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Philosophy Research

This Library Research Guide provides a great starting point for students researching philosophy topics.

Reference Books

Why use Reference Books?

Locating background information in general and subject specific encyclopedias and dictionaries and other reference resources will help you put information in context.

Consulting reference materials will help you:

  • Get an overview of the subject.
  • Note key concepts/developments.
  • Identify significant authors.
  • See a chronology/timeline.
  • Discern connections/interrelationships with other developments.
  • Develop a list of search terms.
  • Use the bibliographies to locate other information on your topic.

Below are some suggested resources to get you started. Search the Bentley Library Catalog to find more titles of interest and please Ask a Librarian who can recommend resources for your specific topic:

Search the Bentley Library Catalog & ebook Collections

With over 154,000 books & 8,000 DVDs & Videos in the Bentley University Library's Collection, the Library Search is a great place to find resources for your topic. Search tips are available to help you formulate a more relevant search query. You can also look in the bibliographies of books you find to identify other sources of information you may want to explore.

WorldCat Catalog -- Search for books beyond Bentley

Search for resources from around the world using Worldcat from the Library of Congress. You can use the Bentley Library's Interlibrary Loan service to retrieve books, articles and even DVDs.