History Of PhilosophyCLASSICAL PHILOSOPHYARISTOTLE
November 15, 2023

ARISTOTLE

Aristotle (384–322 BC) was born in Stagira but moved to Athens as a young man to study at Plato’s Academy. Following Plato’s death, Aristotle traveled, became tutor to Alexander the…
History Of PhilosophyCLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY
November 15, 2023

CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY

The Classical Period in philosophy was dominated by the teachings of Plato (427–347 BC) and Aristotle (384–322 BC) but gradually fell into a decline following the conquest of the independent…
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…
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…
History Of PhilosophyTHE PRE-SOCRATICS
November 15, 2023

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…
Traditional Branches of PhilosophyPhilosophy BranchesAESTHETICS
December 12, 2023

AESTHETICS

Aesthetics is concerned with the nature of art (whether visual, literary, dramatic, or in some other medium) and the way in which art is experienced. Two principal related issues, therefore,…
FORMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGWriting PhilosophyTHE ARGUMENTATIVE PAPER
November 19, 2023

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.
LogicNON-CLASSICAL LOGIC
November 15, 2023

NON-CLASSICAL LOGIC

While both the predicate calculus and the modal propositional calculus may be seen as extensions of the basic propositional calculus, there are also a variety of formal languages intended as…
Writing PhilosophyGOOD PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING
November 23, 2023

GOOD PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING

BASICS OF GOOD PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING: A DEEPER DIVE Having surveyed the elements of good writing from 30,000 feet, let’s swoop in on some of the most important specifics. This means…
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…
PHILOSOPHICAL BOOKS AND TEXTINTRODUCTORY PHILOSOPHY TEXTS
November 27, 2023

INTRODUCTORY PHILOSOPHY TEXTS

There is no substitute for grappling primary sources. Nevertheless, secondary sources—including scholarly research, literary reviews, historical summaries—are valuable tools. They not only show you how you can begin thinking about…
THE EARLY MODERN PERIODHistory Of PhilosophyLIBERALISM
November 15, 2023

LIBERALISM

A political philosophy whose central claim is that a government’s authority is justified only insofar as it secures the liberty of its subjects, Liberalism is generally traced to John Locke…
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…
History Of PhilosophyATOMISM
November 15, 2023

ATOMISM

Atomism was founded by Leucippus (who flourished around 440 BC) but was primarily elaborated by Democritus (c. 460-370 BC) as a way of reconciling the Eleatic doctrine of the impossibility…
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.

Books

  • The Book of Five Rings

    $7.63
  • The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (Shambhala Pocket Library)

    $12.95
  • Mulla Sadra and Metaphysics (Culture and Civilization in the Middle East)

    $64.95
  • Vida contemplativa: Elogio de la inactividad / Contemplative Life: A Praise to I dleness (Spanish Edition)

    $17.95
  • A Degree in a Book: Philosophy: Everything You Need to Know to Master the Subject – in One Book! (A Degree in a Book, 2)

    $24.99
  • Why We Dance: A Philosophy of Bodily Becoming

    $32.00
  • Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life

    $19.00
  • The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

    $7.56
  • Cassirer (The Routledge Philosophers)

    $38.95
  • Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America’s Progressive Elite

    $9.99
  • Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives

    $9.54
  • The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents

    $13.29
  • Beauty: A Very Short Introduction

    $11.95

The Atomos Blog

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
Environmental Philosophy: An IntroductionAtomosENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY

Environmental Philosophy: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026
Feminist Philosophy: An IntroductionAtomosFEMINIST PHILOSOPHY

Feminist Philosophy: An Introduction

Atomos EditorAtomos EditorJanuary 10, 2026

Terms & Concepts

S

Soft determinism

The view that human freedom (in some sense) is compatible with determinism. (See alsoCompatibilism.) https://youtube.com/shorts/eZSiAlHH6sY?feature=share
I

Identity of indiscernibles

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s (1646-1716) principle that it is impossible for two numerically distinct things to be absolutely identical in all respects. https://youtube.com/shorts/Go49Bmv3et4?feature=share
R

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…
C
Cogito, ergo sum
H
Hume’s fork
A
Assumptive proof
P
Proof
T
Teleology
V
Valid argument
I
Immortality
I
Intention/intentionality
A
Ad hominem argument
View All