RELEVANCE LOGICS
A relevance logic is motivated by the idea that the premises of a valid argument must be somehow “relevant” to its conclusion. The idea is motivated by the fact that…
WHAT PHILOSOPHY PROFESSORS WANT FROM STUDENT WRITERS
Some 2,300 years ago, Aristotle introduced the syllogism into the intellectual world. A threeelement formula, it is the elementary building…
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THE ARGUMENTATIVE PAPER
THE ARGUMENTATIVE PAPER
Essays of assertion, affirmation, and refutation are all examples of the argumentative paper. An effective argument relies on factually true premises or premises for which you have strong support.
THE PRE-SOCRATICS
THE PRE-SOCRATICS
The origins of Western philosophy are usually attributed to Thales of Miletus (fl. sixth century BC), who taught that “everything was made of water” and thus that the universe, all…
FORMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING
FORMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING
The word essay comes from the French infinitive verb essayer, meaning “to try” or “to attempt.” In fact, when the word was first borrowed into the English language, as essay,…
RATIONALISM
RATIONALISM
Rationalism designates a variety of philosophical schools maintaining that reason, as opposed to empirical investigation, is the most important method of acquiring knowledge.
CYNICISM
CYNICISM
Founded by Antisthenes (c. 445–360 BC), who taught the importance of individual virtue over material luxury, Cynicism was contemptuous of political institutions and organized religion. It rejected refined philosophical speculation…
PHENOMENOLOGY
PHENOMENOLOGY
As originally developed by Edmund Husserl (1859–1938), phenomenology seeks to provide a detailed description of the way in which things are presented to us—that is to say, phenomena —in an…
STRUCTURALISM
STRUCTURALISM
Structuralism refers to research undertaken in the social sciences, predominantly in France, between the 1950s and 1970s, which sought to understand various social phenomena as a “closed system” of elements.
POST-KANTIAN PHILOSOPHY IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
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…
HERMENEUTICS
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”…
THE ESSAY OF ASSERTION
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…
EXISTENTIALISM
EXISTENTIALISM
A broad philosophical and literary movement that flourished during the first half of the twentieth century, Existentialism emphasized the uniqueness of human experience over the generalizations of traditional scientific or…
BOOKS TO GUIDE NOVICE PHILOSOPHY STUDENTS
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.
PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Many religions distinguish between truths accessible through reason (natural theology), and truths accessible through faith (revealed theology). Both natural and revealed theology raise interesting philosophical questions about these two sources…
STOICISM
STOICISM
Founded by Zeno of Citium (334–262 BC), early Stoicism shared many similarities with Epicureanism, including the belief that the world was largely deterministic and that the overall goal of the…
PHILOSOPHIES OF EAST ASIA
The dominant philosophical traditions in this part of the world began in Ancient China from the sixth century to 221…
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Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control (The Stoic Virtues Series)
$15.99
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Stillness Is the Key
$7.99
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Right Thing, Right Now: Justice in an Unjust World (The Stoic Virtues Series)
$28.00
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How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
$13.12
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Letters from a Stoic: Penguin Classics
$14.52
Books
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The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays
$10.58 -
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
$13.59 -
I Am the Word: A Guide to the Consciousness of Man’s Self in a Transitioning Time (Mastery Trilogy/Paul Selig Series)
$17.00 -
The Scarlet Letter (Illustrated): The 1850 Classic Edition with Original Illustrations
$7.99 -
Between Past and Future (Penguin Classics)
$13.79 -
Beauty: What It Is and Why It Matters
$14.95 -
On Liberty
$9.99 -
The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell YOU
$15.74 -
The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
$76.09 -
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (Shambhala Pocket Library)
$12.95 -
The Courage to Be
$29.28 -
Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path
$12.99 -
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: Britain and the American Dream
$25.00 -
Autobiography of a Yogi (Self-Realization Fellowship)
$27.95 -
Uncommon Sense: Jeremy Bentham, Queer Aesthetics, and the Politics of Taste
$32.50 -
The Phenomenology of Religious Life (Studies in Continental Thought)
$28.00
The Atomos Blog
Philosophy of Law: An Introduction
Philosophy of Law: An Introduction
Philosophy of Law: An Introduction
Philosophy of Law: An Introduction
Philosophy of Science: An Introduction
Philosophy of Science: An Introduction
Aesthetics: An Introduction
Aesthetics: An Introduction
Epistemology: An Introduction
Epistemology: An Introduction
Ethics: An Introduction
Ethics: An Introduction
Logic: An Introduction
Logic: An Introduction
Metaphysics: An Introduction
Metaphysics: An Introduction
Philosophy of History: An Introduction
Philosophy of History: An Introduction
Philosophy of Language: An Introduction
Philosophy of Language: An Introduction
Philosophy of Mind: An Introduction
Philosophy of Mind: An Introduction
Philosophy of Technology: An Introduction
Philosophy of Technology: An Introduction
Political and Social Philosophy: An Introduction
Political and Social Philosophy: An Introduction
Environmental Philosophy: An Introduction
Environmental Philosophy: An Introduction
Existentialism and Phenomenology: An Introduction
Existentialism and Phenomenology: An Introduction
Feminist Philosophy: An Introduction
Feminist Philosophy: An Introduction
Philosophy of Mind: An Introduction
Philosophy of Mind: An Introduction
Terms & Concepts
General conditional proof
In symbolic logic, a valid inference in a system of quantifier rules. From the assumption that an individually named thing has a specific property, an inference is drawn that that…
Reflective equilibrium
A method for justifying a set of beliefs by the simultaneous adjustment of initial principles and resulting theories. For instance, Nelson Goodman (1906-1998) argued that we can justify a particular…
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