Reading Lists

The Oxford philosophy faculty library keeps very interesting records of its 100 most frequently checked out books. This only gives a partial picture of what is being read there, because students check books out of their college libraries and use the non-lending Bodleian in addition to the philosophy library. But even this partial picture is fascinating: In 2004-2005, A.J. Ayer was both #1 and #100 on the list. John Mackie's Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong was #2.

Of course, the vast majority of these titles are being checked out by undergrads preparing for exams, so it's hard to say what the grad students are reading. Even so, I wish I could see this kind of list based on data from the U of C--I wonder if any of the titles would be the same. Maybe the Nicomachean Ethics, the Groundwork, the 1st Critique, and the Philosophical Investigations. And the Davidson volumes.