PLATO
Plato (427–347 BC) was born into a powerful family in Athens but abandoned politics after the execution of his teacher, Socrates; he subsequently traveled, became influenced by the Pythagoreans, and…
PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
The study of natural languages is conventionally divided among questions of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, all of which raise significant…
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EMPIRICISM
EMPIRICISM
Empiricism covers a range of views prioritizing experience as the primary source of knowledge. During the Early Modern Period, this view was expounded by the so-called British Empiricists—Locke, Berkeley, and…
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Many of the topics within the philosophy of science overlap with topics in metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of language insofar as they apply within our scientific practice. Metaphysical issues,…
MODAL LOGIC
MODAL LOGIC
A common extension to the standard formal languages outlined above is to introduce the technical machinery required to evaluate natural language arguments containing modal terminology (that is, talk of possibility…
THE ELEATIC SCHOOL
THE ELEATIC SCHOOL
Based in the Ionian colony of Elea (modern-day Velia) in southern Italy, and primarily associated with Parmenides (early fifth century BC) and Melissus of Samos (mid fifth century BC), the…
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Political philosophy is at least as old as Plato (428/227 or 424/423-348/347 BC) and is concerned with the nature of the state and, more broadly, with coercive institutions, and their…
WHAT PHILOSOPHY PROFESSORS WANT FROM STUDENT WRITERS
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 block of syllogistic logic and deductive reasoning. The syllogism combines…
PROPOSITIONAL CALCULUS (PROPOSITIONAL LOGIC)
PROPOSITIONAL CALCULUS (PROPOSITIONAL LOGIC)
The simplest formal (logical) language is the propositional calculus. This considers the logical relationships that hold between complete propositions.
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…
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.
CRITICAL THINKING AND LOGIC TEXTBOOKS
CRITICAL THINKING AND LOGIC TEXTBOOKS
Textbooks on critical thinking and logic.
ESSENTIAL WRITING SKILLS
ESSENTIAL WRITING SKILLS
Having just walked through the basic process of writing a philosophy paper, we turn now to the essential skillset you should develop and apply not only to the writing of…
NON-CLASSICAL LOGIC
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…
GUIDES TO PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING
GUIDES TO PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING
As with developing any skill, learning to write philosophically takes practice. Here are some links to academic sites, along with several style guides, to aid you.
WRITING IS CENTRAL TO PHILOSOPHY
WRITING IS CENTRAL TO PHILOSOPHY
For the great majority of us, writing is instrumental to thinking. Since it is reasonable to describe philosophy as the application of disciplined thought to a variety of topics, issues,…
THE PRE-SOCRATICS
The origins of Western philosophy are usually attributed to Thales of Miletus (fl. sixth century BC), who taught that “everything…
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Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control (The Stoic Virtues Series)
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Stillness Is the Key
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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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A History of Philosophy, Volume 3: Late Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy: Ockham, Francis Bacon, and the Beginning of the Modern World
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The Perennial Philosophy
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Being Aware of Being Aware (The Essence of Meditation Series)
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עידן הדלי (גלי לוסי תחזיות) (Hebrew Edition)
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The Art of War
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The Complete Book of Yoga: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga
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The Construction of Social Reality
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Tao Te Ching
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UNDERSTANDING RENÉ DESCARTES: The Smart Student’s Guide to Meditations on First Philosophy (Philosophy Study Guides)
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Descartes: The Essential Collection
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Antigone’s Claim
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The Burnout Society
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World Tales (Pocket Edition): Book IV
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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
Begging the question
An informal fallacy, begging the question occurs when the arguer assumes the very claim they intend to prove. For instance: “God exists because the Bible, which comes from God, says…
Supervenience
A set of properties of one type (such as mental properties) are said to be supervenient on a set of properties of another type (such as brain states) if and…
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