The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy

Maybe it's just me, but I think that over the last 30 years there's been a dramatic improvement in the quality of short reference works in philosophy since I first studied it way back then. I had several of the classic one-volume books in the past, including some that are out of print now, such as Dagobert Runes's brief Dictionary of Philosophy (which wasn't exactly a "classic," but anyway, it was an enjoyable brief exposition nevertheless), but I think the ones that are available now are much better. This book is certainly an example of that trend, considered by some to be the best in the field, and for good reason. The current edition sports a team of 440 contributors, with 400 new entries, including 50 on important contemporary philosophers. It also claims to have more entries on non- Western and non-European philosophy than an other comparable volume, including Arabic, Islamic, Japanese, Jewish, Korean, Latin American, and even African. I can't vouchsafe all of those claims, but certainly the coverage of Arabic and Islamic subjects is much more extensive than was the case in such reference works in the past. Another thing I liked is the coverage of modern logicians such as Quine and also philosophers of science, which was my main area of interest, is especially strong. The entries range in length from a brief paragraph to an entire column (the pages are printed in two-column format), to several pages for important philosophers or key ideas in the history of philosophy. This book will appeal mostly to serious students and professionals seeking a brief refresher or discussion of whatever topic they're looking for, but the writing is often livelier than one might expect for a philosophy tome. Some, such as the one for Emerson, are as readable and enjoyable as anything I've ever read in the field, competing with Hector Hawkins's wonderful little book, Philosophy for Pleasure, a little gem of an introductory classic from the 50s that is now long out of print. All in all this is a great reference work and sourcebook for anyone interested in the subject of philosophy.

This dictionary is handy for quickly learning the basics about a philosopher or idea. The entries are concise, and I find the definitions of analytic terms especially helpful for precise understanding. When I started graduate school, I used it enough that I decided to buy a second copy so that I could keep one at home and one at the office.

I noticed in the bibliography section of many of the current philosophy texts that I have read that this dictionary was listed or recommended. That was the number one reason why I bought this reference work. Having read and used it for the last three years, I can see why it is so recommended. The Board of Editorial Advisors for the book is amazing (i.e. William P. Alston, Fred Dretske, Norman Kretzmann, Alan Gewirth, etc.). Some of the contributors include Marilyn McCord Adams, Fred Dretske, C. Stephen Evans, William Hasker, Kai Nielson, Luis P. Pojman, William L. Rowe, Robert C. Solomon, Peter Van Inwagen, William J. Wainwright, Nicholas P. Wolterstorff, Keith E. Yandell, and many, many more. This dictionary covers everything imaginable in the area of philosophy (all branches), and even some theology. Furthermore, Philosophers are covered, what they taught is covered, and reaction to what certain philosophers taught is covered as well. It contains 4,000 entries written by some 380 scholars/specialists. Thus, it is as the back cover totes, an "indispensable one-volume dictionary."

This is the best of the philosophy "dictionaries". Far from a bias toward the East or against the Continent, the CDP has one fairly obvious selection critieria. Anybody still alive doesn't get in. There is no Derrida, but there is also no Putnam, no Davidson, no Searle, no Rorty, no Habermas, and so on. Each of these philosophers are discussed in articles about particular ideas. They just don't have biographical entries. The only serious quarrel I have concerns the use of the word "dictionary". Many basic philosophical terms are omitted and the articles, though coherent, balanced and readable, are of encyclopedic length. Looks more like a small encyclopedia of philosophy to me.

Not only does this dictionary offer illuminating biographies of some of the more important individuals in the history of philosophy, but it summarizes their thought in a remarkably concise yet lucid manner. The book is especially useful for scholars of logic, as it formalizes some of the propositions and arguments in the entries related to the sentential calculus and set theory. A comprehensive appendix of the logical notation used throughout the text is also provided. The editor has admirably included entries summarizing the contributions of Islamic and Jewish philosophers; the Graeco-Arabic translation movement -- and its connection with Medieval Judaeo-Christian philosophy is covered, albeit in an indirect manner. Chinese and Indian philosophy is also touched upon, but not in the detail and depth that it deserves. Otherwise the familiar luminaries of Western philosophy are given their fair share.The technical terminology is exhaustively covered, with cross-references offering further elaboration for the curious.What would make the book even more valuable, however, would be an historical introduction (with maps and illustrations). References and bibliographies at the end of each entry is another desideratum. Some have reviled the work because of its slighting of Derrida and his "philosophy". But I must confess that I personally find the conspicuous absence of the "Metaphysics of Presence" gratifying.