The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 4-volume set

by Paul Editor Edwards

This comprehensive reference work on Eastern and Western thought provides specific data on the concepts, movements, and individuals that have altered the course of man's intellectual history.

Genres: Philosophy, Reference, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I haven't actually "read" this tome. I first came across it in the library of the History and Philosophy of Science department of The University of Melbourne in 1973-5. After returning to the U.S. I’m pretty sure I acquired it as one of those Introductory Book club offers they used to have, for the Quality Paperback Book Club, or in this case more likely the History Book Club, where you paid $1 or maybe $4 to get your choice of some great books in return for joining the Book Club. Note that the "4 Vol. Set" I'm reviewing is actually four books comprising the original 1967 eight volume set. If you look at the picture closely you can see that the left-most book says "1 and 2" on the spine; that is, it contains the first two volumes of the original 8-volume set.

Now I may be dreaming all this up, but I know I have the four volume set that I’m reviewing, plus a fifth volume called the Supplement (A-Z Cumulative Index), which was published in 1996. Each of these five volumes is a large format, hardbound, library-quality, gold-embossed lettering, 500-600 page delight. I know darn well I didn't steal these from a library, and I sort of doubt that I paid several hundred dollars for them, so I'm guessing that I got them (not the Supplement) as described above. Were did those great book club offers go?

A new 10-volume edition of this work appeared in 2005, and is still in print I believe. Amazon has dealers that sell it new for $1000 and others that advertise used sets starting at $675. Meanwhile the original set that I have (minus the Supplement) can be obtained from dealers for prices ranging from $50-$150.

Sure, a lot of this stuff can be found on-line now. But I look up articles in this set several times a year, and have seldom been disappointed in the quality or quantity of the information. I guess I would like to have the 2005 edition, since things do happen every now and then, even in the field of philosophy. But as noted in the starred review of that set on Amazon, there is a high proportion of articles from the 1967 edition that appear pretty much as originally written in the 2005 edition. (Things happen, but not at blinding speed.) The sort of thing that one finds in the newer edition (and also in the Supplement, which is why I got the Supplement several years ago) which do not appear in the first edition are (of course) biographical data on important philosophers which were not around fifty years ago (Noam Chomsky for example), and also information about topics that were not around fifty years ago (Feminist Philosophy, Environmental Ethics, Poststructuralism, Modernism and Postmodernism, Animal Rights and Welfare for example).

If you like philosophy, and like real books, you might want to consider trying to get a set like this.

[Skallagrimsen]

By "read" I mean I grew up with a copy of the Encyclopedia of Philosophy in my house, and owned my own copy for well over a decade. I referred to it often, as my studies into the history of ideas piqued my interest in various important thinkers and their thoughts. I found a wide range of philosophers covered by the deep and comprehensive entries of this four-volume work. Philosophy is its focus, but since philosophy comments upon and is influenced by all fields, it also by necessity encompasses science, mathematics, theology, history, economics, art, literature, psychology, and other subjects. It is a work of consistent brilliance and exacting erudition, written by leading scholars over a diverse range of specialties. Much of the Encyclopedia of Philosophy will always be peripheral to my interests, or beyond my ability or patience to understand. But it has never failed to illuminate any intellectual subject I have become interested in. The Encyclopedia of Philosophy was published in the late 1960's. It has the inevitable limits of its age. But incomplete isn't obsolete. Anyone attempting to build a more totalistic internal model of reality should find it both useful and fascinating. I considered it a bad sign to find only ten reviews for it on Goodreads. It should not be forgotten.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and continue to read this book since about some time in the 1970s. It's always with me.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have found this to be an enjoyable resource for browsing (though only when quite awake). The article length is about right, although it usually leaves me browsing the article's bibliography. The objectivity/distancedness of the writing varies from one article to another, but is generally high.

I appreciate the number of articles about philosophers minor and major, as discovering persons and their ideas is near as interesting as investigating ideas.

The publication date causes the set to omit some of the latest trends in philosophy and philosophical writing, but may explain its startlingly warm treatment of Freud's bold ideas for early childhood education...

[John Xavier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I owned a copy of this for years and would look through it casually or read up on subjects and authors I randomly heard about; using it as a guide for determining whether I'd then want to delve deeper. It's a monumental achievement and worth exponentially more than the few hundred dollars I saved up to buy it with. Of course, given Wikipedia and other online resources, along with its age, the encyclopedia is, in some respects, superseded. That said, I'm certain it would retain most of its immense intellectual stimuli and, at some point, I'm probably going to get it again.

If you come across it in a used book store and you're at all interested in philosophy, buy it. Every book is an uncertainty but this is as close as a sure thing as they get.

[Chris Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reunited with an old friend!! I had this set back in High School ... But I add to sell it to pay for college. I was looking for a digital copy ( no luck ) but I found a nice used set on Amazon!!! Back on my shelf and it is very nice: It covers Topics, Names, and Systems .... So you can start with any philisophical term and quickly cross-reference the sources and history. A great reaource to dive deeper into a wide range of philosophical ideas and their origins!!! Happy Dance!!!

[Ananya Ganapathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i only read the parts i wanted to know more about and it was very interesting especially what was written about Blaise Pascal

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you define cool? Once upon the time, one's library was how it was done. What did you do when you went to someone's place for the first time? Peruse their bookshelves. What people read define who they are. Well, when I was younger, I sought to be cool like everyone else. Among my friends, philosophy books reigned supreme; I was a philosophy major after all. This series was the granddaddy of them all.

I could never afford this set of encyclopedia. The thing was, if you joined a book club (Book of the Month out of Camp Hill, PA, I believe), this was among the choices one could order for free books. Woohoo! I was finally cool.

Yeah, not so much.

This is a good encyclopedia, but as we have all seen, encyclopedia have become obsolete with the Internet these days. I can get far more detailed original sources of information online than delving into these four volumes. That, however, should not diminish the wealth of knowledge here. This is a good set, just not one that I find a need for these days. I am cool even if these do not sit on my shelves any longer. ;)

[Tom Talamantez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the best gifts I've ever received. An excellent resource for every library and continues to be something I refer to over time. This will sound like I'm a book snob, and maybe I am, but I think it's cool to have, sort of sets your library apart from the bookshelves of ordinary thinkers. Okay, that was arrogant, but I do value the set greatly. Of course I have not read the set cover to cover, but I have found the content to be reliable and informative. Editor Paul Edwards is an atheist however I have not yet seen his personal beliefs cross over the editorial firewall, but I still look for it. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "If you have the means, I highly recommend it."

[Tom Menner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am biased because I studied philosophy in college, but even though it is a bit dated I have found this four volume set to be indispensable for looking up or referencing anything related to Philosophy.

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of articles on various philosophers, schools of thought, history, and philosophical subjects. Before reading the works of a particular philosopher or school, I highly recommend a person read the article concerning the subject/person in this book first.

[Aubrey]

This was apparently Philip K. Dick's favorite source---according to the article titled "Dreaming of Androids" by Charles Platt in the 12/18/11 NYTimes.

[Dan Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

wonderful resource. It has been an important part of my library for twenty years.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back whenever the philosophers were philosophers, and philosophy was philosophized.