Launch of New Database Development Initiative
Hildesheim Encyclopedia of Philosophical Sources (HePS)
Building a Polycentric Encyclopedia of Philosophy
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The Center for Advanced Studies “Philosophizing in a Globalized World” (GloPhi) at the University of Hildesheim is proud to announce the start of its Database Initiative. Under the working title Hildesheim Encyclopedia of Philosophical Sources (HePS), the project aims to develop an open, multilingual knowledge infrastructure for philosophical sources from all world regions.
HePS interlinks works, thinkers, schools and traditions, concepts, places, and institutions in a semantic knowledge graph, with special attention to marginalized languages and traditions. Its vision is to offer a truly polycentric perspective on the history and practice of philosophizing.
What makes HePS unique?
- Open & reusable:
Metadata and contributions will follow the FAIR principles, openly licensed, with DOIs and ORCID integration. - Intuitive exploration and visualization:
Users will be able to navigate the data through tables, relational graphs, maps, timelines, and researcher networks, all dynamically responsive to input. - Curated & peer-reviewed:
An international editorial board ensures quality control through peer review and transparent attribution. - Interoperable:
The project is designed for compatibility with Wikidata, GND, VIAF, and future integration into the NFDI and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).
Current progress
- Pilot datasets including sources from philosophical traditions in Yoruba, Wolof, Igbo, and other language communities.
- Elmar Holenstein’s Philosophy Atlas serves as a starting point for mapping intellectual geographies and relations.
- For the technical backbone, we are exploring Wikibase4Research in cooperation with the Open Science Lab at TIB Hannover, along with additional tools for visualization and data processing.
Learn more
Database Initiative – Project Page
Coordinated by Leon Krings