Course Descriptions

Lower Division

PHIL 1010 Introduction to Philosophy (3 units)
Introduction to philosophical method by examining traditional and contemporary philosophical problems. Close textual analysis, with an emphasis on expository argumentative writing assignments. Satisfies G.E. area C2. (CAN PHIL 2) (Fall, Spring)

PHIL 2000 Philosophical Inquiry (3 units)
(Formerly MDIS 1020) Introduction to the practice of philosophical inquiry, emphasizing critical reasoning skills and argumentative writing. Basic instruction in the composition of defensible arguments with an emphasis on philosophical composition and analysis. Satisfies G.E. area A3. Prerequisite: Completion of A1 and A2 G.E. requirements. (Fall, Spring)

PHIL 2005 Honors Critical Thinking (3 units)
Introduction to the practice of philosophical inquiry, emphasizing critical reasoning skills and argumentative writing. Basic instruction in the composition of defensible arguments with an emphasis on philosophical composition and analysis. Satisfies G.E. area A3. Prerequisite: Open only to students in the University Honors Program.

PHIL 2100 Logic (3 units)
Analysis of the methods and principles of deductive reasoning, including traditional logic; introduction to symbolic logic and to principles of inductive reasoning. Satisfies G.E. area A3. Prerequisite: ENGL 1000 or equivalent. (CAN PHIL 6)

PHIL 2200 Ancient Philosophy (3 units)
A study of the main themes and issues in the history of early Western philosophy from the pre-Socratics to the end of the Hellenistic era, emphasizing the writings of Plato and Aristotle on the Good Life. Satisfies G.E. area C2. (CAN PHIL 8)

PHIL 2230 Modern Philosophy (3 units)
A study of the main themes and issues in the history of 17th and 18th century European philosophy. Special attention will be paid to the close relationship between the development of philosophical ideas during this period and the rise of modern science. Emphasis will be placed on the writings of Descartes, Hume, and Kant. Satisfies G.E. area C2. (CAN PHIL 10)

PHIL 2300 Philosophy of Science (3 units)
Exploration of basic questions related to theory and practice in the natural sciences. Investigations will focus on scientific methodology (hypothesis formation/evidence gathering/theory formation), differing accounts of the scientific enterprise, and pivotal theories changing how we conceive our place in the world (Big Bang/Evolution/Chaos). Satisfies G.E. area C2.

PHIL 2400 Contemporary Moral Issues (3 units)
Introduction to major philosophical standpoints in ethics, emphasizing the moral philosophies of Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. Applications and evaluation of these standpoints in the context of contemporary moral issues. Emphasis on critical analysis of personal as well as social issues. Satisfies G.E. area C2. (CAN PHIL 4)

PHIL 2500 Philosophy and Film (3 units)
An introduction to the study of philosophical ideas through the mediums of film and text. Readings will emphasize analysis of existential themes and discussion of the aesthetics of film appreciation. Attention also will be paid to the methods and subject matter of philosophy as these relate to film theory and criticism. Satisfies G.E. area C2.

PHIL 2700 Introduction to Political Philosophy (3 units)
Introduction to the basic concepts and problems of political philosophy, including the nature of justice; relation of the individual to the state; the basis of individual rights; the relation of the individual to the community; the concepts of emancipation and enlightenment; and the theory of the social contract. Satisfies G.E. area C2.

Upper Division

PHIL 3000 Philosophical Reading and Analysis (3 units)
Introduction to the art of philosophical reading. Special attention to deciphering the structure of philosophical writing, as reflected in different philosophical styles and arguments. Emphasis on learning how to perform a philosophical reading of a philosophy text. Course readings will address a common theme. (Winter)

PHIL 3010 Classics of Western Philosophy (3 units)
Introduction to the history, methods, and problems of philosophy for upper-division students. A student wishing to begin a minor or concentration in philosophy at the upper-division level may substitute this course for lower-division coursework in philosophy. Satisfies G.E. area F2. (Fall, Spring)

PHIL 3050 Existentialism (3 units)
Inquiry into the central ideas and problems of existential thought including freedom, anxiety, guilt, death, selfhood, ethical obligation, authenticity, the absurd, the nature of existence, the relation of existence and essence, the relation of self and other, the uncanny, technology, humanism, and nihilism. Readings from primary sources such as Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Kafka, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Tillich, and Camus. Satisfies G.E. area F2.

PHIL 3100 Introduction to Continental Philosophy (3 units)
Introduction to the development of continental philosophy in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with attention to the main thinkers, their issues, and the focus of their achievements. Provides a context for understanding the point of philosophical developments in the groundbreaking works of continental philosophers. Emphasis on the ideational architecture of the movement.

PHIL 3300 Theory of Knowledge (3 units)
Analysis of the concepts of knowledge, truth, belief, evidence, certainty; readings in classical and contemporary theories. Emphasis on problems relating to skepticism and the quest for certainty. Prerequisites: 3 units in philosophy and sophomore standing.

PHIL 3400 Ethics (WP) (3 units)
Analysis of philosophical theories concerning the concepts of right and wrong, good and bad, utility and duty, freedom, obligation, and responsibility. Readings will be drawn from classical and contemporary sources. Satisfies upper-division writing proficiency requirement. Prerequisites: Completion of the Writing Proficiency Screening Test with a passing score, 3 units in philosophy, and sophomore standing.

PHIL 3500 Philosophy of Mind (WP) (3 units)
A study of historical and contemporary reflections on the nature of mental experience, structures of mental processing, and the “mind-body” problem. Course will focus on issues of central importance to contemporary philosophers working in phenomenology and cognitive science. Satisfies upper-division writing proficiency requirement. Prerequisites: Completion of the Writing Proficiency Screening Test with a passing score, 3 units in philosophy (preferably PHIL 2230), and sophomore standing.

PHIL 3700 Concepts of Race and Identity in Philosophical Perspective (3 units)
Reflections on how “race” is constructed, how these constructions determine our personal, social, and political identity, and how “race” identity can be transcended through a return to our origin in diversity. Introduction to race and postcolonial studies as a basis for investigating tensions between bilingualism and the “mother tongue” and for preserving communities of interactive diversity in an elementary school classroom. Designed specifically for future teachers. (LIBS Integrative: Humanistic Inquiry)

PHIL 3750 Concepts of Home in Philosophical Perspective (3 units)
Philosophical exploration of concepts of home in philosophy, literature, and social-political thought. Reflections on how our sense of home is embedded in larger historical and social-cultural structures and how constructions of home space affect our larger sense of belonging. Designed specifically for future teachers. (LIBS Integrative: Humanistic Inquiry)

PHIL 3850 Information and Community (3 units)
How does our media culture influence our perceptions of education? Reflections on how “media frames” influence our understanding of teaching and learning, including our sense of the potential benefits of social investment in public schools, and our perceptions of ourselves as teachers. Designed specifically for future teachers. (LIBS Integrative: Humanistic Inquiry)

PHIL 4000 Philosophy through Literature (3 units)
Examination of philosophical issues and themes that emerge in literature. Philosophical analysis will focus on such topics as ethical constructions and justice; selfhood and personal identity; memory and forgetting; desire and knowledge; the work of imagination; sexuality and embodiment; Eros and death; meaning and existence; the relation of truth and fiction; freedom, fatalism, and determinism; and the relations between self, world, language, and politics. Satisfies G.E. area F2.

PHIL 4050 Environmental Ethics (3 units)
Introduction to theoretical and practical developments in the field of environmental ethics. Reflection on the role of world views, economic, aesthetic, scientific, and political factors in decisions affecting the environment. May include a service learning component. Satisfies G.E. area F2. One of two paired courses in the G.E. Summit Program (Waking up to Nature: Ethics, Ecology, and Restoration Practices). Prerequisite: Consent of Summit Program Coordinator.

PHIL 4150 Cognitive Phenomenology (3 units)
Introduction to phenomenological method as an approach to the study of the mind’s relation to its environment. Readings will stress Husserl’s theory of intentionality, Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of perception, and related developments in phenomenological psychology, with a view to understanding the relationship between subjectivity and information processing. Prerequisite: PHIL 3300 or 3500.

PHIL 4200 Advanced Studies in the History of Philosophy (WP) (3 units)
Intensive study of two or three major works by a major thinker in the history of Western philosophy (including evaluation of secondary source material). Texts will be chosen on the merit of the enduring character of their treatment of classic philosophical issues. May be repeated for credit, provided the focus and readings do not overlap previous course content. Satisfies upper-division writing proficiency requirement. Prerequisites: Completion of the Writing Proficiency Screening Test with a passing score, PHIL 2000 or equivalent, and two additional philosophy courses.

PHIL 4260 Twentieth Century Philosophy (3 units)
Intensive study of themes and issues in epistemology, philosophy of mind, and/or philosophy of language from the standpoints of the Pragmatist, Phe­nomenological, and Analytic traditions in 20th century philosophy. Prerequisites: Two upper-division philosophy courses.

PHIL 4300 Philosophy of Language (3 units)
Intensive study of recent theories of meaning and of the relationship between thought and language. Course themes will include meaning and reference, language games, speech acts, and language as the communication of thoughts, feelings, and information. Discussions also will focus on the application of language theory to problems in the artificial intelligence movement. Prerequisite: PHIL 3000, 3100, 3300, or 3500.

PHIL 4350 Human Interests and the Power of Information (3 units)
Reflective, critical analysis of connections between the pursuit of information and the broader context of human interests and purposes served by information, including how social influences shape our pursuit of information, and how information relates to factual belief and knowledge. Satisfies G.E. area F2. One of two paired courses in the G.E. Summit Program (Humans in the Information Age). Prerequisite: Consent of Summit Program Coordinator.

PHIL 4401 Professional Ethics (3 units)
Intensive study of moral issues and conflicts that arise when one attempts to reconcile the priorities of professional responsibilities and the world of business with those of an ethical frame of mind. Emphasis on issues surrounding the concepts of duty, rights, autonomy, justice, and regulation of business, together with extended reflections on the relationship between moral responsibility and the professions (drawing from specific fields such as engineering, medicine, and law). Satisfies G.E. area F2. (Fall, Spring)

PHIL 4420 Philosophy and Education (3 units)
Exploration of important themes in philosophy and education. Emphasis on the transmission and reception of information in contexts that engage the student as a whole person. Critical analysis of the concept of knowledge cultivation as a transformative practice through which teachers engage their special responsibility for the cultivation of the individual as an active learner. Designed specifically for future teachers. (LIBS Integrative: Humanistic Inquiry)

PHIL 4430 Bioethics (3 units)
Basic themes and issues in biomedical ethics (e.g., right to care, informed consent, euthanasia, assisted suicide, abortion, confidentiality, resource allocation), with emphasis on ethical issues raised by new biotechnologies (e.g., stem cell research, cloning, bioengineering, organ farming, human/animal biotech, and gene mapping). Satisfies G.E. area F2.

PHIL 4450 Eastern Philosophy: Concepts, Methods, and Context (3 units)
(Formerly Philosophy of Religion) Careful study of East Asian philosophies. In-depth analysis of concepts and methods, with special attention to social context and cultural tradition. Satisfies G.E. areas F2 and G. Prerequisites: Three units of philosophy and sophomore standing.

PHIL 4500 Philosophy of Art (WP) (3 units)
(Formerly Aesthetics) Philosophical examination of artistic activity including defining art, understanding its function, and analyzing creative expression, aesthetic experience, interpretation, evaluation, and representation. Satisfies upper-division writing proficiency requirement. Prerequisite: Completion of the Writing Proficiency Screening Test with a passing score, one upper-division philosophy course or consent of instructor.

PHIL 4600 Philosophy and Feminism (3 units)
(Same as GEND 4600) Philosophical examination of the experience and status of women, the construction of gender, and the intersections between feminism, race, class, age, and sexual orientation.

PHIL 4700 Contemporary Latin American Political Philosophy (3 units)
Explores contemporary Latin American writings on such themes as: colonialism, including neocolonialism and internal colonialism; cultural identity as an issue for Latinos, mestizos, and indigenous peoples; social justice and Catholicism; the relation between Marxist movements and struggles for national sovereignty; the relation between Latin America and the First World; the utopian vision and Guevara’s concept of the “new man.”

PHIL 4800 Nature Revisited:
Environmental Issues in Philosophical Perspective (3 units)
Analysis of historically lodged perspectives on nature, wilderness, and environmental management in light of contested issues concerning restoration, conservation, preservation, and wise use practices. Application of abstract analysis to concrete regional issues. For prospective teachers interested in broadening the capacity of students to respect and value their place in nature. Designed specifically for future teachers. (LIBS Integrative: Humanistic Inquiry) (Capstone seminar in Permaculture minor.)

PHIL 4960 Senior Seminar (3 units)
Reading and class discussion leading to the writing, oral presentation, and defense of a philosophical essay by each student. May be repeated once. Pre­requisites: Three upper-division philosophy courses and consent of adviser required. (Spring)

PHIL 4980 Individual Study (1-3 units)
For undergraduate students prepared for independent study to supplement regular course offerings. May be repeated for a total of 6 units. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

PHIL 4990 Senior Thesis (1-3 units)
Research and critical analysis of a major philosophical theme or issue, emphasizing primary and relevant secondary readings. It is expected that the thesis will include analysis and critique of at least one contemporary philosophical work together with an evaluation of critical responses. Prerequisites: Senior standing, advanced coursework in philosophy, and consent of advisor.