The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (Oxford Paperback Reference) | 
 enlarge | Author: Simon Blackburn
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $9.66
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Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 92147
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 432
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.8 x 0.4
ISBN: 0199541434
Dewey Decimal Number: 100
EAN: 9780199541430
ASIN: 0199541434
Publication Date: October 2, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New. Expected US delivery in 7-10 business days
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Product Description
The Gambler's Fallacy, the Dirty Hands Argument, Pascal's Wager--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. 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, existentialism and logical positivism, and much more. Blackburn also defines many concepts not normally found in such reference works, including entries for apathy, 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 contemporary figures as Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Richard Rorty, and Simone de Beauvoir.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Not the exhaustive dictiionary I was hoping for June 7, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you need a pocket dictionary that has basic terms, concepts and philosophers then this is your book. However if you need some more modern terms defined or some meat on the definitions you will find this dictionary lacking. Unfortunatley you dont have much other choices for a portable dictionary as the cambridge is unwieldly. I find it fun to open the book and just begin reading from antwhere but as to its pragmatic value I would say it is limited.
 It saved my life... May 6, 2007
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was in the midst of writing my midterm when I thought of buying this book. I'm glad I did. I didn't get an 'A', but it did help me seal a 'B'. I'm glad it came in handy, otherwise I would've failed.
Where's the entry for Charles Sanders Peirce? March 29, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
It is impossible at this point to talk about philosophy without mentioning the extensive (though unpublished until after his death) work of Charles Sanders Peirce. He is mentioned several times in this voluminous text, but there is no formal entry on him, nor is he in the index. A serious deficiency (oversight? or intentional?) of the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, in my opinion. Otherwise the information is adequate, but not worth buying new.
My girlfriend likes it... January 18, 2007
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
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! =)
Surprisingly Comprehensive, Brilliant Encapsulations July 4, 2006
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I have long referred to the original Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (1994) by Simon Blackburn. At that time, it was almost unique as a one-volume dictionary of philosophy. Especially in more recent years, however, it sometimes seemed to come short. Some crucial entries were missing, e.g. deflationary theories of truth, forms of life, or motivation -- and in particular, postmodern philosophers and postmodern terms.
This has all been addressed eleven years later, so that the 2005/2006 editions do not disappoint. It is surprisingly comprehensive, and it brilliantly encapsulates the core meaning of each entry in readily understandable terms. More obscure entries are cross-referenced to other terms, e.g. axiology, ideal language, or retributive justice.
Blackburn states in his preface that he has sought chiefly to write "through my own interests and judgements", keeping "the likely needs of the user in mind" -- while at the same time seeking to "light up the faculties". I would consider that the end result is a very good mix. One might well find all that one needs in this single volume.
This having been said, Blackburn is not known for his affection for postmodernism. Combined with his own special form of panache, this makes the new edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy a humorous read at times. Foucault, he notes, is said to deal with "subject and abject"; Derrida, on being accused of "a tissue of confusions", responded with a "blizzard of text"; while Levinas is "perhaps beyond the limits of intelligibility". I found myself following the postmodern trail just to find the next joke.
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