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The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy (Penguin Reference) Paperback – December 27, 2005

by Thomas Mautner (Editor)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 186 ratings
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Stimulating and authoritative, The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy is the ideal reference work for anyone with an interest in the subject. Laid out simply for ease of use and put in straightforward language are definitions of terms from akrasia to zetetic. What do philosophers mean by absolute and prime matter? Is there any link between the gambler’s fallacy and the uncertainty principle, or the barber paradox and Occam’s razor? These questions and many more are answered in this illuminating dictionary.

The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy features:

  • Extensive coverage of the Western tradition in logic, metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology from c. 600 BC to the present day

  • Incisive overviews of thinkers from Plato and Kant to Derrida and Habermas

  • Powerful self-portraits by leading modern philosophers

  • Contributions from more than a hundred leading philosophers

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    688 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  4. Publication date
    December 27, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    5.1 x 1.23 x 7.77 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780141018409
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0141018409
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas Mautner is visiting fellow in the school of humanities at the Australian National University and has published papers in various academic journals. Among his teaching and research interests are seventeenth- and eighteenth-century philosophy, moral and political thought, natural law, and natural rights.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0141018402
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; 2nd edition (December 27, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 688 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780141018409
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0141018409
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.03 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 1.23 x 7.77 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 186 ratings

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4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
186 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

thorough reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Dictionary of Philosophy, edited by Thomas Mautner. Second edition, 2005.
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2017
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Is (German) 'Geist' a 'mass noun'? Yes, for the world-spirit is without plural. No, for there are many languages naming it. An 'insolubile'?

If we use English to translate the German, we can say 'Geist' is mind, but 'Geister' – the plural as in Kant's title on the '...Geisterseher...' or Spirits-Seer (Swedenborg) – stands for ghosts leaving (English) 'spirit' – more mental than the German equivalent.

Other occurrences of 'paradox' are found in articles on antinomy ('near-synonym' to 'paradox'), on Jean-Paul Sartre ('playful paradox').

What is philosophy? is itself a philosophical question, and this 'autological' quality is shared by both, philosophy and language. But philosophy is less important than its practice, doing philosophy, or philosophizing. Judged by how close a wordbook brings us to this activity Dictionary of Philosophy, edited by Thomas Mautner (second edition, 2005; formerly 'The Blackwell Dictionary of Philosophy', 1996; 'The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy', 1997) is the most philosophical currently available. It is also still the most comprehensive single volume small format manual on the subject in English.

Dictionary of Philosophy is excellent on relativism, on logic ('iff'), often on cross-language comparisons ('right'; 'apperception'), as well as on the classical languages ('predicables'; 'rhetoric'), and on semantic change over time. It includes multiple tables and figures. Let me tell you, this handy book has a wealth of epiphanic experience(s) in store, an abundance of detail and literature on 664 + xxiv pages, small print.

I would situate it in humanities philosophy (cf. also: 'antihumanism') as distinguished from philosophy understood as (a) social (meta-)science. This includes a good amount of language criticism – e. g. '-ism, -ist'; 'philosophy of...'.

Dictionary of Philosophy is a five star enterprise. I'd purchase a new edition – (Edwards's) Encyclopedia of Philosophy got one.

Gosh, that 'perennial intellectual magnetism' (William Gerber) – of words!
3 people found this helpful
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fdoamerica
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Dictionary for Philosophy
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2021
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I have the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy and it is falls seriously short of what the Penguin contains. If you get one dictionary for Philosophy, I recommend the Penguin.
4 people found this helpful
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A. Noe
5.0 out of 5 stars Must have
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2021
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Without a doubt the handiest book for a student of philosophy.
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KS
4.0 out of 5 stars Easy to understand
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2008
I bought this as a supplement to teach English Lit and have been extremely happy. It allows me to answer into-level philosophy questions without bringing out this big books!
2 people found this helpful
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Tom Sawyer
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm hoping to make my way through it from A-Z whenever I find some free time.
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2024
The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy by Thomas Mautner. I wanted to grasp some philosophical concepts so I picked up this book and it's been a joy to dive into. The font size is a bit small, but still manageable. The meanings of the words are succinct and clear, although some are a bit tough to grasp. It also includes the names of philosophers and brief bios. I noticed there are plenty of philosophy dictionaries online but I opted for this one and I'm really enjoying it. I'm hoping to make my way through it from A-Z whenever I find some free time.

This book is from Penguin publisher and I'm thinking about purchasing the one from Oxford (or Cambridge) publisher too.
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BallTurret
5.0 out of 5 stars Solid and Accessible
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2017
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A nice addition to three other such dictionaries. Definitions that I have reviewed so far seem good and accessible. I particularly like the items that allow living philosophers to describe their own projects.
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Eai S Tang
3.0 out of 5 stars Decent but Not Comprehensive
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2012
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Basically in Philosophy, everything is nearly to one's own taste. For example, if I were to show you a Red-like color Apple and ask you what color it is specifically, many could not agree to the hue or contrast of the color Red itself. A person would state that the Apple is of Crimson Red while another one would say it's of a Burgundy color. Therefore, this book of itself only covers a specific amount of "Philosophy" that is of Western origin.

My biggest gripe was that this dictionary -- being ~688 pages, would cover all the fundamentals, i.e. vocab, short but concise explanations of origins and history, only covers that is the most complex or at least the least used words in Philosophy itself. Don't get me wrong, this book covers the needed terms related to Western Philosophy but it lacks the Dharma of the Eastern Philosophy, i.e. words that are more specific to the plight of the Human Condition.

For example, the Eastern Philosophical word Karma is not an entry, nor is the word The Tao (Dao) or even the Tao (Dao) Te Ching which is essential for a aspiring Philosopher to get a rounded understanding of what Philosophy really is -- both the Existentialism and the Inner-elements (Kneosis for the lack of term)that make an individual whole by allowing all perspectives of ideas -- Eastern and Western.

3 out of 5 for only covering Western Philosophical ideals. Would have given 5 of 5 if it included Eastern Philosophical ideas as well.
7 people found this helpful
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Leon M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best for non-professionals
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2010
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I own three dictionaries of philosophy, but the Penguin Reference Dictionary of Philosophy has become my go-to guide. Its extensive entries are neither simplistic nor overbearing for the non-professional interested in topical summaries concerning individuals, systems, and terms commonly encountered in the study of philosophy. Highly recommended.
8 people found this helpful
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Bernie Prieto
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfecto
Reviewed in Mexico on May 10, 2018
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Producto que me fascina. Espero poder comprarlo de nuevo muy pronto como regalo en esa ocasión.

Me llegó muy pronto.

Quedé muy satisfecho.
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mario63a
5.0 out of 5 stars molto buono, del resto la casa editrice è una garanzia
Reviewed in Italy on June 5, 2018
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dizionario di consultazione, molto utile da tenere vicino al tavolo di lavoro, quasi veloce come web, ma distrae di meno, quindi consigliato
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BOOK LOVER
5.0 out of 5 stars コスパ最強のハンディ哲学辞典
Reviewed in Japan on April 14, 2021
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コンパクトにして網羅性も十分です。各用語の説明、英文の質が良い。哲学畑の英文読解力をつけるのに本書はコストパフォーマンスが高い。
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Mr. Francois Marcognet
5.0 out of 5 stars The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy
Reviewed in France on January 19, 2013
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Ce dictionnaire Penguin de philosophie est excellent et tout à fait comparable aux "gros dictionnaires" d'Oxford ou de Cambridge.
Les articles sont très clairs, très bien rédigés et agréables à lire. D'un contenu très riche, très complet, tant en ce qui concerne les concepts, que les auteurs, les écoles de pensée et les interprétations. C'est un très bon instrument de travail, pour acquérir ou réviser des connaissances. (Un rapport qualité/prix exceptionnel).
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C. Neaves
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for philosophy.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2012
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This really is a great resource for almost any given term or philosopher you can think of.
It is set out like a normal word dictionary but with more detail given to each term, subject, or philosopher.
Some definitions range from a few paragraphs, and others cover a few pages. It's all done in concise, detailed, bite-size chunks, that are perfect for quick consumption.
It's a great value philosophy book, that isn't short on details / definitions, so I really can't recommend it enough.
5 people found this helpful
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