Philosophy (PHIL)
PHIL 101 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (3)
Fundamental problems of philosophy and various proposals for the solution of these problems. Core: Arts & Humanities.
PHIL 102 USING INFORMATION EFFECTVELY IN PHILOSOPHY (3)
Information gathering, evaluation and communication. Develops critical thinking and problem solving techniques, communication and team building skills.
PHIL 103 INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS (3)
Introduction to the history and theory of ethics. Core: Ethical Issues & Perspectives.
PHIL 111 INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC (3)
Study of and practice in inductive and deductive reasoning, the composition of argument and demonstration, and the detection of formal and informal fallacies as developed in the Western tradition. Core: Arts & Humanities.
PHIL 201 SOCIAL & POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY (3)
A consideration of social and political doctrines from both Western and Non-Western philosophical perspectives. The approach will be both historical and thematic. Themes will include: the individual and the state, the male-female dialectic, and attitudes toward property.
PHIL 204 RACE, CLASS AND GENDER (3)
Social and political philosophy; contemporary American ideas of race, class, and gender, with a focus on their interrelatedness. Core: Diversity & Difference.
PHIL 205 MASTERS OF SUSPICION: MARX, NIETZSCHE, FREUD (3)
The philosophies of Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, and their political, social, and cultural implications.
PHIL 212 HONORS: SPECIAL STUDIES IN PHILOSOPHY (3)
Small group discussions and philosophical analysis of selected works not generally available in other electives. May be repeated for credit provided a different topic is covered. Honors College course. Core: Ethical Issues & Perspectives.
PHIL 219 INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN PHILOSOPHY (3)
Examination of the nature of Asian thought through a study of English translations of traditional sources of Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese philosophy. Core: Global Perspectives.
PHIL 221 ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY (3)
The origins of Western philosophical thought will be studied in the works of the presocratics, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Core: Arts & Humanities.
PHIL 230 PHILOSPHY OF LITERATURE (3)
Philosophical analysis of literature. A consideration of philosophical orientations in these works will be undertaken.
PHIL 251 AFRICAN AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY (3)
A philosophical examination of the current issues in African-American thought in such fields as religion, politics, education, economics and aesthetics. An effort will be made to determine the place and the role of the contemporary African-American in history.
PHIL 255 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS (3)
Philosophical views on rights of non-human animals, intervaluation of environment and economics, "deep" vs "shallow" ecological ethics, duties to future generations, and other issues. Core: Ethical Issues & Perspectives.
PHIL 260 PHILOSOPHY OF THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX (3)
Introduces the student to the philosophical study of the "Prison Industrial Complex," the vast system of prisons and jails, many of them run by private profit-seeking corporations, that many consider to be a mainstay of the 21st century metropolis. An introductory appreciation of philosophical readings of the phenomenon: the birth of the prison in the 18th and 19th centuries and its rapid late 20th century growth within the U.S. and abroad. Special attention given to the work of feminist, queer and anti racist activists and scholars. In the final section we will discuss critiques and recent calls for change. Core: Metropolitan Perspectives.
PHIL 270 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES (3)
Considers contemporary issues from the uniquely philosophical perspective to stimulate independent reflection. May be repeated for a total of 6 units provided a different topic is covered.
PHIL 290 TOPICS ON PHILOSOPHY OF THE CITY (3)
Philosophical investigation of the city including framing of urban environments and the power to establish and support culture in all its forms, e.g., governance, education, art, mythology, athletics, commerce. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units provided a different topic is taken each time. Core: Metropolitan Perspectives.
PHIL 301 PHILOSOPHIES OF INDIA (3)
Examination of major ideas in the Vedic, Epic, Classical darsana, and modern periods. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy or consent of instructor.
PHIL 302 PHILOSOPHIES OF CHINA & JAPAN (3)
Examination of some major philosophical systems through selected writings in translation. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy or consent of instructor.
PHIL 309 NIETZSCHE (3)
Nietzsche's critical philosophy and its excoriation of Platonism, metaphysics, Western morality, and religion, as well as his positive philosophy, primarily his epistemology. Topics may include the revaluation of values, perspectivism, naturalism asceticism, time and the self. Prerequisite: one course in PHIL.
PHIL 312 PLATO AND HIS PREDECESSORS (3)
Greek philosophy from the Milesians to Plato. Topics include epistemology, ethics, metaphysics, and political philosophy. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy.
PHIL 313 ARISTOTLE AND HIS SUCCESSORS (3)
Ancient Greek Philosophy from Aristotle to late Hellenistic Philosophy (356 BCE to end 2nd Century CE). Includes Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Skepticism. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission of instructor.
PHIL 315 MIND AND CONSCIOUSNESS (3)
A survey of issues in the contemporary philosophical investigation of mind, examining such topics as dualism, physicalism, mind/brain identity theory, functionalism, epiphenomenalism, eliminative materialism, representationalism, qualia, intentionality, panpsychism, distributed cognition and group minds, the "hard problem" of consciousness, and the phenomenology of perception. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy.
PHIL 318 PHILOSOPHIES OF LATIN AMERICA (3)
A selective overview of Latin American philosophy, covering important topics in the tradition, through key and overlooked texts in translation. Prerequisite: C or better in at least one prior course in philosophy.
PHIL 319 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & VALUES (3)
Impact of modern science on various philosophical issues: science and religion, mind and computers, time travel, Einstein's relativity, human freedom, the ethical limits of technology. Prerequisites: one course in philosophy and two courses in science, or consent of instructor.
PHIL 320 PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE (3)
Concepts, method and nature of science, including induction and theory confirmation, probability, explanation, natural laws, space and time, and the objectivity of science. Prerequisite: one course in either philosophy or science.
PHIL 321 PHILOSOPHY OF LAW (3)
An examination of the nature and theories of law, the relationship between law and morality, the nature of legal obligation, and the notion of justice. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 325 TWENTIETH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY (3)
A survey with varying emphasis on a number of such contemporary philosophical positions as pragmatism, phenomenology, logical positivism, the analysts, neo-Aristotelianism, the philosophers of science, and the existentialists. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy.
PHIL 326 AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY (3)
The history of the main currents of American philosophical thought as exemplified in such writers as Edwards, Emerson, Pierce, James, Royce, Dewey, and Whitehead. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy.
PHIL 327 AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY (3)
Examination of major ideas and issues in African Systems of Thought. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy or consent of instructor.
PHIL 328 EARLY MODERN PHILOSOPHY (3)
The history of philosophy from the mid-17th through the late 18th century, examining such topics as: rationalist and empiricist epistemology; skepticism and knowledge of the external world; scientifically informed metaphysics; metaphysical arguments concerning God, the soul, and personal identity; classical political theories. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy.
PHIL 329 LATE MODERN PHILOSOPHY (3)
The history of philosophy from the late 18th through the late 19th century, examining such topics as post-Kantian metaphysics and epistemology; the foundations of ethics and political theory; the philosophy of history; the nature and significance of human reason; dialectical method. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy.
PHIL 330 PHILOSOPHY AND FILM (3)
A reflection on philosophical topics combining films and texts.
PHIL 332 FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY (3)
Contemporary methods and problems, including redefinition of traditional areas of philosophy and creation of new issues for investigation. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy or consent of instructor.
PHIL 333 ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY (3)
The story of philosophy in the English-speaking world from the 1880s through the end of the 20th century, addressing such topics and figures as: logical positivism; the linguistic turn; the rejection and rehabilitation of metaphysics; Frege; Russell; Carnap; Wittgenstein; Anscomb; Quine; Kripke. Prerequisite: one course in Philosophy.
PHIL 339 THEORIES OF KNOWLEDGE (3)
A historical and systematic approach to the truth value and elements of the forms of human knowledge. The theories of major philosophers will be studied. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy.
PHIL 340 PLATO'S ETHICS (3)
Analysis of Plato’s dialogues aimed at understanding justice and human goodness in both ancient and modern contexts. Prerequisites: a TSEM 102 course, or a course that satisfies the Ways of Knowing Core. Core: Ethical Issues/Perspectives.
PHIL 341 ETHICS (3)
Analysis of readings from the principle classical and contemporary ethical sources; study of the basic moral concepts as found in these sources; applications to contemporary moral concerns. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy.
PHIL 342 WHAT MAKES US MORAL (3)
Evolutionary explanations of the origin of moral behavior in humans. Core: Ethical Issues & Perspectives.
PHIL 343 AESTHETICS (3)
An analytical and historical examination of concepts of the nature of art, beauty, aesthetic value, aesthetic perception, and of the modes of existence of artifacts. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy.
PHIL 353 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION (3)
Exposition of various approaches to the philosophy of religion with an analysis of the major issues on which they differ and agree. Not open to students who successfully completed PHIL 451. Prerequisites: two courses in philosophy or religion.
PHIL 361 BIOMEDICAL ETHICS (3)
A search for guidelines in such moral problems as abortion, the care of the dying, organ transplants, informed consent in therapy and experimentation, adequate health care and its just distribution, control of human behavior by drugs, surgery, etc., test-tube reproduction, population control, genetic engineering and counseling. Prerequisites: One lower-level course in PHIL or consent of instructor. Core: Ethical Issues & Perspectives.
PHIL 371 BUSINESS ETHICS (3)
Philosophical examination of ethical issues in business. Topics include normative ethics of behavior, employment, distributive justice, and honesty in business. Prerequisites: one lower-level course in philosophy, ENGL 102 or ENGL 190, or consent of instructor. Core: Ethical Issues and Perspectives.
PHIL 380 PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS (3)
Courses offered under this title will be of variable content. Topics of traditional philosophical interest or of philosophical problems in other areas of knowledge or of contemporary interest will be offered. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units provided a different topic is covered. Prerequisite: one lower-level course in philosophy.
PHIL 413 PHENOMENOLOGY (3)
An examination of phenomenology as both a philosophical method and a philosophical position. Themes to be considered include consciousness, the body, time, and the experience of others. Primary course readings in the works of Husseri, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy.
PHIL 417 EXISTENTIALISM (3)
Some of the major existentialist philosophers will be studied, e.g., Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Beauvoir. The philosophical themes of transcendence, the absurd, estrangement, and anxiety will be considered. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy.
PHIL 427 KANT (3)
Study of Kant's most important writings. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy.
PHIL 440 PHILOSOPHICAL SYSTEMS (3)
The study of a major philosophical system or position, classical or modern, and of its important proponents. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units provided a different topic is covered. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy.
PHIL 460 WRITNG SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES (3)
Concentrates on a specific issue or thinker within the philosophical tradition and on developing the skills necessary to do quality written work in the discipline. Possible topics include: Plato, Aristotle, Hegel, Concepts of Space & Time, Dimensions of Freedom. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units provided a different topic is covered. Requires grade of C or better to fulfill Core requirement. Prerequisites: ENGL 102 or ENGL 190 or equivalent and two courses in philosophy. Core: Advanced Writing Seminar.
PHIL 470 PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS (3)
A consideration of one of the perennial interests of philosophy. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units provided a different topic is covered. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy.
PHIL 495 RESEARCH TUTORIAL IN PHILOSOPHY (3)
Directed readings and research leading to a thesis paper under one or more members of the department. Prerequisites: senior majors in philosophy or senior non-major, submission in advance of an outline of proposed research; permission of proposed director and department chair. Repeatable for a maximum of 6 units provided a different topic is covered, but only one attempt will count towards the major requirements.
PHIL 497 PHILOSOPHY INTERNSHIP (3-6)
Supervised experience in work settings using the analytic, organizational, comprehension, and communication skills and content knowledge available through the study of philosophy. Positions may be in government agencies, public or private foundations, industry, journalism, law firms, among others. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units. No credit toward the Philosophy major. Prerequisite: approval of the philosophy internship coordinator. Graded S/U.
PHIL 498 HONORS THESIS RESEARCH (3)
Directed readings and research completed under the close supervision of a faculty advisor, leading to a major thesis paper. Prerequisites: completion of 75 units overall, including 18 units of Philosophy (PHIL) courses and minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA; and consent of department.