Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

Welcome to Philopedia. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Philopedia website, including any content, functionality, and services offered on or through philopedia.org (the "Website").

By accessing or using the Website, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms or the Privacy Policy, you must not access or use the Website.

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Terms on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Website after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms.

2. Description of Service

Philopedia is an online educational resource dedicated to philosophy. We provide encyclopedia entries, articles, and information about:

• Philosophers and their biographies
• Philosophical concepts, terms, and arguments
• Philosophical works and texts
• Schools of thought and traditions
• Historical periods in philosophy
• Philosophical topics and debates

Our content is intended for educational and informational purposes only.

3. User Eligibility

By using the Website, you represent and warrant that:

• You are at least 13 years of age
• You have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms
• You will comply with all applicable laws and regulations in your use of the Website
• All information you provide is accurate, current, and complete

Users under 13 years of age are prohibited from using the Website. If you are between 13 and 18 years of age, you may only use the Website with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian.

4. Intellectual Property Rights

4.1 Our Content

The Website and its entire contents, features, and functionality (including but not limited to all information, software, text, displays, images, audio, and video, and the design, selection, and arrangement thereof) are owned by Philopedia, its licensors, or other providers of such material and are protected by copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws.

Unless otherwise indicated, all content on the Website is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0) or a similar permissive license. This means you are free to:

• Share: Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
• Adapt: Remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose

Under the following terms:

• Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made
• ShareAlike: If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original

4.2 Trademarks

The Philopedia name, logo, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are trademarks of Philopedia or its affiliates or licensors. You must not use such marks without our prior written permission.

4.3 Third-Party Content

Some content on the Website may be sourced from third parties and may be subject to separate copyright notices or licenses. Where applicable, such notices will be clearly displayed.

5. Acceptable Use

You may use the Website only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to:

• Use the Website in any way that violates any applicable federal, state, local, or international law or regulation
• Engage in any conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone's use or enjoyment of the Website, or which may harm Philopedia or users of the Website
• Impersonate or attempt to impersonate Philopedia, a Philopedia employee, another user, or any other person or entity
• Use any robot, spider, or other automatic device, process, or means to access the Website for any purpose without our express written permission
• Introduce any viruses, trojan horses, worms, logic bombs, or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, damage, or disrupt any parts of the Website, the server on which the Website is stored, or any server, computer, or database connected to the Website
• Attack the Website via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of-service attack
• Otherwise attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Website
• Copy, reproduce, modify, create derivative works from, distribute, or publicly display any content from the Website except as permitted by the applicable license or these Terms
• Use the Website for any commercial purpose without our express written consent

6. User Contributions and Feedback

If you submit comments, suggestions, feedback, or other contributions to us (collectively, "Contributions"), you grant us a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, fully sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, and display such Contributions in any media.

You represent and warrant that:

• You own or control all rights in and to your Contributions
• Your Contributions do not violate the intellectual property rights of any third party
• Your Contributions are accurate and not misleading
• Your Contributions do not violate these Terms or any applicable law

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE WEBSITE AND ALL CONTENT, MATERIALS, INFORMATION, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, PHILOPEDIA DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
• IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
• IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT
• WARRANTIES ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE

We do not warrant that:

• The Website will function uninterrupted, secure, or available at any particular time or location
• Any errors or defects will be corrected
• The Website is free of viruses or other harmful components
• The results of using the Website will meet your requirements
• The content on the Website is accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free

8. Educational Purposes and Academic Use

The content on Philopedia is provided for educational and informational purposes. While we strive for accuracy and quality:

• The information should not be considered a substitute for professional philosophical instruction or academic coursework
• Users should verify information with primary sources and academic publications for scholarly work
• When citing Philopedia in academic work, users should follow appropriate citation guidelines and consult with their instructors regarding the acceptability of online encyclopedia sources
• Interpretations and analyses provided are intended as introductory resources and may not reflect all scholarly perspectives on a given topic

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL PHILOPEDIA, ITS AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OFFICERS, OR DIRECTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF, OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE, THE WEBSITE.

This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory upon which the claim is based, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability, or otherwise, and whether or not we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you.

10. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Philopedia, its affiliates, licensors, and service providers, and its and their respective officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, suppliers, successors, and assigns from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Your violation of these Terms
• Your use of the Website
• Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights
• Any Contributions you provide
• Any harm caused to any third party through your use of the Website

11. Third-Party Links and Resources

The Website may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources that are not owned or controlled by Philopedia. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services.

You acknowledge and agree that Philopedia shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods, or services available on or through any such third-party websites or services.

We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party websites or services that you visit.

12. Termination

We reserve the right to terminate or suspend your access to the Website immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever, including but not limited to a breach of these Terms.

Upon termination, your right to use the Website will immediately cease. All provisions of these Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including without limitation ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.

13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which Philopedia operates, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any legal action or proceeding arising under these Terms will be brought exclusively in the courts located in the applicable jurisdiction, and you hereby consent to personal jurisdiction and venue therein.

14. Dispute Resolution

14.1 Informal Resolution

If you have any dispute with us, you agree to first contact us and attempt to resolve the dispute informally. We will attempt to resolve any dispute through informal negotiation within 60 days.

14.2 Arbitration

If we are unable to resolve the dispute through informal negotiation, any remaining dispute will be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of a recognized arbitration body, unless you opt out of arbitration within 30 days of first accepting these Terms.

14.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree that any arbitration or proceeding shall be limited to the dispute between you and Philopedia individually. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree that:

• No arbitration or proceeding shall be joined with any other
• No dispute will be arbitrated on a class-action basis or utilize class action procedures
• You will not act as a representative or private attorney general

15. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)

If you believe that content on our Website infringes your copyright, please send a DMCA notice to us containing:

• A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or authorized agent
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed
• Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing
• Your contact information
• A statement of good faith belief that the use is not authorized
• A statement that the information in the notification is accurate

Please send DMCA notices to our contact page or designated copyright agent.

16. Changes to the Website

We reserve the right to withdraw or amend the Website, and any service or material we provide on the Website, in our sole discretion without notice. We will not be liable if for any reason all or any part of the Website is unavailable at any time or for any period.

17. Severability and Waiver

17.1 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.

17.2 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights. The waiver of any such right or provision will be effective only if in writing and signed by a duly authorized representative of Philopedia.

18. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other legal notices published by us on the Website, constitute the entire agreement between you and Philopedia concerning the Website and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether electronic, oral, or written, between you and Philopedia with respect to the Website.

19. Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms, by operation of law or otherwise, without our prior written consent. Any attempt by you to assign or transfer these Terms without such consent will be null and void. We may freely assign or transfer these Terms without restriction. Subject to the foregoing, these Terms will bind and inure to the benefit of the parties, their successors, and permitted assigns.

20. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us:

• By visiting our contact page
• By email: contact@philopedia.org

21. Acknowledgment

BY ACCESSING OR USING THE WEBSITE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THESE TERMS OF SERVICE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM.