How to Write a Harvard Referencing for Philosophy

Philosophy relies heavily on the precise tracking of dialectical history and the evolution of concepts across centuries. Using Harvard referencing in philosophy requires a meticulous approach to distinguish between original historical texts, modern translations, and contemporary analytical commentaries.

What Is a Harvard Referencing in Philosophy?

In philosophy, Harvard referencing is an author-date system used to attribute specific arguments, thought experiments, or logical proofs to their originators. Unlike history which focuses on chronological context, or science which focuses on data currency, philosophy uses Harvard referencing to maintain a clear 'paper trail' of ideas, ensuring that a reader can trace a specific critique of, for example, functionalism back to its exact source.

Before You Start

• Identify the specific edition and translator of the primary text, as philosophical nuances often change between translations of works like Heidegger's 'Being and Time'.
• Distinguish between a primary source (the philosopher's own work) and a secondary source (a scholar's commentary in a journal like 'Mind' or 'The Philosophical Review').
• Locate the original publication date for historical works to provide context, even if you are using a modern reprint.
• Check if your department requires specific pagination styles, such as Bekker numbers for Aristotle or Stephanus numbers for Plato.

Citing a Single Author Monograph

For standard philosophical treatises, include the author's surname, the year of the edition used, the title in italics, the place of publication, and the publisher.

Example: Nagel, T. The View from Nowhere. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Tip: If the book is a foundational text, include the original publication date in square brackets before the edition date.

Referencing Journal Articles

Philosophy is driven by journal debates. List the author, year, article title in single quotes, journal title in italics, volume number, issue number, and page range.

Example: Gettier, E. L. 'Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?', Analysis, 23(6), pp. 121-123.

Tip: Always include the issue number for philosophy journals that restart pagination with every issue.

Handling Translated Primary Texts

When citing non-English philosophers (e.g., French Existentialists or German Idealists), you must credit the translator after the title.

Example: Kant, I. Critique of Pure Reason. Translated by P. Guyer and A. W. Wood. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tip: The translator is often as important as the author in philosophy for establishing the technical meaning of terms like 'Dasein' or 'Geist'.

Citing Chapters in Edited Collections

Philosophy 'Companions' or 'Handbooks' are common. Cite the chapter author first, then the editor of the collection.

Example: Anscombe, G. E. M. 'Modern Moral Philosophy', in Crisp, R. (ed.) Virtue Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 26-44.

Tip: Ensure the year refers to the collection's publication, not the original article if it is a reprint.

In-text Citations for Direct Quotes

When quoting a specific argument or definition, the in-text citation must include the page number to allow for verification of the logical claim.

Example: Parfit argues that 'identity is not what matters' (Parfit, p. 255).

Tip: Place the citation immediately after the quote or the mention of the philosopher's name.

Referencing Ancient Texts with Standard Numbering

For Plato or Aristotle, use standard scholarly numbering (Stephanus/Bekker) in the text, but the Harvard format in your bibliography.

Example: Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by T. Irwin. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company.

Tip: In-text, use (Aristotle, 1094a) rather than page numbers of the modern book.

Citing Online Philosophical Encyclopedia Entries

Sources like the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP) are academic staples. Cite the author of the specific entry, not the site editors.

Example: Zalta, E. N. 'Gottlob Frege', The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/frege/ (Accessed: 12 October).

Tip: Check the 'Author and Citation Info' link at the top of SEP entries for the correct versioning.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Failing to mention the translator of essential continental or ancient works.
• Using 'Anonymous' for ancient texts when the philosopher's name is known (e.g., citing 'The Republic' without Plato).
• Confusing the original publication date of a classic text with the date of the modern paperback edition in the in-text citation.
• Inconsistent formatting of journal titles like 'The Journal of Philosophy' versus 'J Phil'.
• Omitting page numbers in-text when discussing a specific premise of a complex argument.

Pro Tips

• Use 'ibid.' only if your specific university handbook allows it; standard Harvard usually prefers repeating the author and date.
• When citing a multi-volume work like Copleston's 'A History of Philosophy', always specify the volume number.
• Keep a separate list of 'original publication dates' for your primary sources to ensure your historical narrative is accurate.
• If a philosopher's work is collected in an 'Anthology', cite the specific work's title, not just the anthology's title.
• Double-check the spelling of non-English titles, ensuring correct use of umlauts or accents in names like Merleau-Ponty or Schopenhauer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a philosophy lecture or seminar?

Cite the lecturer's name, the year, the title of the lecture in quotes, the module name, the institution, and the date it was delivered. Note that personal communications or lectures are often excluded from the final bibliography unless they provide a unique, unpublished argument.

Should I cite the original German or French title of a philosophy book?

In a Harvard bibliography, you should cite the version you actually read. If you read the English translation, cite the English title, but you may include the original title in brackets if it is relevant to your linguistic analysis.

How do I cite a secondary source found within a primary source?

Use the phrase 'cited in'. For example: (Davidson, quoted in Rorty, p. 98). In your bibliography, you only list the source you actually held in your hands (Rorty).

Do I need to cite the SEP or IEP?

Yes, while they are encyclopedias, they are peer-reviewed and written by experts. They must be cited as web-based journal entries to avoid plagiarism of complex summaries.

Related Resources

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