Introduction
Philosophy is a major academic field that covers many topics. WCC offers several courses on philosophy including Critical Thinking, Logic, Ethics and Religion. This guide is meant to help students find the best research sources both within the libraries collection and on the open web. Or you can listen to this introduction on “What Philosophers Do” by comedian John Cleese.
Scholarly Journals
OneSearch is a discovery layer for many of our research databases and is a great place to start. Examples of scholarly journals you can find are: Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, Journal of Philosophical Logic, Philosophers’ Imprint.
Academic Books & Encyclopedias
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(SEP) Kept up-to-date by a group of experts in the field, all entries and substantive updates are refereed by the members of a distinguished Editorial Board before they are made public. Consequently, this dynamic reference work maintains academic standards while evolving and adapting in response to new research.
Latest entries in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(IEP) Provides open access to detailed, scholarly information on key topics and philosophers in all areas of philosophy.
General Philosophy
Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (via EBSCO eBook Collection)
Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (via Credo or print Stacks B 41 .C35 1999)
Encyclopedia of Classical Philosophy (via Credo)
The Encyclopedia of Philosophy (print Reference B 41 .E5 8 vol.)
The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Philosophy (print Reference B 790 .O94 2005)
The Routledge Companion to 20th Century Philosophy (print Stacks B 804 .R68 2008)
Dictionary of Philosophy, Macmillan (via Credo)
Logic
A Dictionary of Philosophical Logic (via Credo)
Critical thinking web (University of Hong Kong)
Ethics
Encyclopedia of Ethics (via Credo)
The Essentials of Philosophy & Ethics (via Credo)
Religion
The Encyclopedia of Mythology: Classical, Celtic, Norse (print Stacks BL311.C68 1996)
The New Encyclopedia of Islam (print Reference BP40.G42 2008)
Encyclopedia of Christianity (print Reference BR95.E47 2005)
Facts on File Library of Religion & Mythology Series (print Reference 3 books)
Films & Podcasts
FilmsOnDemand: Philosophy & Religion
This video library has over 1000 videos in their Philosophy & Religion subject category.
Wireless Philosophy
A video series on philosophy project created by Yale and MIT. Funny and informative
History of Philosophy without any gaps
Excellent podcast series. The series looks at the ideas, lives and historical context of the major philosophers as well as the lesser-known figures of the tradition.
University of Oxford Podcasts – Philosophy Featuring public lectures, teaching material, interviews with leading academics, and much more.
News & Current Events
Philosophy Talk: Ken Taylor and John Perry create incredible podcasts on a wide range of philosophical questions. It’s a perfect resource for a beginner in philosophy.
PBS Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
Provides distinctive, cutting-edge news coverage and analysis of national and international events in the ever-changing religious world. This series examines religion’s role — and the ethical dimensions — behind top news headlines.
The Stone (New York Times)
Features the writing of contemporary philosophers and other thinkers on issues both timely and timeless.
MOOCS & More
Open Yale Courses in Philosophy
Introduction to Philosophy from The University of Edinburgh.
World Languages (helps provide a deeper understanding of philosophy)