikingly relevant today.
- Locke's 'Essay Concerning Human Understanding' : A Reader's Guide John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding is a classic text, which laid out the basic principles of the Empiricism that was to characterise British Philosophy for centuries to come.
- Locke's 'Second Treatise of Government' : A Reader's Guide John Locke's Second Treatise of Government is one of the most influential texts in the history of political theory. It is a staple of undergraduate courses throughout the English-speaking world and continues to inspire and inform contemporary debates in political philosophy. As such, it is a hugely important and exciting, yet challenging, piece of philosophical writing.
- The Cambridge Companion to Locke's 'Essay Concerning Human Understanding' First published in 1689, John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding is widely recognised as among the greatest works in the history of Western philosophy. The Essay puts forward a systematic empiricist theory of mind, detailing how all ideas and knowledge arise from sense experience.
- The Routledge Guidebook to Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding John Locke is widely acknowledged as the most important figure in the history of English philosophy and An Essay Concerning Human Understanding is his greatest intellectual work, emphasising the importance of experience for the formation of knowledge. The Routledge Guidebook to Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding introduces the major themes of Locke's great book and serves as a companion to this key work.
Spinoza
- The Oxford Handbook of Spinoza While the twenty-six essays in this volume—by many of the world’s leading Spinoza specialists—grapple directly with Spinoza’s most important arguments, these essays also seek to identify and explain Spinoza’s debts to previous philosophy, his influence on later philosophers, and his significance for contemporary philosophy and for us.
- Spinoza's Ethics : An Edinburgh Philosophical Guide Everything you need to know about Spinozaâs Ethics in one volume.The Ethics presents a complete metaphysical, epistemological and ethical world-view that is immensely inspiring. However, it is also an extremely difficult text to read.
- Spinoza's 'Ethics' : A Reader's Guide The Ethics is one of the undisputed masterworks of early modern philosophy. In this single volume Spinoza offers the reader an unorthodox account of God, a novel version of the mind-body relation, a systematic theory of the emotions and a detailed prescription for human virtue and blessedness. Too controversial to be published during his lifetime, it was surreptitiously printed by Spinoza's friends after his death.
- The Cambridge Companion to Spinoza. 2nd ed. This second edition of The Cambridge Companion to Spinoza includes new chapters on Spinoza's life and his metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of religion, and biblical scholarship, as well as extensive updates to the previous chapters and bibliography. A thorough, reliable, and accessible guide to this extraordinary philosopher, it will be invaluable to anyone who wants to understand what Spinoza has to teach.
- Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Spinoza and the Ethics Spinoza is a key figure in modern philosophy. Ethics is his most studied and well known work. Being both up-to-date and clear, this Guidebook is designed to lead the reader through this complex seminal text.
- The Cambridge Companion to Spinoza's Ethics Since its publication in 1677, Spinoza's Ethics has fascinated philosophers, novelists, and scientists alike. It is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and contested works of Western philosophy.
Hume
- A Companion to Hume Comprised of twenty-nine specially commissioned essays, A Companion to Hume examines the depth of the philosophies and influence of one of history's most remarkable thinkers.
- The Cambridge Companion to Hune Although best known for his contributions to the theory of knowledge, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion, Hume also influenced developments in the philosophy of mind, psychology, ethics, political and economic theory, political and social history, and aesthetic theory. The fifteen essays in this volume address all aspects of Hume's thought.
- Historical Dictionary of Hume's Philosophy This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Hume's Philosophy contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 100 cross-referenced entries covering key terms, as well as brief discussions of Hume's major works and of some of his most important predecessors, contemporaries, and successors.
- The Oxford Handbook of Hume This collection aims to provide a comprehensive set of analyses and assessments of the key components and aspects of Hume’s philosophical work. The contributions are drawn from among the leading figures of contemporary philosophy and Hume scholarship with a view to providing readers not only with an understanding of the core themes and features of Hume’s philosophy but also with a clear view of the central debates concerning the interpretation and assessment of Hume’s philosophy at the present time.
- Hume: a Guide for the Perplexed Hume: A Guide for the Perplexed is a clear and thorough account of Hume's philosophy, his major works and ideas, providing an ideal guide to the important and complex thought of this key philosopher
- Hume's 'Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding' : A Reader's Guide David Hume is widely considered to be the greatest British philosopher and his Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is the most frequently studied of all his works - a key text in the study of empiricist thought
- The Blackwell Guide to Hume's Treatise This Guide provides students with the scholarly and interpretive tools they need to understand Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature and its influence on modern philosophy.
Kant
- A Companion to Kant This Companion provides an authoritative survey of the whole range of Kant's work, giving readers an idea of its immense scope, its extraordinary achievement, and its continuing ability to generate philosophical interest.
- The Cambridge Companion to Kant An internationally recognised team of Kant scholars explore Kant's conceptual revolution in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, moral and political philosophy, aesthetics, and the philosophy of religion.
- The Cambridge Companion to Kant and Modern Philosophy The philosophy of Immanuel Kant is the watershed of modern thought, which irrevocably changed the landscape of the field and prepared the way for all the significant philosophical movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
- Kant's Lectures on Ethics : A Critical Guide This is the first book devoted to an examination of Kant's lectures on ethics, which provide a unique and revealing perspective on the development of his views.
- The Blackwell Guide to Kant's Ethics Through a collection of new, previously unpublished essays, The Blackwell Guide to Kant's Ethics addresses diverse topics crucial to our understanding of Kant's moral philosophy and its implications for the modern age.
- The Cambridge Companion to Kant's Critique of Pure Reason Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, first published in 1781, is one of the landmarks of Western philosophy, a radical departure from everything that went before and an inescapable influence on all philosophy since its publication. This Companion is the first collective commentary on this work in English.
- Kant's Critique of Pure Reason : An Edinburgh Philosophical Guide Everything you need to know about Kant's Critique of Pure Reason in one volume.The Critique is one of the most written-about texts in the history of philosophy, however, it is also notoriously difficult to read.
- Kant's 'Critique of Aesthetic Judgement' : A Reader's Guide Kant's Critique of Judgment is one of the most important works in the history of philosophy. It is a classic text, in which Kant elucidates his aesthetic theory, and is an important piece of philosophical writing.
Descartes
- The Oxford Handbook of Descartes and Cartesianism A collection of fifty essays on Descartes and his influence in the seventeenth century.
- Historical Dictionary of Descartes and Cartesian Philosophy This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Descartes and Cartesian Philosophy covers the history through a chronology, an introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on various concepts in Descartes’ philosophy, science, and mathematics, as well as biographical entries about the intellectual setting for Descartes’ philosophy and its reception, both with Cartesians and anti-Cartesians.
- A Companion to Descartes A collection of more than 30 specially commissioned essays, this volume surveys the work of the 17th-century philosopher-scientist commonly regarded as the founder of modern philosophy, while integrating unique essays detailing the context and impact of his work.
- The Cambridge Companion to Descartes Descartes occupies a position of pivotal importance as one of the founding fathers of modern philosophy; he is, perhaps the most widely studied of all philosophers. In this authoritative collection an international team of leading scholars in Cartesian studies present the full range of Descartes' extraordinary philosophical achievement.
- Descartes: a Guide for the Perplexed René Descartes is arguably the most important seventeenth-century thinker and the father of modern philosophy. Yet his unique method, and its divergence from the method of hisscholastic predecessors and contemporaries, raises complex and often challenging issues.
- The Cambridge Descartes Lexicon The Cambridge Descartes Lexicon is the definitive reference source on René Descartes, 'the father of modern philosophy' and arguably among the most important philosophers of all time. Examining the full range of Descartes' achievements and legacy, it includes 256 in-depth entries that explain key concepts relating to his thought.
- Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy : An Edinburgh Philosophical Guide Descartes' Meditations is one of the first texts that a philosophy student will study, and one that many come back to time and again.
- The Routledge Guidebook to Descartes' Meditations Descartes is widely regarded to be the father of modern philosophy and his Meditations is among the most important philosophical texts ever written. The Routledge Guidebook to Descartes' Meditations introduces the major themes in Descartes' great book and acts as a companion for reading this key work.
Berkeley
- The Oxford Handbook of Berkeley This volume includes contributions from thirty-four expert commentators on Berkeley’s philosophy, some of whom provide a state-of-the-art account of his philosophical achievements and some of whom place his philosophy in historical context by comparing and contrasting it with the views of his contemporaries (including Mandeville, Collier, and Edwards), as well as with philosophers who preceded him (such as Descartes, Locke, Malebranche, and Leibniz) and others who succeeded him (such as Hume, Reid, Kant, and Shepherd).
- The Cambridge Companion to Berkeley George Berkeley is one of the greatest and most influential modern philosophers. In this Companion volume a team of distinguished authors not only examines Berkeley's achievements but also his neglected contributions to moral and political philosophy, his writings on economics and development, and his defense of religious commitment and religious life.
- Berkeley's 'Principles of Human Knowledge' : A Reader's Guide Berkeley's Principles of Human Knowledge is a key text in the history of British Empiricism and 18th-century thought. As a free-standing systematic exposition of Berkeley's ideas, this is a hugely important and influential text, central to any undergraduate's study of the history of philosophy.
- Berkeley: a Guide for the Perplexed Berkeley: A Guide for the Perplexed covers the whole range of Berkeley's philosophical work, offering an accessible review of his views on philosophy and common sense and the nature of philosophical perplexity, together with an examination of his two major philosophical works, The Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous.
Leibniz
- The Cambridge Companion to Leibniz Gottfried Leibniz was a remarkable thinker who made fundamental contributions not only to philosophy, but also to the development of modern mathematics and science. At the centre of Leibniz's philosophy stands his metaphysics, an ambitious attempt to discover the nature of reality through the use of unaided reason. This volume provides a systematic and comprehensive account of the full range of Leibniz's thought, exploring the metaphysics in detail and showing its subtle and complex relationship to his views on logic, language, physics, and theology.
- The Oxford Handbook of Leibniz This volume provides a uniquely comprehensive, systematic, and up-to-date appraisal of Leibniz’s thought thematically organized around its diverse but interrelated aspects. Discussion of his philosophical system naturally takes place of pride. A cluster of original essays revisit his logic, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of nature, moral and political philosophy, and philosophy of religion.
- Leibniz: A Guide for the Perplexed Leibniz: A Guide for the Perplexed is a clear and thorough account of Lebniz's philosophy, providing an ideal guide to the important and complex thought of this key philosopher. The book covers the whole range of Leibniz's thought, offering detailed examination of the key areas of his ideas, including the intersections between his metaphysics, epistemology, ethical and political thought and his famous claim that reality consists of monads (unities).
Pascal
- The Cambridge Companion to Pascal Blaise Pascal (1623–62) occupies a position of pivotal importance in many domains: philosophy, mathematics, physics, religious polemics and apologetics. In this volume a team of leading scholars presents the full range of Pascal's achievement and surveys the intellectual background of his thought and the reception of his work. New readers and nonspecialists will find this the most convenient and accessible guide to Pascal currently available. Advanced students and specialists will find a conspectus of recent developments in the interpretation of Pascal.
Bacon
- The Cambridge Companion to Bacon Francis Bacon (1561–1626) is one of the most important figures of the early modern era. His plan for scientific reform played a central role in the birth of the new science. The essays in this volume offer a comprehensive survey of his writings on science, including his classifications of sciences, his theory of knowledge and of forms, his speculative philosophy, his idea of cooperative scientific research and the providential aspects of Baconian science. There are also essays on Bacon's theory of rhetoric and history as well as on his moral and political philosophy and on his legacy. Throughout, the contributors aim to place Bacon in his historical context.
Hobbes
- The Cambridge Companion to Hobbes It was as a political thinker that Thomas Hobbes first came to prominence, and it is as a political theorist that he is most studied today. Yet the range of his writings extends well beyond morals and politics. Hobbes had distinctive views in metaphysics and epistemology, and wrote about such subjects as history, law, and religion. He also produced full-scale treatises in physics, optics, and geometry. All of these areas are covered in this Companion, most in considerable detail.
- The Oxford Handbook of Hobbes The Oxford Handbook of Hobbes consists of twenty-six original chapters by a group of distinguished philosophers, political theorists, historians, and literary scholars from North America and Europe. All the contributors have made substantial contributions to Hobbes scholarship, some over the course of decades. The book is divided into five parts: Logic and Natural Philosophy; Human Nature and Moral Philosophy; Political Philosophy; Religion; and History, Poetry, and Paradox.
- Hobbes: a Guide for the Perplexed Hobbes: A Guide for the Perplexed is the ideal resource for any student wishing to really engage with, and develop a sound understanding of, the work of this major philosopher. The text systematically covers all those areas of philosophy where Hobbes is a key player: metaphysics; epistemology; moral philosophy; political philosophy; the philosophy of religion.
- Historical Dictionary of Hobbes's Philosophy The Historical Dictionary of Hobbes's Philosophy offers a comprehensive guide to the many facets of Hobbes's work. Through its chronology, introductory essay, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on concepts, people, works, and technical terms, Hobbes's impact on philosophy and related fields is made accessible to the reader in this must-have reference. Intended as a reference to learn about particular aspects of Hobbes.
- Hobbes's On the Citizen: A Critical Guide This is the first book-length study in English of Thomas Hobbes's On the Citizen. It aims to show that On the Citizen is a valuable and distinctive philosophical work in its own right, and not merely a stepping-stone toward the more famous Leviathan. The volume comprises twelve original essays, written by leading Hobbes scholars, which explore the most important themes of the text: Hobbes's accounts of human nature, moral motivation, and political obligation; his theories of property, sovereignty, and the state; and, finally, his ideas on the relation between secular and ecclesiastical authority, and the politics behind his religious ideas. Taken together, the essays bring to light many distinctive aspects of Hobbes's thought that are often concealed by the prevailing focus on Leviathan, making for a richer and more nuanced picture of his moral, legal, and political philosophy.
- Hobbes's 'Leviathan' : A Reader's Guide In Hobbes's 'Leviathan' A Reader's Guide, Laurie M. Johnson Bagby explains the philosophical background against which the book was written and the key themes inherent in the text. The book then guides the reader to a clear understanding of the text as a whole, before exploring the reception and influence of this classic philosophical work.
- The Cambridge Companion to Hobbes's Leviathan This Companion makes a new departure in Hobbes scholarship, addressing a philosopher whose impact was as great on Continental European theories of state and legal systems as it was at home. This volume is a systematic attempt to incorporate work from both the Anglophone and Continental traditions, bringing together newly commissioned work by scholars from ten different countries in a topic-by-topic sequence of essays that follows the structure of Leviathan, re-examining the relationship among Hobbes's physics, metaphysics, politics, psychology, and religion.
Marx
- The Cambridge Companion to Marx Marx was a highly original and polymathic thinker, unhampered by disciplinary boundaries, whose intellectual influence has been enormous. Yet in the wake of the collapse of Marxism-Leninism in Eastern Europe the question arises as to how important his work really is for us now. An important dimension of this volume is to place Marx's writings in their historical context and to separate what he actually said from what others (in particular, Engels) interpreted him as saying.
- Marx: a Guide for the Perplexed Marx: A Guide for the Perplexed is a clear and thorough account of Marx's thought, his major works and theories, providing an ideal guide to the important and complex ideas of this major figure in the history of political thought.
- The Marx Dictionary The Marx Dictionary is a comprehensive and accessible guide to the world of Karl Marx. Meticulously researched and extensively cross-referenced, this unique book covers all his major works, ideas and influences and provides a firm grounding in the central themes of Marx's thought from a philosophical perspective.
Cavendish
- "Margaret Lucas Cavendish," in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Margaret Lucas Cavendish was a philosopher, poet, scientist, fiction-writer, and playwright who lived in the Seventeenth Century.
- The Well-Ordered Universe: The Philosophy of Margaret Cavendish The prolific Margaret Cavendish (1623–1673) published books on natural philosophy as well as stories, plays, poems, orations, allegories, and letters
- Margaret Cavendish and the Exiles of the Mind Margaret Cavendish, duchess of Newcastle (1623-1673), led a dramatic life that brought her into contact with kings, queens, and the leading thinkers of her day. The English civil wars forced her into exile, accompanying Queen Henrietta Maria and her court to Paris.
Nietzsche
- The Oxford Handbook of Nietzsche This Handbook offers several papers on Nietzsche’s main philosophical topics supplemented with sets of papers dealing with biography, relations with other philosophers, and his individual works
- A Companion to Friedrich Nietzsche : Life and Works This 'Companion' offers new essays from top Nietzsche scholars, emphasizing the interrelatedness of his life and thought, eschewing superficial biography but taking seriously his claim that great philosophy is self-confession . . . and a kind of unintended and unremarked 'memoir.'
- The Cambridge Companion to Nietzsche The significance of Friedrich Nietzsche for twentieth century culture is now no longer a matter of dispute. He was quite simply one of the most influential of modern thinkers. The opening essay of this 1996 Companion provides a chronologically organised introduction to and summary of Nietzsche's published works, while also providing an overview of their basic themes and concerns.
- Nietzsche: a Guide for the Perplexed : Nietzsche: A Guide for the Perplexed is a clear and thorough account of Nietzsche's philosophy, his major works and ideas, providing an ideal guide to the important and complex thought of this key philosopher.
- The New Cambridge Companion to Nietzsche The New Cambridge Companion to Nietzsche provides a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to his most difficult ideas, including the will to power and the affirmation of life, as well as his treatment of truth, science, art and history.
