Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Philosophers
Author(s): Stuart Brown (Editor), Diane Collinson (Editor), Robert Wilkinson (Editor)
Publisher: Routledge
Publication Date: December 28, 1995
Edition: 1st
Language: English
Print length: 970 pages
ISBN-10: 0415060435
ISBN-13: 9780415060431
Book Description
This Biographical Dictionary provides detailed accounts of the lives, works, influence and reception of thinkers from all the major philosophical schools and traditions of the twentieth-century. This unique volume covers the lives and careers of thinkers from all areas of philosophy – from analytic philosophy to Zen and from formal logic to aesthetics. All the major figures of philosophy, such as Nietzsche, Wittgenstein and Russell are examined and analysed. The scope of the work is not merely restricted to the major figures in western philosophy but also covers in depth a significant number of thinkers from the near and far east and from the non-European Hispanic-language communities. The Biographical Dictionary also includes a number of general entries dealing with important schools of philosophy, such as the Vienna Circle, or currents of thought, such as vitalism. These allow the reader to set the individual biographies in the context of the philosophical history of the period. With entries written by over 100 leading philosophy scholars, the Biographical Dictionary is the most comprehensive survey of twentieth-century thinkers to date. Structure The book is structured alphabetically by philosopher. Each entry is identically structured for ease of access and covers: * nationality * dates and places of birth and death * philosophical style or school * areas of interest * higher education * significant influences * main appointments * main publications * secondary literature * account of intellectual development and main ideas * critical reception and impact At the end of the book a glossary gives accounts of the schools, movements and traditions to which these philosophers belonged, and thorough indexes enable the reader to access the information in several ways: * by nationality * by major areas of contribution to philosophy e.g. aesthetics * by major influences on the thinker concerned e.g. Plato, Kant, Wittgenstein
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
As the title indicates, this dictionary contains information on “1000 philosophers who have lived all or part of their lives in the 20th century.” Entries vary in length from a few lines to two or three pages; they all contain bibliographies of each philosopher’s main publications as well as secondary literature. All articles are signed, and there are notes on each contributor. Of particular interest here are the indexes; one lists the entrants by nationality, a second links them to main categories (i.e., subject areas) of philosophy, a third indexes the special interests of each philosopher, while a fouth indexes individuals who have had influences on each philosopher’s thought. There is also a guide to major schools and movements in 20th-century thought. The entries are well written, concise, and understandable to anyone from college level upwards, even those only briefly acquainted with philosophy. Like most such dictionaries, this one provides a jumping-off point for a more detailed investigation of an individual’s work and thought, and, for this, the bibliographies are particularly helpful. Considerable effort has gone into the preparation of this volume, and though the price is fairly steep, the content is excellent, and the physical production (binding, paper, etc.) is very good. As a one-volume reference to 20th-century philosophers, this work is ideal. Recommended for all academic and public libraries with philosophy collections.?Terry C. Skeats, Bishop’s Univ. Lib., Lennoxville, Quebec Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
…readable and readily intelligible and will help students or others understand the contributions of these thinkers and theorists. The
About the Author
Stuart Brown is Professor of Philosophy at the Open University. He is the editor of eight books, including Philosophy of Psychology, (Macmillan, 1974), Reason and Religion, (Cornell University Press, 1977) and Objectivity and Cultural Divergence, (Cambridge University Press, 1984). He is also co-editor of four others, including Linguistic Analysis and Phenomenology (Macmillan, 1972) and Conceptions of Inquiry (Methuen, 1980). Diané Collinson is a staff tutor and senior lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University. Her publications include Fifty Major Philosophers (Routledge, 1987), Thirty-Five Oriental Philosophers with Robert Wilkinson (Routledge, 1994) and Ending Lives (Blackwell, 1988). Robert Wilkinson is Lecturer and Staff Tutor in Philosophy at the Open University in Scotland. His last book was Thirty-Five Oriental Philosophers^ (Routledge, 1994), co-written with Diané Collinson.
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