Online philosophy encyclopedia, founded by James Fieser in 1995
Philosophy (from Greek φιλοσοφία, philosophia, literally "love of wisdom") is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind and language. The term was probably coined by Pythagoras (c. 570–495 BCE). Philosophical methods include questioning, critical discussion, rational argument and systematic presentation. Classic philosophical questions include: Is it possible to know anything and to prove it? What is most real? Philosophers also pose more practical and concrete questions such as: Is there a best way to live? Is it better to be just or unjust (if one can get away with it)? Do humans have free will?
- Atheism - The philosophical position that belief in gods and other deities is invalid
- Dialectics - A method of reasoning that explores a subject from various different perspectives
- Epistemology - Branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge
- Esthetics - Branch of philosophy that studies the nature of art
- Ethics - Branch of philosophy that studies the values that guide human conduct
- Logic - The science that studies the principles of valid reasoning and argument
- Metaphysics - Branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality
- Objectivism - Philosophy put forth by Ayn Rand
- Philosophers - Students and teachers of fundamental principles
- Political philosopy - Branch of philosophy that studies the nature of social organization and the proper functions of government
Reference
Online philosophy encyclopedia, founded by James Fieser in 1995
Fixed (archived) editions available since September 1997 and updated quarterly; entries and substantive updates refereed by members of its Editorial Board
Bibliography
Over 170 titles, including works by Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Plutarch, Aquinas, Erasmus, Locke, Voltaire, Emerson, Adam Smith, Kant, Hume, J. S. Mill and Herbert Spencer
Articles
Discusses economic subjectivism, the principle that different persons attach different values to things or events, as evidenced by the early 2000 stock market downturn
Discusses Spencer's epistemology, his views on causation and how it affects social interactions, concluding with his ethical theory and concept of justice
Review of Tibor Machan's 1989 book Individuals and Their Rights
Topics discussed include: intellectual influences, respected philosophers, determinism, David Kelley, Ayn Rand, philosophy and Objectivism in universities, the Sense of Life documentary and Atlas Shrugged
Brief review of Tibor Machan's book Introduction to Philosophical Inquiries
General discussion of South Park with more detailed review and discussion of the season 2 "Gnomes" episode
Argues, with various examples, that many current problems stem from the lack of proper (philosophical) reasoning, such as category errors (e.g., being unable to distinguish between stick drawings or plastic molds of guns and actual weapons)
Discusses how some people reject a philosopher or political theory solely because they disagree with some aspect of the thinker or the arguments given and counsels in favor of keeping a broad mind and learning even from those with whom you may disagree
Discusses how natural law doctrines were repudiated by utilitarians, why natural rights are important from an economic viewpoint, how the rights to life, liberty and property can be construed and what the author understands as the "social contract"
Interviews
Topics discussed include: ethics, science and philosophy, Karl Popper and the scientific method, Ayn Rand and epistemology, consciousness, relativism and the academic left and Nozick himself
RN: That's right. It is, from another angle, an attack on requiring proof in philosophy ... That's a significant part of what excites me about philosophy, in contrast to those people whose main motivation seems to be to exclude certain ideas, or even most ideas. They seem to want to be thought police. That's why, when these interesting conceptual ideas arise in the sciences, I think that they're continuous with philosophical ideas. They're interesting in the same way, shattering preconceptions.
Topics discussed include: NOW, affirmative action, the Clintons, libertarianism, capitalism, academic administrators, conservatives, Rush Limbaugh, television, Christina Hoff Sommers vs. Naomi Wolf, institutions, homosexuality, nostalgia and Ayn Rand
Cartoons and Comic Strips
Books
by Robert Nozick, 2001
Contents: I: The Structure of the Objective World - Truth and Relativism - Invariance and Objectivity - Necessity and Contingency - II: The Human World as Part of the Objective World - The Realm of Consciousness - The Genealogy of Ethics
- ISBN 0674006313
: Hardcover, Belknap Press, 2001
- ISBN 0674012453
: Paperback, Belknap Press, 2003
by J. L. Ackrill (editor), Aristotle, 1988
Contents: Translations - Aristotle's Works - Introduction - Glossary - TEXTS: Logic - Natural Philosophy - Metaphysics - Practical Philosophy - Topics - List of Books
- ISBN 0691073171
: Hardcover, Princeton University Press, 1988
- Kindle Book available at Amazon
- ISBN 0691020434
: Paperback, Princeton University Press, 1988
by Robert Nozick, 1981
Contents: Introduction - Metaphysics: The Identity of the Self - Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing? - Epistemology: Knowledge and Skepticism - Value: Free Will - Foundations of Ethics - Philosophy and the Meaning of Life
- ISBN 0198246722
: Hardcover, Oxford University Press, 1981
- ISBN 0674664485
: Hardcover, Belknap Press, New edition, 1981
- ISBN 0198247435
: Paperback, Oxford University Press, 1984
- ISBN 0674664795
: Paperback, Belknap Press, 1983
by Ayn Rand, 1982
Partial contents: Philosophical Detection - The Metaphysical Versus the Man-Made - The Missing Link - Faith and Force: The Destroyers of the Modern World - Kant Versus Sullivan - Causality Versus Duty - Egalitarianism and Inflation - What Can one Do?
- ISBN 0786190299
: Audio CD, Blackstone Audio, Inc., Unabridged edition, 2010
- Kindle Book available at Amazon
- ISBN 0451132491
: Paperback, Signet Book, 1984
- ISBN 0451138937
: Paperback, Signet, Reissue edition, 1984
Videos
Discusses the philosophical views of Francis Hutcheson, in particular the argument that human beings, in addition to the five traditionally recognized senses, have a public sense, a sense of honor and a moral sense
Part 1 of six-part, 14 video series; starts with various definitions of philosophy, then explores human capacity for error and compares how the senses are used to determine whether some proposition is valid (true) or not
The introductory paragraph uses material from the Wikipedia article "Philosophy" as of 17 Jul 2018, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.