Resources

• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  • Stanford’s web encyclopedia project. A work already useful and still growing.
• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  • Same idea as Stanford, generally a bit less technical.
• PhilPapers
  • A “comprehensive directory of online philosophical articles and books by academic philosophers.” A great research tool. Oh, check out their survey of what professional philosophers think about this and that.
• Wikipedia Philosophy Portal
  • Kind of a table of contents for philosophy on Wikipedia.
• UD Library: Philosophy Resources
  • Especially recommended are Philosopher’s Index (powerful search of philosophical publications) and JSTOR (full-text journal articles).
• Wise Old Sayings
  • A very nice range of resources, many (such as the short glossary) aimed at giving newcomers a head start.
• Philosophy Experiments
  • Mainly for fun, but some good practice too.
• 1000-Word Philosophy
  • A growing anthology of <= 1000 word essays on a range of philosophical topics. Good examples of clear philosophical writing, with an emphasis on exegesis. New to philosophy? Why not start with Thomas Metcalf’s essay on what philosophy is?
• Podcast: The Philosopher’s Arms
  • Host Matthew Sweet discusses classic philosophical conundrums while propping up the bar at The Philosopher’s Arms.
• Podcast: In Our Time Philosophy
  • Insightful discussion of a range of topics in the history of philosophy. You should probably just subscribe to the whole ‘In Our Time’ archive, but if you just want the philosophy part, you can do that too.

• Introduction to Logic
  • Oxford University’s self-guided tutorials and exercises which introduces some formal tricks.
• Critical Thinking Web
  • Joe Lau’s informal logic and critical thinking resources at Hong Kong University (also available in Chinese). Includes a free Miniguide to Critical Thinking. But watch out – I spotted one mistake on my initial perusal – you must engage your critical brain even when you are being told about critical thinking.
• Thou shalt not commit logical fallacies
  • Well, thou probably shalt. At least there is a site that will help you put a name to what you just did.
• List of Fallacies
  • An extensive list of formal and informal mistakes of reasoning. Dip in from time to time to build your defenses against such errors. There’s also a link to a list of common misconceptions; providing at least another half hour of top quality procrastination.

• Ethics Updates
  • Introducing you to theoretical ethics, specific ethical theories, and various topics in applied ethics (abortion, euthanasia, reproductive technologies, animal ethics,…). Includes slide shows and video presentations, so have a look when you are on a high bandwidth connection.
• Wikipedia: Ethics
  • A quick way to get your bearings in the field of philosophical ethics.
• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Applied Ethics
  • Another good overview of the field.
• Nuffield Council on Bioethics
  • A rich resource with a medical ethics focus. Includes pdf downloads of their reports.
• NIH Bioethics resources
  • Bioethics resources from the National Institutes of Health.
• Online Ethics Center
  • A rich resource including a range of tools, advice, materials and resources for researchers and teachers.

Because not all learning skills can be developed in one class, because many students have specific needs, and because stuff happens, UD offers various sources of help and support. You are, of course, very welcome to talk to me about anything – related to this course or not. But you should also know that you are absolutely not required to tell me anything – and I may be required to report some information (see Confidentiality notice on Home page). If anything arises that might affect your progress in this course, please let me know that there is an issue (no need to tell me what it is unless you want to) so that we can prevent problems.

UD academic and personal support services include…

• Resources for Current Students
  • A list of resources, including advisement and support centers.
• Library Accessibility Assistance
  • Accessibility for the Library’s collections and services
• Office of Academic Enrichment
  • A great first stop for a range of academic and personal support. If you aren’t sure where to turn, try here first. “The Academic Services Center offers activities that provide undergraduate students with extensive academic assistance through individual and group tutoring, group study sessions, consultations, mentoring, academic success and study skills workshops, testing accommodations for students with learning disabilities and ADHD, and personal and social advising and referral assistance throughout the year. These programs and activities are designed to help students enhance their academic performance while pursuing their degree programs.”
• Student Support Services
  • Academic assistance, personal support, and cultural enrichment for UD students who are first generation, low income, or who have disabilities.
• Writing Center
  • Free assistance with all aspects of writing. Their web site has guides and other resources to help your writing. You may also work with an experience writing instructor to develop good writing skills.
• Oral Communication Fellows
  • Peer support to help you develop your oral communication and presentation skills.
• IT resources
  • What you need to know about computers, the U Del network, and other information technology resources.
• Center for Counseling and Student Development
  • Offering counseling and personal development services to individuals and groups.
• Student Wellness
  • UD’s student wellness program.