The Philosophical Dictionary

This lexicon of modern Western philosophical concepts, problems, principles, and theories may well be the shortest dictionary of philosophy in the English language, but one of the most useful. Organised by internationally recognised philosopher Mario Bunge, this indispensable volume, directed to general and university audiences, elucidates and evaluates many contemporary philosophical ideas from a humanist and scientifically oriented perspective. From A to Z, most entries are brief and non-technical in nature, highlighting useful philosophical terms rather than trendy ones. Placing emphasis on 'living' philosophy, Bunge has deliberately excluded many of the archaic terms and philosophical curios of other dictionaries. He has incorporated a number of 'minipapers', or longer definitions of some terms, and he critically analyses such influential doctrines as existentialism, phenomenology, idealism, materialism, pragmatism, deontological ethics, utilitarianism, and many others.