History Of PhilosophyANALYTIC PHILOSOPHYORDINARY LANGUAGE PHILOSOPHY
November 15, 2023

ORDINARY LANGUAGE PHILOSOPHY

Between the 1940s and the 1960s, analytic philosophy shifted away from investigating the (supposed) underlying logical structure of language. While it was still primarily concerned with conceptual analysis, this was…
Writing PhilosophyGRADING CRITERIA FOR PHILOSOPHY ESSAYS
November 24, 2023

GRADING CRITERIA FOR PHILOSOPHY ESSAYS

The eight skills just listed are so central to philosophical writing that we may count them among the criteria most instructors use in grading essay assignments. Keep these eight skills…
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?WHAT IS THE “SUBJECT MATTER” OF PHILOSOPHY
November 12, 2023

WHAT IS THE “SUBJECT MATTER” OF PHILOSOPHY

“There is a common misunderstanding that philosophy—like chemistry or history—has a content to offer, a content that a teacher is to teach and a student is to learn,” writes Professor…
THE EARLY MODERN PERIODHistory Of PhilosophyTHE EARLY MODERN PERIOD
November 15, 2023

THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD

Philosophical thought during the Enlightenment was characterized by a rejection of existing sources of authority. The broadly Aristotelean scientific worldview was undermined by a period of scientific revolution—conventionally beginning with…
LogicQUANTUM LOGIC
November 15, 2023

QUANTUM LOGIC

Most non-classical logics are motivated by either philosophical considerations, such as the metaphysical status of the future, or technical concerns about the neutrality of the logical connectives or the notion…
FORMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGTHE ESSAY OF AFFIRMATION
November 20, 2023

THE ESSAY OF AFFIRMATION

The essay of affirmation takes the position I agree. If you want to write an essay agreeing with—affirming—the ideas of another, such as a philosopher, a simple statement of agreement…
History Of PhilosophyPOST-KANTIAN PHILOSOPHY IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
November 15, 2023

POST-KANTIAN PHILOSOPHY IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

Kant’s philosophy continued to dominate throughout the nineteenth century, although there were increasing concerns about the overall coherence of his system; in particular, there was doubt as to whether the…
PHILOSOPHICAL BOOKS AND TEXTINTRODUCTORY LOGIC TEXTS
November 27, 2023

INTRODUCTORY LOGIC TEXTS

There are some fairly firm distinctions between critical thinking and formal (symbolic) logic texts. Whereas critical thinking focuses broadly on argumentation, formal logic is the study of the principles of…
PHILOSOPHICAL BOOKS AND TEXTBOOKS TO GUIDE NOVICE PHILOSOPHY STUDENTS
November 27, 2023

BOOKS TO GUIDE NOVICE PHILOSOPHY STUDENTS

This list is aimed at curating those texts that will both challenge a novice researcher, and continually reward repeated encounters as you develop your philosophical interests.
FORMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGTHE ESSAY OF ASSERTION
November 20, 2023

THE ESSAY OF ASSERTION

The essay of assertion takes the position I believe. It is an argumentative essay in which you convey to the reader some belief or beliefs that you hold. If you…
Philosophy BranchesTraditional Branches of PhilosophyNATURAL PHILOSOPHY
December 12, 2023

NATURAL PHILOSOPHY

An important historical branch designation rather than a current one, natural philosophy was the study of nature and the physical universe by philosophical (that is, largely empirical reason-based) methods.
Modern Branches of PhilosophyPhilosophy BranchesHERMENEUTICS
November 14, 2023

HERMENEUTICS

Originally applied to scriptural exegesis (interpretation), hermeneutics is more generally the theory and method of all “textual” interpretation. In the modern context, this refers to both verbal and non-verbal “texts”…
PHILOSOPHICAL BOOKS AND TEXTESSENTIAL READING IN THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
November 27, 2023

ESSENTIAL READING IN THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY

A comprehensive list of essential readings in the history of philosophy.
FORMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGWriting PhilosophyTHE POSITION PAPER
November 19, 2023

THE POSITION PAPER

A position paper may be viewed as a type of argumentative paper in that it states a claim—your position—concerning a topic, issue, or question and presents a justification for that…
LogicPREDICATE CALCULUS (PREDICATE LOGIC)
November 15, 2023

PREDICATE CALCULUS (PREDICATE LOGIC)

The next development of the propositional calculus is the predicate calculus. This considers the logical relationships that hold between predicate expressions, along with the quantifiers ∃x (“there is at least…

Books

  • Mao Zedong: The Complete Works Volume 1

    $15.99
  • A Brief History of Everything (20th Anniversary Edition)

    $12.99
  • The Origin of Time: Heidegger and Bergson (SUNY series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy)

    $32.95
  • Subjects of Desire: Hegelian Reflections in Twentieth-Century France

    $34.92
  • Mini Philosophy: A Small Book of Big Ideas

    $18.49
  • The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (Perennial Classics)

    $11.39
  • The Prophet (A Borzoi Book)

    $16.00
  • Writing Philosophy: A Student’s Guide to Reading and Writing Philosophy Essays

    $39.99
  • Power Through Metaphysics

    $24.95
  • Torah im Derech Eretz: The Educational Philosophy of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch

    $26.99
  • The Self and Its Pleasures: Bataille, Lacan, and the History of the Decentered Subject

    $16.95
  • End Times Major Clues from Minor Prophets (Revelation Decode)

    $9.99
  • Kripke

    $28.00
  • The Tao of Pooh1st (first) edition Text Only

    $16.90
  • American Camino: Walking as Spiritual Practice on the Appalachian Trail (Toposophia: Thinking Place/Making Space)

    $120.00
  • The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods (Not In A Series)

    $22.95

The Atomos Blog

The Symphony of Existence: Strings, Dimensions, and the Persistence of Identity

The Symphony of Existence: Strings, Dimensions, and the Persistence of Identity

Philosophy StudentPhilosophy Student
Philosophy of Law: An IntroductionAtomosPHILOSOPHY OF LAW

Philosophy of Law: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Philosophy of Science: An IntroductionAtomosPHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Philosophy of Science: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Aesthetics: An IntroductionAESTHETICSAtomos

Aesthetics: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Epistemology: An IntroductionAtomosEPISTEMOLOGY

Epistemology: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Ethics: An IntroductionAtomosETHICS

Ethics: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Logic: An IntroductionAtomosLOGIC

Logic: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Metaphysics: An IntroductionAtomosMETAPHYSICS

Metaphysics: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Philosophy of History: An IntroductionAtomosPHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY

Philosophy of History: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Philosophy of Language: An IntroductionAtomosPHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE

Philosophy of Language: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Philosophy of Mind: An IntroductionAtomosPHILOSOPHY OF MIND

Philosophy of Mind: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Philosophy of Technology: An IntroductionAtomosPHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY

Philosophy of Technology: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026

Terms & Concepts

C

Certainty

That which is beyond doubt, but not merely psychologically. Philosophical certainty involves finding no reasons for doubt. https://youtube.com/shorts/xUfPj_m2YUc?feature=share
A

Analects

Literally, “selected sayings” attributed to Confucius, this text constitutes the founding philosophical document of Confucianism. https://youtube.com/shorts/jXYFZwQ5ePE?feature=share
Q

Qualities

Properties or characteristics of objects, usually divided into three types: primary qualities arephysical properties of objects (such as shape or mass); secondary qualities are dispositions toproduce sensory experiences (for example,…
F
Free-Rider Problem
P
Propensity
B
Brentano’s Thesis
D
Difference principle
S
Sense data
P
Philosophical method
O
Obligation
L
Logical contradiction
T
Transcendental deduction
View All