The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy

by Simon Blackburn

The Gambler's Fallacy, the Dirty Hands Argument, Pascal's Wager, Buridan's Ass, Wittgenstein's Beetle in the Box--philosophical terms can be both intriguing and baffling. Now, eminent philosopher Simon Blackburn offers the most authoritative and up-to-date dictionary of philosophy available
in a single volume, packed with helpful information for the novice and with astute observations for the expert. Ranging from Aristotle to Zen, the two thousand plus entries cover the entire span of philosophy, from the Vedas (written over three thousand years ago) to the most recent technical
terminology, with ample coverage of important themes from Chinese, Indian, Islamic, and Jewish philosophy.
Here are all the terms one would expect to find in a comprehensive dictionary of philosophy--idealism and empiricism, ethics and aesthetics, Epicureanism and Stoicism, deism and pantheism, liberalism and conservatism, existentialism and logical positivism, and much more. Blackburn also defines many
terms and concepts not normally found in such reference works, including entries for apathy, Elis (the Greek city which passed a law exempting all philosophers from taxation), laughter, and the meaning of life, and he includes relevant terms from disciplines such as mathematics, physics, biology,
artificial intelligence, and linguistics. In addition, there are capsule biographies of nearly five hundred individuals, from the pre-Socratics, to such major figures as Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hobbes, Hegel, Kant, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche, to such contemporary figures as Jacques
Derrida, Michel Foucault, Richard Rorty, Simone de Beauvoir, and Luce Irigaray. Many more women appear here than in other philosophical dictionaries, ranging from Lady Anne Finch Conway, a 17th-century Quaker philosopher and an influence on Leibniz, to Hypatia, an important 4th-century Neoplatonist
and mathematician of Alexandria, who was tortured and murdered by Christian Monks at the behest of the patriarch Cyril. And Blackburn also includes figures such as Einstein, Darwin, and Aesop. Finally, Blackburn interjects much of his own personality and wit into these entries. For instance, writing
on Francis Bacon, he observes that Bacon's "legal philosophy was one of absolute duty to the sovereign, which cannot have hindered his rise to the position of Lord Chancellor." And he begins his entry on apathy with "Although it is the particular enemy of teachers and sports coaches, apathy often
gets a good philosophical press, especially in ethical systems that regard desire and worldly interest as low and unworthy."
A survey of philosophy through the eyes of one of its leading practitioners, The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy is both a handy reference and an intriguing book in which to browse. It is an essential volume for anyone interested in philosophy.

Genres: Philosophy, Reference, Nonfiction, Dictionaries, Academic, Theology

Hardcover

First published December 8, 1994

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Simon Blackburn FBA is an English academic philosopher known for his work in metaethics, where he defends quasi-realism, and in the philosophy of language; more recently, he has gained a large general audience from his efforts to popularise philosophy.

He retired as the professor of philosophy at the University of Cambridge in 2011, but remains a distinguished research professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, teaching every fall semester. He is also a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and a member of the professoriate of New College of the Humanities. He was previously a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford and has also taught full-time at the University of North Carolina as an Edna J. Koury Professor. He is a former president of the Aristotelian Society, having served the 2009–2010 term. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2002 and a Foreign Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2008.

Reviews

[Heini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must confess that I am cheating slightly in adding this in that I have not actually read all of it. However, I dare say that a cover-to-cover read-through is not expected when it comes to a dictionary. All I can say is that this dictionary is indespensible to me as a philosophy student and in all likelihood it will continue to be so for the duration of my studies. If you still have your doubts I would suggest looking up the entry on 'philosophy.' One of the best definitions I have yet to see.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun for when you have a few spare minutes. I love seeing Blackburn trying - and failing - to be civil in his entries on postmodernism.

[Travis Rebello · Rating 4 out of 5]

No, I haven’t read this cover to cover. But I have been using it for many years now. When I was first getting into philosophy, as an undergraduate student, it was an essential aid to study. Now, as a doctoral student, I still find myself reaching for it on occasion. The short entries are great for clarifying jargon or getting a brief introduction to a idea, argument, or thinker, without having to wade through pages upon pages of, say, an online encyclopedia entry.

(Four stars is, I think, really the maximum rating I would give any dictionary. So, I don’t mean it to imply that there is some important way Simon Blackburn’s could be improved.)

[Pamela Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the 1996 edition, but when reading philosophy to get a better understanding it is always good to have some reference books around.

It has 2,500 entries and this will include the most recent terms and concepts.

These types of reference books will offer a more informative concise understanding of philosophers. Dates will keep the understanding as how they evolved and is the most comprehensive dictionary of paperbacks.

You can find any topic and understand any concept.

[Ricardo Vladimiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Não posso dizer que "li" este livro mas sim que o consultei como se esperaria fosse o caso de um dicionário. O melhor que posso dizer deste dicionário é que me tem sido muito útil quando um tópico ou figura me escapa. Hoje decidi fazer-lhe justiça. A verdade é que até agora nunca me falhou. Não houve nada que não tivesse encontrado e não houve nada que não tivesse sido esclarecido.

Um bom livro para ter por perto... quase sempre que leio outros livros.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mikey likes dictionaries.

[Amaterasu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon Blackburn delivers, managing to provide nuance and context within each definition. I'll give him a High Distinction for this.

[David Resendes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good Philosophical dictionary. Clear and precise.

[James Olvera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review will be comparing The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy to The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy.

TL;DR- the ODP is better dictionary with shorter more direct definitions, the CDP is more of an encyclopedia with more in depth definitions.

I have not read either dictionary in its entirety (who has) but I have been using both for some time now and have found myself reading for the ODP more often than not. The ODP functions more as a dictionary with fairly short definitions and explanations (compared to how complex each topic can be). This should be the go to tool for anyone new to philosophy or just looking for a quick easy accessible definition when reading other texts. I find the definitions very helpful and giving just enough depth to understand but concise enough to not make it a chore to read or take away from my other reading.

I purchased the ODP and the CDP together because I couldn’t figure out which functioned as a dictionary better and had better definitions. As I said the ODP functions as a dictionary better, so what does that mean for the CDP? I would say it functions more as a short encyclopedia, the definitions are 2-3 times longer (or more), while each is double column the ODP is 408 pages cover to cover while the CDP is 1001. The CDP is a great resource however I wouldn’t call it a dictionary.

I am glad I purchased both however because they cover and emphasize different definitions.

Here is an example of the differences-
ODP: Epicureanism- epistemology (2 pages)
Epicureanism, Epicurus, Epimenides, epiphany, epiphenomenalism, epiphenomenom, epistemics, epistemology.
The definition of epistemology is 1 column long so 1/2 of a double column page.

CPD: Epicureanism-epistemology (4 pages)
Epicureanism, Epicurus, Epimenides paradox, epiphenomenalism, episodic, episteme, epistemic, epistemic accessibility, epistemic certainty, epistemic deontologism, epistemic dependence, epistemic holism, epistemic immediacy, epistemic justification, epistemic logic, epistemic operator, epistemic permissibility, epistemic possibility, epistemic principle, epistemic priority, epistemic privacy, epistemic probability, epistemic rationality, epistemic regress argument, epistemics, epistemic virtue, epistemology.
The definition for epistemology is 4 1/2 pages long and is broken into sections of kinds of knowledge, the belief condition, the truth condition, the justification condition, foundationalism vs coherentism, causal and contextualist theories, the gettier problem, skepticism.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

To get a good insight into a subject, you can't get better than a modern subject oriented dictionary. I have several relating to Science, Astronomy, Chemistry and Biology. In an attempt to make sense of the Science/Religion debate, currently diminishing in the west, into a slanging match, I have read several books on Philosophy and predictably, the more I learn, the more I discover I need to learn. This supreme dictionary, (they are different), provides moderate chunks of relevant detail on all of the old and new ideas that I come across while reading about the various aspects of Philosophy.

I was pleased to see that this book is the work of Simon Blackburn, the author of several other good books I own. If you are interested enough in old and new ideas about the Universe, Life, Existence or Creation as well as the many great thinkers since Socrates, to read this review , then at some stage you will be ready to access the well written descriptions in the book.

[Tobias Lofton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful and informative guide for an introduction to complex philosophical terminology, theories, and ideas. I'll continue to return to this resource for future reference. I only give it four stars because it helps to have a prior foundational knowledge of common philosophical terminology and familiarity with popular wording structure. Still a good resource and I'd recommend it for those at a mid-level familiarity with philosophical terms.

[Aren Lerner · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author seems to think he has all the answers

[Ciaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not a book I read cover to cover, it had the information I needed, and is laid out in an easy to follow way.

[Yanick Punter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more to get out of this, but it was still quite good.

[Vinícius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ótimo. Ruim é o papel que é muito branco, suja fácil, e não é capa dura. Dicionários, livros de consulta, e também livros com mais de 400 páginas, em geral, deveriam vir com capa dura.

[Nicholas Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best of its kind, a textbook defining the most important terms and concepts in the subject area. It also introduces the most and less known thinkers in philosophy and related subjects like sociology, psychology, linguistics and theology. It also provides 3 appendix at the end(logical symbols, key introductory terms, specialist terms) and a chronology of philosophical and historical events in history. A good supplement to an introduction text on the history of philosophy.

[Kristen]

I use this as a reference tool. Really handy. It really has everything. I originally bought it in college because as an art and art history major, in every reading I was coming across philosophies which influenced or were somehow historically connected with art movements. This book gives very clear and concise definitions. Very helpful.

[Devina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I haven't read this from start to finish, me being a person who's just curious about the general aspect of the subject as well as a few particular more specific topics. I find this dictionary brimming with the concise descriptions that's enough to get me into whatever it may be, from authority to mood. I imagine it's indispensable for those more serious in this field of study.

[Jenny]

sometimes i feel like i need this to supplement my spotty memory.

[Minnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick introduction to almost every aspect of philosophy. A must-have for people interested in a good overview of general trends.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy is better.

[Johan · Rating 4 out of 5]

as far as you ever can read a dictionay....