Philosophy - Geneva College

Philosophy

Philosophy Research Guide

Go directly to: Reference Works - Articles and Journals - Books - Web sites

Use this guide to find print and digital materials related to philosophy.

Questions? Ask a Librarian

Reference Works

These reference materials present overviews and background information, define terms and concepts, and suggest more in-depth readings. Use reference books to begin your research or to clarify terms that you don't understand.

Magill, Frank N., ed. World Philosophy: Essay-Reviews of 225 Major Works. 5 vols. New Jersey: Salem Press, 1982.

B29.W68 1982 v. 1-5 REF

Summarizes major philosophical works with bullet points of main ideas and a longer description (several pages). Important essays about that work are also summarized with a short bibliography for further reading.

Audi, Robert, ed. The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

B41.C35 1999 REF

Entries for both people and concepts, with major topics having articles several pages in length. Extensive cross-references direct to further relevant entries.

Edwards, Paul, ed. Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 8 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1967.

B41.E5 v. 1-8 REF

This encyclopedia features mostly longer articles, which may discuss several related terms. It was updated by a Supplement (B41.E5 1996 REF) published in 1996 that includes topics and philosophers that have recently come into the field.

Craig, Edward, ed. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 10 vols. New York: Routledge, 1998.

B51.R68 1998 v. 1-10 REF

The best philosophy encyclopedia in English. Articles contain a brief introduction followed by a longer article. All articles include bibliographies; a philosopher's own works are listed with a brief description and best/critical editions.

Copleston, Frederick Charles. History of Philosophy. 9 vols. Westminster, Md.: Newman Press, 1960-1975.

B72.C63 (MAIN STACKS)

Copleston's work chronologically examines the major people and themes of Western thought, from the pre-Socratic philosophers to Sartre.

Find more philosophy reference books in the reference room between call numbers B-BD.

Articles and Journals

Find articles

Search databases and indexes to find articles about your topic. Articles that are not online or in print at McCartney Library can be ordered through Interlibrary Loan.

Academic Search Ultimate -- Large multi-disciplinary database with many articles available full-text. Learn how to search Academic Search Ultimate with McCartney Library's research guide.

Atla Religion Database -- Extensive index of journal articles on Biblical studies, religion, and related topics. This database will be most helpful for information about philosopher-theologians or research about areas where religious and philosophical ideas intersect.

Recommended journals

Dr. Frazier's Top 21 Journals

 Click on the links after the title to browse the contents, or in come cases read articles, in these journals. Additional journals to browse:

Books

At McCartney Library

Search the library catalog for books that McCartney Library owns.

Looking for ... Type in search box Example
Works by a philosopher Author name, then click on the name under the Author/Creator option on the right side John Dewey, then click on Author/Creator Dewey, John 
A particular book Title of book abolition of man
Works about a philosopher Select BROWSE from the top row, choose to browse by SUBJECT, then enter Last name, first name Dewey, John (click on the name to see titles)
Works about philosophy Select BROWSE from the top row, choose to browse by SUBJECT, then enter Philosophy Philosophy (click on a relevant topic to see titles)
Philosophy of a subject [keyword] and philosophy economics and philosophy
Specific topics [keyword]
[keyword] and [keyword]
"exact phrase"		 stoics
necessity and logic
"set theory"

Online and in other libraries

  • Search EBSCO eBooks to find books that you can read online.
    • Search by keyword to find whole books related to your topic
    • Search by Full Text to search every single word of a book. This works best for very specific terms or less common names and phrases
  • Search WorldCat to find books from libraries all over the world
    • The database is big, so search for a specific topic.
    • Add dates in the YEAR box to get only the most recent works, e.g. 2000-2020.
    • Most books that McCartney Library doesn't have can be ordered for free through Interlibrary Loan. It usually takes about a week for the items to arrive.

Web sites

Philosophy professors at Geneva College suggested the following Web sites that might be useful in your research.  As with all information, you still must evaluate the source's reliability, currency, accuracy, and relevance.

Online dictionaries and encyclopedias

Glosario de términos filosóficos (en inglés)
[= Glossary of philosophy terms (in English)]

http://www.filosofia.net/materiales/
rec/glosaen.htm

List of definitions for philosophical words from The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy. Browse the alphabetical list of words, or to find a specific term, press Ctrl+F and search for that word.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
http://plato.stanford.edu

Like Wikipedia, many editors and contributors add content to the pages. Unlike Wikipedia, only qualified experts are allowed to write and edit articles.

The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
http://www.iep.utm.edu./

Similar to the Stanford Encyclopedia, IEP has editors who control the submission of articles. Editors and contributors are qualified with advanced degrees and work at colleges/universities.

Web sites of philosophical societies, organizations, etc.

American Catholic Philosophical Association
http://www.acpaweb.org/

In addition to information about the association's publication, American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, this Web site includes APCA conference information and some job postings.

American Philosophical Association
http://www.apaonline.org

Some content on Web site is restricted to members only. Useful freely accessible information includes conference information, and publications

Society of Christian Philosophers
http://www.societyofchristianphilosophers.com/

Contains information about joining the organization, society newsletters, meetings and conferences.

Polanyi Society
http://polanyisociety.org/

In addition to information about the organization, the Web site also includes links to some essays and lectures by Polanyi, conference information, and back issues of the society's journal.

Need more help? Ask a librarian!




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