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EpistemeLinks FAQ
Below are what I hope will be helpful questions and answers. If you have a
question about EpistemeLinks not discussed to your satisfaction below, then
please email me at elcadmin at epistemelinks.com and I'd be
happy to try an answer.
How many links are included at EpistemeLinks?
As of late 2008, EpistemeLinks has over 19,000 links in its database. Most links are categorized under one or more of the 455 Philosopher and 50 Topic areas. Because many links are categorized by multiple philosophers or topics, the actual number of links as they appear at the site is probably over 40,000.
What are the best places to start at EL?
If you are just browsing around (and not looking for something specific, like a
particular journal or organization) then the two best areas of the site to
start with are the "Philosophers" and
"Topics and Traditions" sections.
What criteria do you use in including sites?
There are no strict rules, each site is weighed on its own merits. Annotations
are often provided for links, and these will make clear the scope and reasons
for inclusion of a particular site.
EpistemeLinks is very inclusive in what philosophy-related materials it
links to. Generally speaking, a site must in whole or in part be about a
recognized philosopher or address a philosophical issue. By the former I mean:
one who might appear in any number of large philosophy reference works, or be
referred to at least in part as a "philosopher" in a major encyclopedia. By the
latter I mean, primarily, issues from metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics,
politics, aesthetics, and any consideration of the foundations of other fields
of study or institutions, e.g., Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Language,
etc. Sites that are more inclusive but contain such philosophical content will
usually be included, e.g., a site about an entire historical period that
contains information on the philosophy of that period. The same is true for
University departments, where any department that is philosophy inclusive
(where the philosophy program is a part of a larger department) will be
included.
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What about sites about religion?
Isn't that philosophy?
Religion and philosophy are not the same thing, though they may overlap often.
Because of this, many websites that are purely about religious matters are not
included at EpistemeLinks. Many religious figures throughout history were
also philosophers, e.g., Saint Thomas Aquinas, so they are included naturally.
Also, the philosophy of religion (including Atheism and Humanism) has its own
page in the "Topics and Traditions" area.
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Why don't you have more sites about non-Western
traditions?
I include philosophy sites of all traditions. Please email URLs to me at elcadmin at epistemelinks.com
and I will consider them for inclusion in the appropriate sections. EpistemeLinks is
akin to a library resource, an inclusive philosophy directory that doesn't deny
any tradition its proper space.
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Why DON'T you include so-and-so?
Is this person a philosopher? Did he or she do work in the areas of philosophy
mentioned above and included at EpistemeLinks? I am open to your reasons
and arguments, so please provide me with background on the person in question,
and I will certainly weigh your evidence carefully.
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Why DO you include so-and-so?
This question is often asked in reference to a number of scientists,
mathematicians, novelists, and others who were perhaps not primarily
philosophers. Many scientists did in fact write philosophical works, and are
characterized in major reference works as being "scientist, mathematician, and
philosopher" for instance. Novelists often write non-fiction philosophy as
well, and present deeply philosophical positions in their fictional works.
Aristotle, Rene Descartes, Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, Blaise Pascal, Edmund
Burke, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Ayn Rand are some famous examples of
thinkers with multiple talents of this kind. Still others (e.g., Albert
Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Richard Dawkins, etc) are important to philosophy
though arguably not philosophers themselves. Only the best websites for such
individuals will be included (including link sites that can then provide more
comprehensive coverage).
What is your relationship to Amazon.com, eBay.com, and various other "affiliate" sites?
EpistemeLinks is an affiliate of numerous websites, such as
Amazon.com. As an affiliate, EL provides links, banners, and/or search boxes for these sites in exchange for a commission on sales generated by them. When a visitor from EL uses such links, and then makes a purchase at that site, they are helping to support EL. The visitor need not buy the specific book or item linked: it can be any title that is purchased during a user session
that originates from EL (whether by direct link, homepage link,
or search box).
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