Oxford Philosophical Concepts offers philosophically rich and historically sound accounts of central concepts in the history of philosophy. Each is a history of its concept written by eminent scholars whose main goal is to present the underlying problems that the concept was supposed to solve and to explain how approaches to the concept – and sometimes the concept itself — shifted in order to solve those problems. Each volume’s editor is responsible to set its focus, gather the best international scholars as contributors, and organize a workshop for its authors. Volumes include lexicons and thorough indices. OUP expects the series to have a broad international appeal and will publish the books as inexpensive paperbacks and include them in Oxford Philosophy Online.
The most original feature of OPC is its commitment to interdisciplinarity. Each volume will include 4-8 Reflections, which are short essays (3-4 pages of text), written by specialists in art, literature, science, or other disciplines related to philosophy. The main motivation here is to contextualize our concepts more fully and explore the boundaries between philosophical and extra-philosophical materials.
In presenting philosophically astute histories, OPC will deepen understanding of key philosophical concepts. In exploring the boundaries between philosophy and other disciplines, it will encourage philosophically sound interdisciplinary work. OPC will interest philosophers, scholars, and upper level students across disciplinary fields and periods.
Top international scholars act as advisers to editors. Area Advisers in philosophy help editors identify the most qualified contributors for their volumes; Interdisciplinary Advisers advise them about Reflections. The general editor, Christia Mercer, works closely with editors in the planning stages of the volume.