Philosophy Research Guide

General Philosophy Encyclopedias

As you begin your search for information, you may want to start by looking in an encyclopedia or dictionary. These are designed to provide you with an informative summary of your subject area. Many encyclopedias and dictionaries contain suggestions for further reading at the end of each entry. The following sources deal generally with the entire field of philosophy.

Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, (Craig, ed.) Routledge, 1998.
D. H. Hill Reference BF51 .R68 (Learning Commons)
This is the most comprehensive encyclopedia of philosophy, with in-depth articles on topics in philosophy.

The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, (Honderich, ed.) Oxford University Press, 2005.
D. H. Hill Reference B51 .O94 2005 (Learning Commons)

New Dictionary of the History of Ideas, (Horowitz, ed) Scribner's, 2005
DH Hill Library CB9 .N49 2005 (3rd floor bookstacks)
Electronic version of 1973-74 edition: Dictionary of the History of Ideas

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Encyclopedia entries are solicited by a board of editors and written by professional philosophers. This encyclopedia is described by the editors as a "dynamic encyclopedia," which means that the writers are responsible for keeping the entries up to date.

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Detailed, scholarly information on key topics and philosophers in all areas of philosophy. Articles are peer reviewed.

Librarian Contact Information

Cindy Levine, Research Librarian for the Humanities
(919) 515-2915
cindy_levine@ncsu.edu