Customer Reviews

The HarperCollins Dictionary of Philosophy: In-Depth Explanations and Examples Covering Over 3,000 Entries [Second Edition]

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4 star:		(1)
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Mr. Angeles has put together a compact and clear volume of various philosophical terms, as well as brief biographies of all major philosophers. The dictionary is extremely valuable to those, such as myself, who do not formally study philosophy yet wish to understand basic mechanisms and terminology. Of particular interest is the list of informal logical fallacies (under FALLACIES, informal). How many times have you listened to some blathering politician or read some moronic, glib newspaper article and been convinced that the author was being illogical? If that's happened to you more than once, then the informal logical fallacies Mr. Angeles lays out are just the thing for you. My only complaint about the book is its lack of inclusion of religious philosophy (for example, it does not have a brief section discussing the basis principles of Islam or Buddism).

This dictionary was recommended to me for my philosophy courses. I was rewarded by its usefullness and concise, direct definitions. I found it a valuable asset to my core philosophy courses and will certainly keep it on my shelf for further reference.

I have been a student of philosophy and philosophers for all of my adult life. There are terms in Philosophy that anyone who wants to understand Philosophy must know. I have the 8 volume Encyclopedia of Philosophy; I have the Dictionary of the History of Ideas, and I have several small dictionaries like this one. Whenever I sit down to start reading any philosophy book or philosopher, I go to my bookshelf and get this little dictionary. Philosophy is always slow reading and going to a dictionary 3 times in every paragraph makes it even slower but a heck of a lot clearer.
I must order another copy of this book because the pages are starting to fall out of this old copy that I have.
The definitions in this little book are more concise, clearer, simpler, and more accurate than anything else I have. This is a good one!

Richard Edward Noble - The Hobo Philosopher - Author of:

"Hobo-ing America: A Workingman's Tour of the U.S.A.."

I enjoy studying philosophy, but have never studied it formally. As such, there are numerous ideas, terms, figures, and movements that I am not that familiar with. So, when I come across them I need a quick definition, that is down to earth, and solidifies the discussion in a few short sentences, so I can have a greater understanding of the issues and the author that I am reading. This dictionary accomplishes that task.

So, for example, I was studying primary and secondary qualities in a work and the author's wording was a bit confusing. I grabbed this dictionary, looked up "Qualities" and it provided a concise, cogent definition, which enabled me to understand the author's arguments better. If you have found yourself in this position before, are new to philosophy, or just looking for a good, solid philosophical dictionary, then this is a great source.

I bought this book as a Christmas present for my girlfriend (a philosophy student). I don't know anything about the subject, but she carries this book around with her everywhere, and is constantly looking things up in it, so I guess that means it's pretty good! =)