Stimulating and authoritative, The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy is the ideal reference work for anyone with an interest in the subject. Laid out simply for ease of use and put in straightforward language are definitions of terms from akrasia to zetetic. What do philosophers mean by absolute and prime matter? Is there any link between the gambler’s fallacy and the uncertainty principle, or the barber paradox and Occam’s razor? These questions and many more are answered in this illuminating dictionary. features: Extensive coverage of the Western tradition in logic, metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology from c. 600 BC to the present day Incisive overviews of thinkers from Plato and Kant to Derrida and Habermas Powerful self-portraits by leading modern philosophers Contributions from more than a hundred leading philosophers