Propædia

The one-volume Propædia is the first of three parts of the 15th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica, intended as a compendium and topical organization of the 12-volume Micropædia and the 17-volume Macropædia, which are organized alphabetically. Introduced in 1974 with the 15th edition, the Propædia and Micropædia were intended to replace the Index of the 14th edition; however, after widespread criticism, the Britannica restored the Index as a two-volume set in 1985. The core of the Propædia is its Outline of Knowledge, which seeks to provide a logical framework for all human knowledge. However, the Propædia also has several appendices listing the staff members, advisors and contributors to all three parts of the Britannica.

The last edition of the print Britannica was published in 2010.

Outline of Knowledge
Like the Britannica as a whole, the Outline has three types of goals: According to Mortimer J. Adler, the designer of the Propaedia, all articles in the full Britannica were designed to fit into the Outline of Knowledge.
 * Epistemological: to provide a systematic, hierarchical categorization of all human knowledge, a 20th-century analog of the Great Chain of Being and Francis Bacon's outline in Instauratio magna.
 * Educational: to lay out a course of study for each major discipline, a "roadmap" for learning a whole field.
 * Organizational: to serve as an expanded Table of Contents for the Micropædia and Macropædia.

The Outline has 167 sections, which are categorized into 41 divisions and then into 10 parts. Each part has an introductory essay written by the same individual responsible for developing the outline for that part, which was done in consultation and collaboration with a handful of other scholars. In all, 86 men and one woman were involved in developing the Outline of Knowledge.

The Outline was an eight-year project of Mortimer J. Adler, published 22 years after he published a similar effort (the Syntopicon) that attempts to provide an overview of the relationships among the "Great Ideas" in Adler's Great Books of the Western World series. (The Great Books were also published by the Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.) Adler stresses in his book, A Guidebook to Learning: For a Lifelong Pursuit of Wisdom, that the ten categories should not be taken as hierarchical but as circular.

"The whole of the Propædia's synoptic outline of knowledge deserves to be read carefully. It represents a twentieth-century scheme for the organization of knowledge that is more comprehensive than any other and that also accommodates the intellectual heterodoxy of our time."

- Mortimer J. Adler, in A Guidebook, pp. 91–2

1. Matter and Energy
The lead author was Nigel Calder, who wrote the introduction "The Universe of the Physicist, the Chemist, and the Astronomer".


 * 1.1 Atoms
 * 1.1.1 Structure and Properties of Atoms
 * 1.1.2 Atomic Nuclei and Elementary Particles
 * 1.2 Energy, Radiation, and States of Matter
 * 1.2.1 Chemical Elements: Periodic Variation in Their Properties
 * 1.2.2 Chemical Compounds: Molecular Structure and Chemical Bonding
 * 1.2.3 Chemical Reactions
 * 1.2.4 Heat, Thermodynamics, Liquids, Gases, Plasmas
 * 1.2.5 The Solid State of Matter
 * 1.2.6 Mechanics of Particles, Rigid and Deformable Bodies: Elasticity, Vibration, and Flow
 * 1.2.7 Electricity and Magnetism
 * 1.2.8 Waves and Wave Motion
 * 1.3 The Universe
 * 1.3.1 The Cosmos
 * 1.3.2 Galaxies and Stars
 * 1.3.3 The Solar System

2. The Earth
The lead author was Peter John Wyllie, who wrote the introduction "The Great Globe Itself".
 * 2.1 Earth's Properties, Structure, Composition
 * 2.1.1 The Planet Earth
 * 2.1.2 Earth's Physical Properties
 * 2.1.3 Structure and Composition of the Earth's Interior
 * 2.1.4 Minerals and Rocks
 * 2.2 Earth's Envelope
 * 2.2.1 The Atmosphere
 * 2.2.2 The Hydrosphere: the Oceans, Freshwater and Ice Masses
 * 2.2.3 Weather and Climate
 * 2.3 Surface Features
 * 2.3.1 Physical Features of the Earth's Surface
 * 2.3.2 Features Produced by Geomorphic Processes
 * 2.4 Earth's History
 * 2.4.1 Origin and Development of the Earth and Its Envelopes
 * 2.4.2 The Interpretation of the Geologic Record
 * 2.4.3 Eras and Periods of Geologic Time

3. Life
The lead author was René Dubos, who wrote the introduction "The Mysteries of Life".
 * 3.1 The Nature and Diversity of Life
 * 3.1.1 Characteristics of Life
 * 3.1.2 The Origin and Evolution of Life
 * 3.1.3 Classification of Living Things
 * 3.2 The Molecular Basis of Life
 * 3.2.1 Chemicals and the Vital Processes
 * 3.2.2 Metabolism: Bioenergetics and Biosynthesis
 * 3.2.3 Vital Processes at the Molecular Level
 * 3.3 The Structures and Functions of Organisms
 * 3.3.1 Cellular Basis of Form and Function
 * 3.3.2 Relation of Form and Function in Organisms
 * 3.3.3 Coordination of Vital Processes: Regulation and Integration
 * 3.3.4 Covering and Support: Integumentary, Skeletal, and Musculatory Systems
 * 3.3.5 Nutrition: the Procurement and Processing of Nutrients
 * 3.3.6 Gas Exchange, Internal Transport, and Elimination
 * 3.3.7 Reproduction and Sex
 * 3.3.8 Development: Growth, Differentiation, and Morphogenesis
 * 3.3.9 Heredity: the Transmission of Traits
 * 3.4 The Behavior of Organisms
 * 3.4.1 Nature and Patterns of Behavior
 * 3.4.2 Development and Range of Behavioral Capacities: Individual and Group Behavior
 * 3.5 The Biosphere
 * 3.5.1 Basic Features of the Biosphere
 * 3.5.2 Populations and Communities
 * 3.5.3 Disease and Death
 * 3.5.4 Biogeographic Distribution of Organisms: Ecosystems
 * 3.5.5 The Place of Humans in the Biosphere

4. Human Life
The lead author was Loren Eiseley, who wrote the introduction "The Cosmic Orphan".


 * 4.1 The Development of Human Life
 * 4.1.1 Human Evolution
 * 4.1.2 Human Heredity: the Races
 * 4.2 The Human Body: Health and Disease
 * 4.2.1 The Structures and Functions of the Human Body
 * 4.2.2 Human Health
 * 4.2.3 Human Diseases
 * 4.2.4 The Practice of Medicine and Care of Health
 * 4.3 Human Behavior and Experience
 * 4.3.1 General theories of human nature and behavior
 * 4.3.2 Antecedent conditions and developmental processes affecting a person's behavior and conscious experience
 * 4.3.3 Influence of the current environment on a person's behavior and conscious experience: attention, sensation, and perception
 * 4.3.4 Current Internal states affecting a person' behavior and conscious experience
 * 4.3.5 Development of Learning and Thinking
 * 4.3.6 Personality and the Self: Integration and Disintegration

5. Society
The lead author was Harold D. Lasswell, who wrote the introduction "Man the Social Animal".


 * 5.1 Social Groups: Ethnic groups and Cultures
 * 5.1.1 Peoples and Cultures of the World
 * 5.1.2 The Development of Human Culture
 * 5.1.3 Major Cultural Components and Institutions of Societies
 * 5.1.4 Language and Communication
 * 5.2 Social Organization and Social Change
 * 5.2.1 Social Structure and Change
 * 5.2.2 The Group Structure of Society
 * 5.2.3 Social Status
 * 5.2.4 Human Populations: Urban and Rural Communities
 * 5.3 The Production, Distribution, and Utilization of Wealth
 * 5.3.1 Economic Concepts, Issues, and Systems
 * 5.3.2 Consumer and Market: Pricing and Mechanisms for Distributing Goods
 * 5.3.3 The Organization of Production and Distribution
 * 5.3.4 The Distribution of Income and Wealth
 * 5.3.5 Macroeconomics
 * 5.3.6 Economic Growth and Planning
 * 5.4 Politics and Government
 * 5.4.1 Political Theory
 * 5.4.2 Political Institutions: the Structure, Branches, & Offices of Government
 * 5.4.3 Functioning of Government: the Dynamics of the Political Process
 * 5.4.4 International Relations: Peace and War
 * 5.5 Law
 * 5.5.1 Philosophies and Systems of Law; the Practice of Law
 * 5.5.2 Branches of Public Law, Substantive and Procedural
 * 5.5.3 Branches of Private Law, Substantive and Procedural
 * 5.6 Education
 * 5.6.1 Aims and Organization of Education
 * 5.6.2 Education Around the World

6. Art
The lead author was Mark Van Doren, who wrote the introduction "The World of Art".


 * 6.1 Art in General
 * 6.1.1 Theory and Classification of the Arts
 * 6.1.2 Experience and Criticism of Art; the Nonaesthetic Context of Art
 * 6.1.3 Characteristics of the Arts in Particular Cultures
 * 6.2 Particular Arts
 * 6.2.1 Literature
 * 6.2.2 Theater
 * 6.2.3 Motion Pictures
 * 6.2.4 Music
 * 6.2.5 Dance
 * 6.2.6 Architecture, Garden and Landscape Design, and Urban Design
 * 6.2.7 Sculpture
 * 6.2.8 Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Photography
 * 6.2.9 Decoration and Design

7. Technology
The lead author was Lord Peter Ritchie-Calder, who wrote the introduction "Knowing How and Knowing Why".


 * 7.1 Nature & Development of Technology
 * 7.1.1 Technology: Its Scope and History
 * 7.1.2 The Organization of Human Work
 * 7.2 Elements of Technology
 * 7.2.1 Technology of Energy Conversion and Utilization
 * 7.2.2 Technology of Tools and Machines
 * 7.2.3 Technology of Measurement, Observation, and Control
 * 7.2.4 Extraction and Conversion of Industrial Raw Materials
 * 7.2.5 Technology of Industrial Production Processes
 * 7.3 Fields of Technology
 * 7.3.1 Agriculture and Food Production
 * 7.3.2 Technology of the Major Industries
 * 7.3.3 Construction Technology
 * 7.3.4 Transportation Technology
 * 7.3.5 Technology of Information Processing and of Communications Systems
 * 7.3.6 Military Technology
 * 7.3.7 Technology of the Urban Community
 * 7.3.8 Technology of Earth and Space Exploration

8. Religion
The lead author was Wilfred Cantwell Smith, who wrote the introduction "Religion as Symbolism".


 * 8.1 Religion in General
 * 8.1.1 Knowledge and Understanding of Religion
 * 8.1.2 Religious Life: Institutions and Practices
 * 8.2 Particular Religions
 * 8.2.1 Prehistoric Religion and Primitive Religion
 * 8.2.2 Religions of Ancient Peoples
 * 8.2.3 Hinduism and Other Religions of India
 * 8.2.4 Buddhism
 * 8.2.5 Indigenous Religions of East Asia: Religions of China, Korea, and Japan
 * 8.2.6 Judaism
 * 8.2.7 Christianity
 * 8.2.8 Islam
 * 8.2.9 Other Religions and Religious Movements in the Modern World

9. History
The lead author was Jacques Barzun, who wrote the introduction "The Point and Pleasure of Reading History".


 * 9.1 Ancient Southwest Asia, North Africa, and Europe
 * 9.1.1 Ancient Southwest Asia and Egypt, the Aegean, and North Africa
 * 9.1.2 Ancient Europe and Classical Civilizations of the Mediterranean to AD 395
 * 9.2 Medieval Southwest Asia, North Africa, and Europe
 * 9.2.1 The Byzantine Empire and Europe from AD 395–1050
 * 9.2.2 The Formative Period in Islamic History, AD 622–1055
 * 9.2.3 Western Christendom in the High and Later Middle Ages 1050–1500
 * 9.2.4 The Crusades, the Islamic States, and Eastern Christendom 1050–1480
 * 9.3 East, Central, South, and Southeast Asia
 * 9.3.1 China to the Beginning of the Late T'ang AD 755
 * 9.3.2 China from the Late T'ang to the Late Ch'ing AD 755–1839
 * 9.3.3 Central and Northeast Asia to 1750
 * 9.3.4 Japan to the Meiji Restoration 1868, Korea to 1910
 * 9.3.5 The Indian Subcontinent and Ceylon to AD 1200
 * 9.3.6 The Indian Subcontinent 1200–1761, Ceylon 1200–1505
 * 9.3.7 Southeast Asia to 1600
 * 9.4 Sub-Saharan Africa to 1885
 * 9.4.1 West Africa to 1885
 * 9.4.2 The Nilotic Sudan and Ethiopia AD 550–1885
 * 9.4.3 East Africa and Madagascar to 1885
 * 9.4.4 Central Africa to 1885
 * 9.4.5 Southern Africa to 1885
 * 9.5 Pre-Columbian America
 * 9.5.1 Andean Civilization to AD 1540
 * 9.5.2 Meso-American Civilization to AD 1540
 * 9.6 The Modern World to 1920
 * 9.6.1 Western Europe 1500–1789
 * 9.6.2 Eastern Europe, Southwest Asia, and North Africa 1480–1800
 * 9.6.3 Europe 1789–1920
 * 9.6.4 European Colonies in the Americas 1492–1790
 * 9.6.5 United States and Canada 1763–1920
 * 9.6.6 Latin-America and Caribbean to 1920
 * 9.6.7 Australia and Oceania to 1920
 * 9.6.8 South Asia Under European Imperialism 1500–1920
 * 9.6.9 Southeast Asia Under European Imperialism 1600–1920
 * 9.6.10 China until Revolution 1839–1911, Japan from Meiji Restoration to 1910
 * 9.6.11 Southwest Asia, North Africa 1800–1920, Sub-Saharan Africa 1885–1920: Under European Imperialism
 * 9.7 The World Since 1920
 * 9.7.1 International Movements, Diplomacy and War Since 1920
 * 9.7.2 Europe Since 1920
 * 9.7.3 The United States and Canada Since 1920
 * 9.7.4 Latin American and Caribbean Nations Since 1920
 * 9.7.5 China in Revolution, Japanese Hegemony
 * 9.7.6 South and Southeast Asia: the Late Colonial Period and Nations Since 1920
 * 9.7.7 Australia and Oceania Since 1920
 * 9.7.8 Southwest Asia and Africa: the Late Colonial Period and Nations since 1920

10. Branches of Knowledge
The lead author was Mortimer J. Adler, who wrote the introduction "Knowledge Become Self-conscious".


 * 10.1 Logic
 * 10.1.1 History and Philosophy of Logic
 * 10.1.2 Formal Logic, Metalogic, & Applied Logic
 * 10.2 Mathematics
 * 10.2.1 History and Foundations of Mathematics
 * 10.2.2 Branches of Mathematics
 * 10.2.3 Applications of Mathematics
 * 10.3 Science
 * 10.3.1 History and Philosophy of Science
 * 10.3.2 The Physical Sciences
 * 10.3.3 The Earth Sciences
 * 10.3.4 The Biological Sciences
 * 10.3.5 Medicine
 * 10.3.6 The Social Sciences, Psychology, Linguistics
 * 10.3.7 The Technological Sciences
 * 10.4 History and The Humanities
 * 10.4.1 Historiography
 * 10.4.2 The Humanities and Humanistic Scholarship
 * 10.5 Philosophy
 * 10.5.1 History of Philosophy
 * 10.5.2 Divisions of Philosophy
 * 10.5.3 Philosophical Schools and Doctrines
 * 10.6 Preservation of Knowledge
 * 10.6.1 Institutions and Techniques for the Collection, Storage, Dissemination and Preservation of Knowledge

Contributors to the Outline of Knowledge
Section 4.2.1 uses transparencies of organ systems originally commissioned by Parke-Davis. Similar in design to the three-dimensional Visible Man and Visible Woman dolls designed by sculptor Marcel Jovine, successive plastic sheets reveal different layers of human anatomy.