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Home Academics Programs and Majors Philosophy

Philosophy

Overview Degrees/Certificates Courses Faculty

Philosophy (PHIL) Courses

PHIL 300 Introduction to Philosophy

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ENGWR 300 with a grade of "C" or better
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area II(b); AA/AS Area I; CSU Area A3; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 100
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course uses critical thinking techniques to analyze and evaluate the positions, arguments, and methods of different thinkers as expressed in primary texts. Typical topics include human freedom, the belief in God, the nature and limits of scientific knowledge, the basis of moral judgments, natural rights, and the nature of the State.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • demonstrate, orally and in writing, a comprehension of the positions, arguments, and methods of various thinkers as expressed in primary texts.
  • demonstrate a critical understanding of diverse arguments on major philosophical topics such as the belief in a god; the nature of truth; the requirements of reality; the concept of the self; the nature and limits of knowledge; and the nature of values: aesthetic, moral, or religious.
  • formulate and argue, orally and in writing, for a position on a philosophical issue such as the possibility of knowledge or the origins of morality.

PHIL 306 Environmental Philosophy

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course explores historical and contemporary philosophical positions regarding our place in nature and how these positions apply to specific environmental issues. It examines what makes the natural environment valuable and the responsibilities that arise from that value. In addition, it presents theories regarding how the environment affects and is affected by our beliefs.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • explain basic understanding of environmental challenges such as global climate change, sea acidification, deforestation, etc. and why they require philosophical attention.
  • properly use technical terminology in regard to the environment and to explain how various philosophical positions contribute to the current state of affairs.
  • identify, describe, explain, and critically evaluate philosophical positions and arguments pertinent to our place in and interaction with the environment.

PHIL 310 Introduction to Ethics

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ENGWR 101 with a "C" or better
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 120
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course introduces the student to classical and contemporary ethical theories and their application to a variety of contemporary moral issues such as euthanasia, animal rights, torture, and our relationship to the environment.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • define, analyze, and appraise both metaethical issues such as moral relativism and normative theories such as virtue ethics, utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and consequentialism.
  • examine, compare, and evaluate various ethical theories with respect to specific applied ethical issues such as capital punishment and animal rights.
  • demonstrate an understanding of, and an ability to properly use, technical language in regard to both metaethical and normative issues.
  • identify and analyze the logical structures of moral arguments and their components.

PHIL 320 Logic and Critical Reasoning

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area II(b); CSU Area A3
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

Logic and Critical Reasoning provides instruction and practice in effective, purposeful, and rational thinking. The student will learn to identify premises and conclusions in arguments and to identify cogent inductive arguments and valid deductive arguments. Special emphasis is placed on recognizing and overcoming perceptual and cognitive errors and biases that hinder the ability to think critically. The standards of critical thinking and logic will be discussed in terms of their historical development and their cultural impact on society.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • delineate, explain, and use the fundamental structures of logic, including but not limited to argument form, validity, inference, abduction, strength, and soundness.
  • demonstrate knowledge of and ability to discern common fallacies of argument and advertising; identify bias and prejudice in premises.
  • analyze and evaluate the reliability of various sources of evidence including eyewitnesses, experts, mass media, textbooks, and others.
  • using the skills of logic and basic critical thinking, construct a cogent argument, analyze its weak points and produce a counterargument, and defend against the counter.

PHIL 325 Symbolic Logic

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ENGWR 101 with a grade of "C" or better.
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area II(b); CSU Area A3
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 210
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is an introduction to the nature of deductive systems of logic and their application. Students will learn to evaluate argument forms for validity and soundness. This course is recommended for students of the sciences, computer programming, mathematics, and philosophy.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • distinguish an argument from a description, explanation, or report.
  • locate, analyze, and evaluate real-world arguments for validity and soundness using English.
  • symbolize arguments in the languages of sentential and predicate logic.
  • locate, analyze, and evaluate real-world arguments for validity and soundness using a formal language.
  • build truth tables for consistency, validity, and equivalence.

PHIL 330 History of Classical Philosophy

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:Eligibility for ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 130
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is a study of the origin and development of Western philosophy from the period of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The course is recommended for all philosophy, history, and humanities majors. Credit may be earned for PHIL 330 or PHIL 480 but not for both.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • explain a pre-Socratic philosopher's metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical views using primary and secondary source material.
  • explain and critically interpret Plato's metaphysical, epistemological, or ethical views using primary and secondary source material.
  • explain and critically interpret Aristotle's metaphysical, epistemological, or ethical views using primary and secondary source material.
  • explain various post-Aristotelian philosophers' views on how to attain solace using primary and secondary source material.

PHIL 331 History of Modern Philosophy

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ENGWR 101 with a grade of "C" or better
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 140
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is a study of the development of Western philosophy from Descartes to Kant. It is recommended for all philosophy, history, and humanities majors. Credit may be earned for PHIL 331 or PHIL 481, but not both.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • explain the criticisms of scholasticism made by modern philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, and Kant.
  • explain key concepts in epistemology and metaphysics such as material and immaterial substance, idea, causality, God, skepticism, space and time, and free will and determinism as presented by Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.
  • explain the main positions and central arguments of three major modern philosophers.
  • compare and contrast the positions of any two of the early modern philosophers studied.

PHIL 338 Contemporary Philosophy

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ENGWR 300 with a grade of "C" or better
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course addresses contributions to Western Philosophy in the 20th and 21st century. Topic examples include Existentialism, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Language, Feminism, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Film, and Environmental Ethics.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • demonstrate familiarity with and be able to explain major contributions to 20th and 21st century philosophical thought
  • explain and critique specific, selected works by thinkers such as De Beauvoir, Wittgenstein, Searle, Kuhn, and Nussbaum
  • identify problems and challenges to current areas of inquiry and pose possible solutions or future directions
  • demonstrate the ability to analyze, evaluate, and construct cogent arguments and apply them to issues covered in the coursework

PHIL 352 Introduction to World Religions

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is an introductory survey of selected world religions. Emphasis is on the origins, beliefs, and interpretations of philosophical concepts underlying Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • explain and distinguish basic terms, beliefs, and concepts of various religions from several different cultures.
  • correlate concise definitions of basic terms, beliefs, and concepts with apt quotations from classic texts of the religions studied.
  • describe the cultural and historical developments of the religions studied.
  • recognize the contributions of several religious traditions to cultural diversity in the United States.

PHIL 368 Law, Justice, and Punishment

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ENGWR 101 with a "C" or better
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 3B
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course introduces the student to the historical, cultural, legal, and philosophical development in American culture of (1) abstract principles such as rights, justice, the nature of law, freedom of speech, equal protection of the law, and following precedent; and (2) theoretical issues such as statutory and constitutional interpretation, utilitarian and retributive theories of punishment, and justice as fairness; and (3) practices such as the exclusionary rule, plea bargaining, and the insanity defense.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • identify, expose, evaluate, and discuss arguments and positions presented in legal texts.
  • demonstrate familiarity with the content of texts and the capacity to use appropriate legal and philosophical terminology in regard to those cases.
  • demonstrate an understanding of the legal theories at work and some of the history contributing to these positions and laws.
  • compose cogent essays regarding what we have studied.
  • raise interesting philosophical questions in regard to the readings and discussions.

PHIL 480 History of Classical Philosophy - Honors

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ENGWR 300; Honors courses are open to students who demonstrate an ability to write carefully reasoned, well-organized essays of varying lengths, are prepared to make clear oral presentations in class, and are able to actively contribute to seminar discussions.
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 130
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is a study of the origin and development of Western philosophy during the period of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The course is recommended for all philosophy, history, and humanities majors. This honors section uses an intensive instructional methodology designed to challenge motivated students. Credit may be earned for PHIL 330 or PHIL 480 but not for both.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • explain a pre-Socratic philosopher's metaphysical, epistemological, and if relevant, ethical views using primary and secondary source material.
  • explain and critically interpret Plato's metaphysical, epistemological, or ethical views using primary and secondary source material.
  • explain and critically interpret Aristotle's metaphysical, epistemological, or ethical views using primary and secondary source material.
  • explain various post-Aristotelian philosophers' views on how to attain solace using primary and secondary source material.

PHIL 481 History of Modern Philosophy - Honors

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Enrollment Limitation:Eligibility for the Honors program.
  • Advisory:Honors courses are open to students who demonstrate an ability to write carefully reasoned, well-organized essays of varying lengths, are prepared to make clear oral presentations in class, and are able to actively contribute to seminar discussions.
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 140
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is a study of the development of Western philosophy from Descartes to Kant. It is conducted in a seminar format and uses an intensive instructional methodology that is designed to challenge motivated students. Credit may be earned for PHIL 331 or PHIL 481, but not both.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • explain the criticisms of scholasticism made by modern philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, and Kant.
  • explain key concepts in epistemology and metaphysics such as material and immaterial substance, idea, causality, God, skepticism, space and time, and free will and determinism as presented by Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.
  • explain the main positions and central arguments of three major modern philosophers.
  • compare and contrast the positions of any two of the early modern philosophers studied.

PHIL 495 Independent Studies in Philosophy

  • Units:1 - 3
  • Hours:54 - 162 hours LAB
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Transferable:CSU
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

An independent studies project involves an individual student or a small group of students who wish to study, research, and/or pursue philosophical topics beyond those covered in regularly offered courses. This course will allow students to study specific topics and gain new perspectives in the discipline. U.C. transfer credit will be awarded only after the course has been evaluated by the enrolling UC campus. The units completed for this course cannot be counted toward the minimum 60 units required for admission.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • analyze and apply the knowledge, skills, and experience that are offered during the independent study project.
  • understand and communicate the relevance of the independent study project to the broader discipline.

PHIL 499 Experimental Offering in Philosophy

  • Units:0.5 - 4
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Transferable:CSU
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

Themes and experimental offerings in Philosophy 11 will encompass topics from the following areas: (a) knowledge and existence, (b) self and mind, (c) philosophy and the arts, (d) norms and politics, (e) philosophy of the East and West, (f) philosophical literature and myths, (g) science and human nature, and (h) specific ideas of individual philosophies. The course may be repeated for credit providing there is no duplication of topics.

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Arts and Communication