DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Subjects Covered : Philosophy includes the areas of logic, ethics, aesthetics, social and political philosophy, epistemology, history of philosophy, philosophy of history, philosophy of language, philosophy of law, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science, value theory, and feminist philosophy.

The extent to which Philosophy overlaps with many disciplines is suggested by the areas covered by Terence N. Tice and Thomas P. Slavens, Research Guide to Philosophy (1983):

Epistemology
Logic
Philosophy of Language and Linguistic Philosophy
Metaphysics
Philosophy of Mind
Philosophy of Action
Axiology: Values Inquiry
Ethics: Moral Philosophy
Philosophy of Science
Philosophy of History
Social-Political Philosophy
Philosophy of Law
Aesthetics: Philosophy of Art
Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy of Psychology and Psychoanalasys
Philosophy of Education

Departments and Users Served: The collection serves primarily the students and faculty of the Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, students and faculty of the Department of Philosophy, University College, make use of the collection.

The Philosophy collection receives use, in addition to the aforementioned students and faculty,  also by students from other departments satisfying general education requirements. Moreover, it is also used by students of other educational institutions in the area.

Quantitative Information: The Department of Philosophy's web page provides information on the department's undergraduate and graduate programs, current information on students and faculty of the department, as well as faculty research interests.

The website also provides basic information on "What is Philosophy" and the value of research and study in the field. See:
 ( http://ucaswww.mcm.uc.edu/philosophy )

Degrees Granted :  Course offerings in Philosophy go back to the beginnings of the University in 1870, with the earliest reference to the Department of Philosophy dating to 1885. Courses in Philosophy were offered by institutions antecedent to the University, going back to 1819.

The Department of Philosophy offers a Bachelor of Arts, an undergraduate Minor, the Master of Arts, and the Doctor of Philosophy. Information on the M.A. theses and Ph.D. dissertations in progress are listed at the Department web site.

Almost all traditional areas of Philosophy are covered by the Department of Philosophy, but existentialism, phenomenology, and oriental philosophy are not taught beyond the advanced undergraduate level. There is considerable faculty interest and expertise in social and political philosophy, feminist philosophy, and the philosophy of science.

Special Programs and Accreditation Requirements :  The Department of Philosophy offers a special doctoral degree in Philosophy and Psychiatry in cooperation with the Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine. The program is accredited by the North Central Association of College and Second Schools.

Research Focus, Grants, Special Funding :  In addition to University funding, the Department draws on library funds form the Charles Phelps Taft Memorial Fund. Among the scholarly activities of the department is the annual Cincinnati Philosophical Colloquium, a three day conference devoted to a particular topic in the field of Philosophy. The journal, Teaching Philosophy, is edited by faculty of the Philosophy Department, University College.
 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location of the Collection : The Philosophy collection is housed in the Langsam Library, but rare and special items are located in the Archives and Rare Books Department, Blegen Library, and less frequently used materials are in the Southwest Depository storage facility.

Other Collections Supporting the Program :

Internal :  Various other collections are used by the Department of Philosophy, most usually in the areas of the humanities in the Langsam Library. Of great importance to the Department of Philosophy is the Classics Library in Blegen due to its coverage of Philosophy for the Classical period. Also, of importance is the History of Science Collection in the Chemistry-Biology Library and Bioethics materials in the Health Sciences Library.

External :  Students and faculty of the Department of Philosophy also make use of collections represented by the OhioLINK consortium of libraries.

Collection History : The beginnings of the Philosophy collection most likely began with the establishment of the University Library in 1898. The collection was housed in the Van Wormer Library until 1930, in the Blegen Library from 1930 to 1978, and since that date in the Langsam Library. The collection has benefited from the Taft Fund for many years, which has contributed greatly to retrospective collection development. Gifts of Philosophy materials from the editorial board of the journal, Teaching Philosophy, as well as the gifts of faculty collections have enriched the collections over the years.
 

SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF COLLECTION

Call Numbers : The majority of books collected for the Department of Philosophy are in the B classification, with bibliographical sources being located in the Z classification, and Philosophy of Science materials in the Q classification.

Current and Retrospective Collecting :  Most materials purchased are current titles. However, due to the historic nature of the study of philosophy, non-current imprints are also acquired, including out-of-print materials. Older materials are occasionally purchased to replace missing titles, or to fill gaps of an author's works.

Time Period Collected : The collection covers all historical periods, however, due to the coverage of the Classical period by the Classics Library only selected works are acquired for this particular time period.

Collection Levels : Most areas of philosophy are collected to support instruction in undergraduate and graduate courses. Areas in which faculty have particular interested are collected at higher levels.

Languages :  Most purchases are of English language titles. However, journals and books  in various languages are also acquired.

Geographic Areas :  The emphasis of the collection reflects the Department's emphasis on  Philosophy from Western Civilization. However, selections are also made for Eastern and Far Eastern materials.

Types of Resources : The materials of philosophy include philosophical texts and commentaries on them, histories and surveys of Philosophy (both general and by periods, topics, and schools), Festschriften and other multi-volume works, proceedings of scholarly conferences and symposia, and serial publications. Materials are most often books, journals, or microforms. Recently, some materials on VHS videotape and CD-ROM have been added to the library as well.

Resource Format :  Monographs, series, society publications, and journals are of importance to the Department of Philosophy. An increasing number of journals in full text are becoming available via the web through UCLID and OhioLINK. The major database for the field is Philosophers Index, while other specially focused ones include BioethicsLine.

Endowed Areas : In addition to the funding of the University, the Department of Philosophy draws on library funds from the Charles Phelps Taft Memorial Fund and the Taft A&S Fund.
 

ACQUISITION PROCESSES

Approval Plans :  Philosophy makes use of the approval plan profiles by means of the Yankee Book Peddler.

Firm Orders : The majority of books received in Philosophy are acquired by means of firm orders.

Standing Orders :  Standing orders are used to acquire journals, sets, and selected monographic series.

Special Vendors :  Used and antiquarian dealers provide access toout-of-print materials when needed.
 

Don Heinrich Tolzmann
11/20/00