Philosophy Collections Guide

The collection covers both analytic and continental philosophy, as well as many more specific branches, including philosophy of art, political philosophy and the history of philosophy, in addition to a wide range of historical works, with substantial collections of ancient and medieval philosophy.  Most material is in English, but the Library also holds sizeable collections of French, German, Ancient Greek and Latin philosophical works, among others.

While a considerable proportion of the resources are held under the Philosophy shelfmark, some resources, particularly foreign language works, are found elsewhere in the Library. This guide aims to pinpoint the most useful locations for research in philosophy.

Founded in 1841, the Library’s collection has grown each year and we hold titles from the late 18th century onwards on the open shelves.  As a result, our collection reflects the evolution and changes in thinking in a particular subject and does mean that you may come across titles which contain ideas and vocabulary that would be considered abhorrent today. The collection continues to grow with some 5,000 new titles being added each year. As we develop the collection, we seek to ensure that the controversial topics of today are represented from all sides of a debate.