LibGuides: Philosophy Research: Reference/Background

What is "Reference" and What is it Good For?

Reference books are not intended to be read cover to cover. They're to be consulted for background, context, definition and outline, and they usually include brief but excellent bibliographies that point you to further research on the subject.

They're a great place to get quick info, or to get a basic grounding in something with which you may not be overly familiar.

We have many print reference books, but increasingly we're acquiring reference e-books that you can use from wherever you have internet connections.

NOTE: Most of Bethel's print reference books may be checked out for short periods.

Online Reference

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philsophy

Highly Recommended

Each entry is maintained and kept up to date by an expert or group of experts in the field.
Gale Virtual Reference Library - Religion
For research on philosophies in various world religions.
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
REP Online expands this acclaimed Encyclopedia well beyond print reference boundaries. The full content of the classic 10-volume set remains at its core, but REP Online is also a living, growing resource designed to grow along with the discipline itself.
Blackwell Companion to Philosophy of Religion
Companion Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy
Companion to Feminist Philosophy
Credo Reference
Contains hundreds of reference titles--encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, guides, etc. Covers virtually every subject.
Dictionary of World Philosophy
Edinburgh Encyclopedia of Continental Philosophy
This reference guide covers the most important authors and movements in Continental Philosophy.
Encyclopedia of Philosophers on Religion
Presents the religious affiliations and beliefs of 152 prominent philosophers [and] also contains a brief summary of the points each philosopher has made concerning God and religion.
Encyclopedia of Semiotics
The Encyclopedia of Semiotics is a comprehensive reference guide to concepts in semiotics, sign theory, and cultural studies.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Provides open access to detailed, scholarly information on key topics and philosophers in all areas of philosophy. The editors/authors hold doctorate degrees and are professors at colleges and universities around the world.
Islamic Philosophy from its Origin to the Present
Oxford Companion to Philosophy
Oxford Encyclopedia of Aesthetics
Surveys the full breadth of critical thought on art, culture, and society from classical philosophy to contemporary critical theory.
Oxford Reference Online
Oxford Reference Online contains over 100 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press.
Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Aristotle and the Metaphysics
Short History of African Philosophy
more... less...

While drawing out critical issues in the formation of African philosophy, Hallen focuses on the recent scholarship, current issues, and relevant debates that have made African philosophy an important key to understanding the rich and complex cultural heritage of Africa.
Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy
A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy

Selected Print Reference

These can be found either on the main floor of the library in our Reference Collection ("Ref" will precede the call number), and some are in the main collection, with our usual checkout period of 6 weeks.

Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Call Number: (BUL Ref) 103 R869 1998
A dictionary of philosophy
Call Number: (BUL Ref) 103 M447d 1996
Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion
Call Number: (BUL Main) 210 R8696 2013
The Cambridge Companion to Arabic Philosophy
Call Number: (BUL Main) 181.92 C1782 2005
The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Philosophy
Call Number: (BUL Main) 189 C1783 2003
The Cambridge History of Hellenistic philosophy
Call Number: (BUL Main) 180 C1785 1999
The Columbia History of Western philosophy
Call Number: (BUL Main) 190 C726h
The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Philosophy
Call Number: (BUL Main) 190.905 O984 2005
The Oxford handbook of Ethical Theory
Call Number: (BUL Main) 171 O984 2006
The Routledge Companion to Twentieth-Century Philosophy
Call Number: (BUL Main) 190.904 R8696 2008