While still very much a fitful work-in-progress as a source for comprehensive scholarly research, the Web is becoming an increasingly useful substitute for print sources for students seeking reliable quick-reference (emphasis on the quick) information on philosophical topics. Here is a brief run-down of some of the more useful places to look up concise philosophical information while online:
GENERAL
The Ism Book: A Field Guide to the Nomenclature of Philosophy.
Written by Peter Saint-André in 1990 "at the request of a businessman who wanted a brief guide to philosophy in the form of a dictionary." He describes its genesis: "Because of its original audience and my own humanistic vision of philosophy, I included the popular meanings of the isms, brought out the practical consequences of viewpoints in all the branches of philosophy, defined various types of isms, and even tried to make it entertaining."
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Edited by James Fieser and Bradley Dowden at the University of Tennessee--Martin. Articles are currently from three sources (1) adaptations from public domain sources, (2) adaptations of material written by the editors for classroom purposes, and (3) original contributions by professional philosophers around the internet. Over time, the editors seek to replace all of the first two types of articles with original contributions by professional philosophers.
A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names
"A concise guide to technical terms and personal names often encountered in the study of philosophy." The editor, Garth Kemerling explains to visitors, "What you will find here naturally reflects my own philosophical interests and convictions, but everything is meant to be clear, accurate, and fair, a reliable source of information on Western philosophy for a broad audience. Many include links to electronic texts and to more detailed discussions on the site or in other on-line resources."
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
A resources which bills itself as "the first dynamic encyclopedia," meaning that "each entry is maintained and kept up to date by an expert or group of experts in the field (the authors are given direct electronic access to their entries). Unlike static reference works which are fixed on the printed page or on CD-ROM and which often become outdated soon after they are published, this reference work will be responsive to new research, for it constantly changes with the addition of new entries and the modification of existing entries." Published as a project of the Metaphysics Research Lab at the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University. It was designed and implemented by its Principal Editor, Edward N. Zalta. Correspondence should be directed to: editors@plato.stanford.edu
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