Editorial

What is the value of a bibliography of the key 20th century philosophical writings in times of the digital revolution? Can this bibliographical catalogue contribute anything given today's technical possibilities? Absolute completeness is neither desirable nor possible. For those seeking a guide to the vast body of philosophical literature, this bibliography provides you with a useful tool for research: a catalogue that brings together philosophical writings selected according to a wide variety of criteria. You can filter them by philosophical topics, problems, themes or concepts.

The author Horst-Dieter Finke spend years examinig philosophical writings of the 20th century according to their epistemic value, their topicality, as well as their impact, circulation and reception. Finke compiled more than 8.000 titles in seven languages for this bibliography based on the following criteria: the significance of both author and his or her work, the academic recognition it received, as well as Finke's own well-informed evaluation of the works. So as not to overlook any important academic contributions, Finke analysed all major bibliographies, relevant journals and catalogues, countless literature references in essential monographies; he also consulted research reports and review services as well as records of conferences.

The author participated in the compilation of the "Handbuch der Geschichte der Philosophie" (Companion to the History of Philosophy) edited by Wilhelm Totok. While this companion lists secondary literature on significant authors, Finke's bibliography assembles the most significant primary works.

In the past, bibliographies were mostly published as books – this digital version offers many more possibilities for reseach: you can filter your search results based on various different criteria and thereby create your very own research method.

Hannover, October 2016

Horst-Dieter Finke

© frommann-holzboog Verlag e.K. 2016