The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy (Penguin Reference

by Thomas Mautner

Clear and concise definitions are given of key concepts, doctrines, and schools of thought in Western philosophy, from 600 B.C. to the present day. The dictionary offers numerous entries on major and lesser known philosphers, from Socrates to Thomas Aquinas, from Rousseau to Derrida. 27 tables, 12 figures.

Genres: Philosophy, Reference, Nonfiction, Dictionaries

672 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

Reviews

[Alok Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good possession for the beginners in philosophy... I have enjoyed getting it in front at need as well as just randomly turning the pages and learning about words.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't be surprised if there are plenty of problems with this book, and I'm sure it's a pretty amateur move to go and read a few dozen pages from a concise dictionary than to actually saddle up and hunker down with the actual texts, but I have claimed this book as my philosophical crutch, namely the text(s) I use to clarify what my friends had been saying for the past 8 hours and to get inspired while on the john.

[Lizelle Van]

I don't know much of either philosophy or dictionaries of philosophy, and so it would be wrong of me to rate it. But I can say this: reading a dictionary instead of a standard 'introduction to', geeky as it might be, is a great way to encounter thinkers not generally included amongst the greats, and to sharpen your understanding of the technical words of the trade. 15 minutes a day and before you know it you know things you would never have known if you didn't read what is generally not considered a book you read through page by page.

[Jaycob Izso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yuck... come on a dictionary of philosophical terms? Don't get me wrong, this one wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. That said, it should by no means be considered a dictionary in the truest sense nor an authority on philosophical vernacular. This is a curiously problematic book to put in the hands of undergrads looking to make philosophical arguments. The prudent instructor or reader would be wise to investigate and situate the context of the term(s) in question when looking at this text.

[Pol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps not the best reference book for philosophy students, but as a literature student I found this invaluable in understanding – surprise, surprise – philosophical terms. Of understanding what, for example, a priori and a posteriori are – so many literary critics are all too happy to bandy around terms like these after all.

[Mikael Lind · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great reference book to always have at your side when reading difficult philosophical works. Especially good for those who think it can be tiring to always look up things on the internet and read heavy information off a screen.

[Nattapon Chotsisuparat · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Elly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a reference book for Western philosophy only (not philosophy as a whole), with disappointing Western definitions - although most of them were not even ‘definitions’! None of the explanations were satisfactory.
There were many terms that were also not in there which was frustrating.

2 stars = “meh”

[Lilian]

Great, reads like a book. Learned a lot.