In praise of the greatest philosophy resource on the web + recent drawing
Precisely because large parts of the internet are experiencing enshittification, it is urgently important to praise the websites that still flourish in some rare digital corners. My love for the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy can hardly be overstated. This wonderful encyclopedia is the premier starting point for any serious inquiry into philosophical matters. Allow me to offer two reasons that highlight its greatness:
First of all, each entry from the exstensive table of contents is admirably thorough and up to date, while the writing is consistently accessible and inviting. The entries serve as the perfect stepping stone for one's own research, regardless of whether they are researching the extensive frameworks that John Rawls constructed, different strands of Daosim, or the latest on the ethics of AI.
Secondly, this website is a hallmark of intentional transparency, accessibility and longevity. Naturally, all the high-quality works are completely free, even as they are written and edited by prominent experts of each field. The older versions of each entry are accessible through the archives. With regards to longevity, the website is always backed up and mirrored on three different servers in three different continents, as represented by the cities of Stanford, Sydney and Amsterdam.
I like to think of this Encyclopedia as the one source of philosophical knowledge that deserves to survive any possible catastrophic future for humanity, be it a solar flare or the heat death of the universe. Please cherish this website, share it with others, and consider to send it on the next golden disk to outer space. I always like to check their what's new page, as a dive into some obscure entry will invariably be more surprising and satisfying than any other use of one's time.
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A short update: I have managed to set up a guestbook on the website, please leave a note if you have enjoyed anything here! I'd love to hear from you!
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I will leave you with a drawing I made recently, which is called student sketch #1.
