A Dictionary of Philosophy

Written in collaboration with an international assembly of over 100 philosophers, this volume is a comprehensive dictionary of philosophy. From its ancient beginnings to the present day, this book provides full coverage of the key concepts, doctrines and schools of thought from both the Anglo-American and Continental philosophical traditions. A feature of this dictionary is the series of philosophical self-portraits by many present-day philosophers, including Sir Isaiah Berlin, Alasdair MacIntyre, W.V.O. Quine, Richard Rorty, John Searle and Peter Singer. In addition, the volume includes an extensive system of cross-references and usage notes, as well as comprehensive and helpful guidance on pronunciation and etymology.

Table of Contents:
Dictionary Entries A-Z. >List of Contributors. >.

About the Author :
Thomas Mautner is Professor of Philosophy at the Australian National University.

Review :
"More than 100 Western philosophers have contributed. Those eminent enough to deserve entries themselves, thus absolving the editor and allowing them some modest (or not-so-modest) self advertisement." Nicholas Bagnall, The Sunday Telegraph. "Mautner's Dictionary is a definitive work - an authoritative resource mapping the terrain of a subject which has spread out to encompass different traditions and approaches, each with its own vocabulary and conceptual structure. Mautner has accomplished the difficult feat of explaining clearly and succinctly, in the plain language of everyday conversation, concepts and theories at the heart of European and American philosophy. He has also had the good sense to stand back occasionally, and allow some of the major contributors to contemporary philosophy to tell their own story in the series of invaluable brief 'self-portraits.' This is a 'user-friendly' volume which can be guaranteed to provide the reader with reliable and up-to-date information on developments, both historical and contemporary, in Western philosophy." Brenda Almond, Univeristy of Hull "A unique feature of this one is a philosophical "summing up" of their thinking by many of today's leading philosophers, including Isaiah Berlin, J. J. C. Smart, Alasdair MacIntyre, John Passmore, W. V. O. Quine, Richard Rorty, John Searle and Peter Singer." Library Journal "Thomas Mautner's claim to attention is that his entries are relatively concise and that many of the entries on living philosophers are "self-portraits" written by the subjects themselves. His dictionary would suit students quickly seeking definitions of terms they are encountering for the first time." Maurice Dunlevy, Canberra Times