Unless you're an expert, starting a new project can be a little stressful.
The kind of tools described on this page will give you a solid foundation (vs. a "house built on sand") upon which to build your paper or project. Encyclopedias, whether an e-reference or print, will give you a good overview of the turf. These tools cover a subject broadly, break it into segments (helping you narrow down your topic), and usually provide a list of good books and/or articles that will take you further into your topic.
And better search terms!
Dante Alighieri of Florence
Andrea del Castagno, ca. 1450
Credit: Wikipedia Commons
More than a thousand first-year students enter LMU each Fall. Many will be taking an introductory Philosophy course. Be aware of the need to share our print resources.
Please remember these simple guidelines:
Thanks for keeping the Library alive!
These sample titles are among the dozens of Reference books and sets available electronically on campus, or off-campus using your OneCard name and Library/barcode number.
For additional electronic reference works, see compilation databases like Credo Reference and individual titles in clusters like the Gale Virtual Reference Library and Oxford Reference Online. The Cambridge Companions to Philosophy, Religion and Culture, most of which are also available in paper by title, are anthologies of essays on a particular philosopher or area of study.
Subjects: MANY
Description: General e-book collection containing full text. Focuses on Humanities, Social Sciences, and Business disciplines.
Contents: Book Chapters; E-books
Good places to look for individual philosophers and philosophical and historical schools of thought:
Cambridge Companions to Philosophy, Religion and Culture
Individual volumes on philosophers from (alphabetically) Abelard to Wittgenstein. Available online and in print.
Oxford Handbooks Online: Philosophy
Handbooks on 35 discrete philosophical areas, from Aesthetics to World Philosophy. Some also available in print.
Subjects: Philosophy, Ethics, Biblical Studies
Description: Research database containing full text. Written 2010-present, these are guides to scholarly works on a topic. Each consists of overview paragraphs and annotated bibliographies.
Contents: Bibliographies
Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis
Artist: Sandro Botticelli
Credit: Wikipedia Commons