Philosophy

Purpose: To support teaching and research through the B.A. and the joint M.A. program with the University of Idaho in the following fields: aesthetics, analytical philosophy, comparative philosophy (especially Asian), bioethics and ethics, environmental philosophy, epistemology (including selected works on phenomenology), existentialism, history of philosophy, philosophy of history, philosophy of language, philosophy of law, logic, metaphysics, political and social philosophy, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science, philosophy of technology, and applied philosophy. While concern for these fields is centered in the Philosophy Department, faculty and students in various other university departments have interests in philosophy.

1. Languages: English is the primary language of the collection, although materials in any language will be collected if important or necessary for advanced research. Works published originally in languages other than English are ordinarily purchased when translated into substantive English editions.
2. Chronological Guidelines: No limitations. Materials relevant to the study of philosophy and ancillary fields are collected from its ancient beginnings to the present. However, works relating to ancient Greek philosophy and late eighteenth-, nineteenth-, twentieth-, and twenty-first century material predominate.
3. Geographical Guidelines: There are no meaningful geographical distinctions to be drawn within the subject matter of philosophy. Philosophical works of all countries and time periods are collected in order to support work in any of the sub-disciplines of philosophy, with the realization that various countries and cultures have long contributed to such philosophical thought.
4. Treatment of the Subject: Biographies and correspondence of philosophers are collected selectively. History of philosophy, including the history of philosophic concepts and historical studies of the various subdivisions of the field itself, is collected extensively. Lower division textbooks, including anthologies, are not purchased. Popular and non-technical works of philosophy and ancillary subjects are selectively collected.
5. Types of Material: Most materials acquired are in the form of books and periodicals. Encyclopedias and dictionaries of philosophy, reports of philosophical institutes, proceedings of philosophical congresses and conferences, directories of philosophers, indexes and abstracts, and bibliographies will be purchased extensively. Microform reproductions and photocopies of materials may be acquired. Electronic resources are acquired, particularly reference or research tools that offer broad research support.
6. Date of Publication: Emphasis is on current works and recent reassessments.
7. Other General Considerations: Disciplines interested in philosophy include government, history, literature, art and art history, religion, sociology, psychology, physics, biology, and general education classes. Access to resources is augmented through the Orbis Cascade Alliance and interlibrary loan.