The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, Ted Honderich

The Oxford Companion to Philosophy - ed. Ted Honderich, Oxford University Press, Hardcover 1076 pages (March 2005). ISBN:0199264791

Title & Author: The Oxford Companion to Philosophy Ted Honderich
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"The Oxford Companion is rewarding to browse through... probably the best introductory guide to buy..." The Economist, May 21, 2005

This version of The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, edited by Ted Honderich is a major new edition of the definitive philosophical reference work for all levels of readers. It provides a stimulating introduction for general readers, and indispensable guidance for students. Its breadth and depth of coverage makes it suitable for those working at a higher level in philosophy and related disciplines. A distinguished assembly of nearly 300 philosophers contribute more than 2000 entries, many of them considerably revised and updated There are added 300 brand-new pieces on a  range of current topics. Contributors, including Isaiah Berlin, Anthony Kenny, Michael Dummett, Alasdair MacIntyre, W. V. Quine, and John Searle. 

The articles range in length from a few sentences to several page essays. Some essays are biographical ( Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Plato, Socrates, etc.); others are topical(epistemology, metaphysics, logic); some are on the on the most prominent "national" philosophies (American, Indian, Japanese). Each concludes with a useful list of references. An index and frequent cross-references enhance ease of access. Back matter includes a time line and schematic diagrams of types and schools of philosophy.

Editor Ted Honderich sees The Oxford Companion to Philosophy not only as a reference work, but as "something more amiable than that. It diverts. It suits a Sunday morning."  

It might be argued that the various authors in The Oxford Companion of Philosophy provide a balance that a single-author work like Simon Blackburn's Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy cannot.