CSUH Catalog 2004-2005: Philosophy (Undergraduate)

Philosophy

	Department Information
	Program Description
	Career Opportunities
	Major Requirements (B.A.)
	Minor Requirements
	Philosophy Option: Liberal Studies
	Undergraduate Courses
	Footnote

Department Information

Department of Philosophy
College of Arts, Letters, and Social Sciences
Office: Meiklejohn Hall 4006
Phone: (510) 885-3225, FAX: (510) 885-2123

Professor Emeritus: Paul C. Bassen

Professors: Marek W. Bielecki, William J. Langan (Chair)

Assistant Professors: Jennifer L. Eagan, Terrence M. Kelly, Roberta L. Millstein

Lecturers: Russell Abrams, Ted Stolze

Please consult the 2005-2006 online catalog for any changes that may occur.

Program Description

The Department of Philosophy offers programs leading to a B.A. degree major in Philosophy in two different areas, one in philosophy proper, the other in religious studies. Through a broad range of courses in either program, the student encounters the great ideas of our heritage, both Western and Eastern, and gains a knowledge of the foundation of almost all other subjects.

Many different kinds of students choose the major in philosophy proper. Some intend to become professional philosophers or to do graduate work in philosophy. Others take philosophy as a preparation for another professional area. Traditionally, for example, philosophy has been one of the chief roads to professional law schools. Philosophy also serves as a good general liberal arts education. Many of the long-established university disciplines are founded on philosophical principles: political science, sociology, education, aesthetics, physics, and other subjects.

As is true of those selecting the regular major in Philosophy, a great variety of concerns motivates students to choose the Option in Religious Studies. The aim of many religious studies students is to prepare for entrance into theological seminary. Others are attracted to the program because of their interests in the history of Western culture, in comparative religion, or in such subjects as the psychology of religion or the sociology of religion. Again, like the regular major in philosophy, the Religious Studies Option serves as a good liberal arts education.

Career Opportunities

Analyst • Business Executive • Clergy • Critic • College Professor • Customer Service Representative • Editor • Employee Assistance Representative • Foreign Service Officer • Journalist • Personnel Representative • Philosopher • Lawyer • Professor/Teacher • Public Relations Specialist • Salesperson Stockbroker • Theologian • Writer

Major Requirements (B.A.)

Please consult an advisor in your major department for clarification and interpretation of your major requirements. The regular major consists of 56 units; the Philosophy major with an option in Religious Studies consists of 68 units; the B.A. degree requires a total of 180 units.


I.	Philosophy Major (56 units)
	A.	One course in ethics (4 units)
		PHIL 3100 Ethics (4) or PHIL 3150 Contemporary Ethics (4)
	B.	Four courses in the History of Western Philosophy (16 units)
		PHIL 3601 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (4) PHIL 3602 Modern Philosophy (4) PHIL 3603 Kant and Idealism (4) PHIL 3604 Roots of Contemporary Philosophy (4)
	C.	One course in contemporary philosophy (4 units)
		PHIL 3605 Studies in Contemporary Philosophy (4)
	D.	Two courses in metaphysics or epistemology (8 units) from the following:
		PHIL 3301 Theory of Knowledge (4) PHIL 3311 Metaphysics (4) PHIL 3321 Philosophy of the Human Sciences (4) PHIL 3332 Philosophy of Science (4)
	E.	One seminar in philosophy (4 units)
		PHIL 4606 Seminar in Philosophy (4)
	F.	Five additional Philosophy electives (20 units)
		Philosophy courses including those not chosen from the above lists and those repeatable for credit, at least three of which must be upper division.
II.	Option in Religious Studies (68 units)
	A.	One course in ethics (4 units)
		PHIL 3100 Ethics (4) or PHIL 3150 Contemporary Ethics (4)
	B.	Three courses in the history of Western philosophy (12 units)
		PHIL 3601 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (4) PHIL 3602 Modern Philosophy (4) PHIL 3603 Kant and Idealism (4)
	C.	Three courses in contemporary philosophy (12 units)
		PHIL 3604 Roots of Contemporary Philosophy (4) PHIL 3605 Studies in Contemporary Philosophy (4) PHIL 4606 Seminar in Philosophy (4)
	D.	Two courses in metaphysics or epistemology (8 units) from the following:
		PHIL 3301 Theory of Knowledge (4) PHIL 3311 Metaphysics (4) PHIL 3321 Philosophy of the Human Sciences (4) PHIL 3332 Philosophy of Science (4)
	E.	Three courses in comparative religion and philosophy of religion (12 units) from the following:
		PHIL 1401 Religions of the World (4) PHIL 3400 Philosophy of Religion (4) PHIL 3401 Contemporary Religious Thinkers (4) PHIL 3403 Philosophies of the East (4) PHIL 3410 Comparative Themes in Eastern and Western Philosophy (4)
	F.	Courses in Supporting Fields (20 units)
		Five courses from the following:
			ANTH 3840 Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion (4), 3890 Shamanism (4); ENGL 4720 Mythology (4); E S 3185 African American Religion (4), 3310 Native American World View (4); HIST 3114 History of Early Christianity (4), 3123 History of Medieval Christianity (4), 3132 Renaissance Magic (4), 3134 The Reformation (4); HDEV 3600 Development of Religious and Secular World Views (4); SOC 3610 Sociology of Religion (4); WOST 3510 Women in Myth and Prehistory (4); Other relevant courses approved by the Religious Studies advisor.
		Note: The courses in supporting fields may be applied to the general education-breadth requirements. The student's advisor should be consulted.

Other Degree Requirements
In addition to major requirements, every student must also complete the University requirements for graduation which are described in the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements chapter in the front of this catalog. These include the General Education-Breadth requirements; the U.S. history, U.S. Constitution, and California state and local government requirement; the University Writing Skills requirement; and the residence, unit, and grade point average requirements.

Minor Requirements


I.	Cognitive Science Minor (28 units)
	The cognitive science minor consists of 28 units, with at least 20 units from two or more departments other than the student's major. The 28 units must include at least 12 units of the core courses. The remaining units must be selected from the listed electives.
	A.	Core (12 units)
		At least 12 units selected from the following courses:
			ANTH 1800 Introduction to Anthropological Linguistics (4) One lower division programming course: CS 1020, or 1160 (4) CS 4810 Artificial Intelligence (4) PHIL 3341 Philosophy of Cognition and Artificial Intelligence (4) PSYC 4740 Psycholinguistics (4)
	B.	Electives (16 units)
		ANTH 3800 Language and Culture (4); BIOL 4510 Neurobiology (4); CS 3120 Programming Language Concepts (4), 4110 Compiler Design (4), 4170 Theory of Automata (4); ENGL 3005 Study of Language (4); HDEV 4510 Cognitive Development (4), 4520 Language Acquisition and the Symbolic Function (4); PHIL 3002 Modern Logic (4), 3301 Theory of Knowledge (4), 3305 Metaphysics and Knowledge (4), 3332 Philosophy of Science (4); PSYC 4210 Theories of Learning (4), 4220 Cognitive Processes (4), 4320 Physiological Psychology (4), 4345 Sensation and Perception (4)
II.	Philosophy Minor (28 units)
	One of the following (4 units):
		PHIL 3100 Ethics (4) PHIL 3305 Metaphysics and Knowledge (4)
	Two courses in the history of Western philosophy, from the following (8 units):
		PHIL 3601 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (4) PHIL 3602 Modern Philosophy (4) PHIL 3603 Kant and Idealism (4) PHIL 3604 Roots of Contemporary Philosophy (4) PHIL 3605 Studies in Contemporary Philosophy (4)
	Four additional philosophy courses, of which at least three must be upper division (16 units)
III.	Religious Studies Minor (36 units)
	A.	Core (12 units)
		PHIL 1401 Religions of the World (4) PHIL 3400 Philosophy of Religion (4) PHIL 3401 Contemporary Religious Thinkers (4)
	B.	Electives in Philosophy (12 units)
		Two courses in the history of western philosophy, chosen from the following (8 units):
			PHIL 3151 Environmental Ethics (4), 3601 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (4), 3602 Modern Philosophy (4), 3603 Kant and Idealism (4), 3604 Roots of Contemporary Philosophy (4), 3605 Studies of Contemporary Philosophy (4)
		One additional course relevant to religious studies (4 units)
	C.	Electives in Supporting Fields (12 units)
		Three courses, chosen from the following:
			ANTH 3840 Magic, Witchcraft and Religion (4); ENGL 4720 Mythology (4); E S 3310 Native American World View (4); HIST 3123 History of Medieval Christianity (4), 3114 History of Early Christianity (4), 3132 Renaissance Magic (4), 3134 The Reformation (4); HDEV 3600 Development of Religious and Secular World Views (4); SOC 3610 Sociology of Religion (4); WOST 3510 Women in Myth and Prehistory (4)

Philosophy Option: Liberal Studies


Area I (4 units) One course from the following (4 units):
		PHIL 1501 Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy (4), 2300 Metaphysics and Knowledge (4)
Area VII Credential Track or Area VI General Track (24 units) One course from the following (4 units):
		PHIL 3605 Studies in Contemporary Philosophy (4), 3701 Philosophy of Education (4), 4606 Seminar in Philosophy (4), 4912 Senior Project (4)
Five additional Philosophy courses (excluding PHIL 1000, 1001, 3001, and 3002) at least four of which must be upper division (20 units).

Undergraduate Courses


The course prefix for the following courses is PHIL. Lower Division Critical Thinking Courses
1000	Workshop in Clear Thinking (4) Development of clarity and focus in thinking, with attention to rigor, modes of explanation, validity of reasoning, etc. (A)
1001	Introduction to Logic (4) [CAN PHIL 6] Beginning study of the forms of valid inference, including informal fallacies, syllogistic logic and symbolic logic. (A)
Lower Division Philosophy Courses
1101	Contemporary Social and Ethical Issues (4) Topics of contemporary concern, e.g. human rights, roots of social injustice, affirmative action, sexism and racism. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (Y)
1103	Science, Ethics, and Technology (4) The ethical implications of various technologies, such as biotechnology, medical technologies, environmental technologies, and informational technologies.
1401	Religions of the World (4) Comparative study of religions from around the world, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. (Y)
1605	Introduction to Asian Thought (4) The thought of China, India, and Japan, past and present, as expressed in philosophical texts.
2020	Self, Family, Culture (4) Normative and descriptive approaches to understanding diverse ways in which Self dwells in Family and Community. Emphasis on methodological similarities and differences between philosophical and non-philosophical approaches as a way of preparing the ground for a meaningful interdisciplinary encounter.
2024	Philosophy of Women's Experience (4) (See WOST 2024 for course description)
2027	Law, Economics, and Justice (4) The normative dimensions of the relationship between law and economics. Free market and welfare state arrangements evaluated in terms of leading theories of justice.
2028	Philosophy, Technology, and Culture (4) Explores the philosophical issues raised by the impact of technology on culture including ethical issues raised by mass culture and the impact of technology on philosophical worldviews.
2029	Philosophical Perspectives on the Problem of Evil (4) The moral, hermeneutic, and epistemological issues raised by the problem of evil. The Holocaust as a historical locus of reflection.
2040	Early Modern World Philosophies (4) Evolution of religious and philosophical traditions of early modern Europe, Middle East, and Asia. Impact of Islam on Judeo-Christian thought; philosophical debates regarding conquest and colonization of the Americas; changing perspectives on race and gender; the Enlightenment in global perspective.
2605	Asian Thought (4) Buddhist thought of India, Southeast Asia, and Japan as expressed in its philosophical texts, visual art and music, and literature; demonstration of the interconnections among these disciplines.
2606	Asian Thought II (4) The thought of India, China, Southeast Asia, and Japan as expressed in its philosophical texts and visual arts, with special attention to their interconnections. Cross-listed with ART 2606.
Upper Division Critical Thinking Courses
3002	Modern Logic (4) Advanced course in symbolic logic. Students without a mathematical background are encouraged to first take PHIL 1001. (Y)
3010	Critical Legal Reasoning (4) Development of ability to think clearly and rationally with focus on legal reasoning. Argument by analogy, use of precedent, interpretation of court opinions, and LSAT preparation.
Upper Division Philosophy Courses
3100	Ethics (4) Major theories about ethics or morality and their relation to different social systems, institutions and cultures of the world. (Y)
3150	Contemporary Ethics (4) Problems and theories in contemporary ethical and moral thinking, such as: knowledge, multicultural education and relativism; fairness and affirmative action policies; violence, social injustice and freedom; and distributive justice, racism and sexism. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (Y)
3151	Environmental Ethics (4) Philosophical conceptions of nature and the environment, and human responsibilities towards it, drawn from different historical and cultural traditions. (Y)
3152	Biomedical Ethics (4) Ethical issues in biology and medicine, such as euthanasia, abortion, truth-telling, genetic engineering, cloning, distribution of medical resources. (Y)
3153	Biology and Ethics (4) Conceptual and ethical issues arising from new developments in biology. Topics may include cloning, genetic engineering, biodiversity, the evolution/creation debate.
3201	Aesthetics (4) Theories of art, such as imitation, formalism and expressionism; the contrast between representational and abstract art. (Y)
3211	Philosophy and Literature (4) Examination of philosophical views about such things as the meaning of existence, morality, social justice, human identity, love, and death that are contained implicitly in world literature and drama. (Y)
3213	Ethics in Literature (4) Fiction, film, and philosophy are the materials for this exploration of different accounts of morality. The fictional sources, from ancient through modern times, provide examples. Any necessary background to philosophical reading supplied in lectures. (Y)
3214	Philosophy and Myth in Latin American Literature (4) Philosophical themes, including idealism and the search for enlightenment, as illustrated in selected works of Latin American and some Mexican-American fiction. The cosmological book of the Maya, Popol Vuh, critically examined as literary philosophy, along with contemporary interpretative essays.
3216	Philosophy and Science Fiction (4) Philosophical views about topics contained implicitly in science fiction writing and film.
3230	Art and Philosophy of the East (4) An interdisciplinary investigation of the relationship between art and philosophy of Asia, with particular emphasis on Hinduism and Buddhism. Team taught by faculty from the Art and Philosophy departments, Cross-listed with ART 3230.
3301	Theory of Knowledge (4) An exploration of such issues as skepticism, relativism, truth, and the nature of understanding. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (Y)
3305	Self, Nature, and God (4) Topics such as the mind-body problem, freedom versus determinism, and the nature of truth, faith, and reason.
3311	Metaphysics (4) An exploration of the nature of matter, mind, space, time, truth, and the real. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (Y)
3321	Philosophy of the Human Sciences (4) Philosophical study of theories, methods and problems in the social and behavioral sciences. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (Y)
3322	The Phenomenon of Language (4) The phenomenon of language, including the languages or discourses employed by various disciplines that study it, such as linguistics, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and philosophy itself. (Y)
3325	Cultural Studies (4) Analysis of philosophical problems and assumptions raised by the study of culture, including, but not limited to, the relations between reason, human freedom and culture. May be repeated once for major credit when content varies.
3331	History of Science (4) A general survey of the history of science, including origins of scientific thought, the scientific revolution, the legacy of Darwin, and selected topics from nineteenth and twentieth century science. Cross-listed with HIST 3331. (W)
3332	Philosophy of Science (4) The nature of scientific explanation, scientific methods, and conceptual revolutions in science. (Sp)
3335	Science, Technology and Values (4) Nature of scientific reasoning and its relation to technology. Historical development of modern technology. Examples of technological systems: communications, data processing, materials, energy generation. Impact on the environment and on human society. Relation to moral reasoning. Cross-listed with SCI 3335.
3341	Philosophy of Cognition and Artificial Intelligence (4) Philosophical study of the nature of cognition and of human and machine intelligence. Explores such questions as: "What is thinking?" "What is intelligence?" "Can computers understand ordinary language?" Recent trends and prospects of the quest for truly intelligent machines. (Y)
3400	Philosophy of Religion (4) Philosophical issues such as the existence of God, the problem of evil, the paradox of free will, the nature of religious experience and mysticism. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (Y)
3401	Contemporary Religious Thinkers (4) The religious philosophies of one or more major thinkers of the Twentieth Century from different cultures or religious traditions of the world. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (Y)
3403	Philosophies of the East (4) Eastern thought as expressed in its great religious philosophies such as Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism and Buddhism. (Y)
3410	Comparative Themes in Eastern and Western Philosophy (4) Critical and comparative study of themes from Western philosophy and from Indian, Chinese and other Eastern philosophies. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (Y)
3411	Jewish Philosophy (4) Readings on themes of Jewish philosophy including suffering, evil, love, alterity or otherness, and the question of Jewish identity.
3417	The Philosophy of Islam (4) Islamic cosmology as articulated in the Quran, the teachings of Muhammad, Muslim law, and major Muslim philosophers. (Y)
3502	Social and Political Philosophy (4) Intensive study of the philosophical theories underlying or justifying public policy issues, such as individual freedom and government protection of the rights of others; freedom of speech and religious, racial or sexual prejudice; affirmative action and reverse discrimination; and violence, personal responsibility and the roots of social injustice. (Y)
3503	Philosophy of Law (4) Introduction to the main schools of jurisprudence and legal philosophy. Cross-listed with POSC 3503. (Y)
3506	Philosophies of Non-Violence: Some Asian Perspectives (4) Evolution of philosophies of non-violence in the Indian, Chinese, and Zen traditions, from the Upanishads and Buddha's teachings through Gandhi's notion of Ahimsa to contemporary writings.
3510	Human Rights and Social Justice: Cultural Groups and Women in the U.S. (4) Philosophical perspectives on human rights and social justice as they apply to the lived experiences of cultural groups and women in the U.S. (A)
3511	Philosophy of Human Rights and Global Justice (4) Explores human rights theory and its global application from a philosophical perspective. Considers whether the following concepts can be applied globally: the nature of rights, individualism, liberalism, the social contract, cosmopolitanism, postmodernity, multiculturalism, materialism, and the nature of power.
3536	Economic Justice (4) Ethical issues arising from economic practices and social structures. Topics may include globalization, fair contracts, discrimination, economic inequality and the relationship between markets and democracy.
3560	Business and Professional Ethics (4) Team-taught by a philosopher and a social scientist. Explores current ethical issues in business and other professions: preferential hiring vs. equal opportunity, environmental regulation vs. property rights, truthfulness in business communications, economic efficiency vs. social responsibility. Cross-listed with MGMT 3560.
3601	Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (4) Western philosophy from the ancient Greeks (including Socrates, Plato and Aristotle) through the philosophers and theologians of the Middle Ages (including St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas). (F)
3602	Modern Philosophy (4) Seventeenth and eighteenth century Western philosophy, especially rationalism (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz) and empiricism (Locke, Berkeley, Hume). (W)
3603	Kant and Idealism (4) Kant, nineteenth century German idealists, especially Hegel, and reactions to them. (Sp)
3604	Roots of Contemporary Philosophy (4) Study of one or more twentieth century philosophical traditions, such as logical positivism, analytic philosophy (including Wittgenstein), pragmatism, existentialism, phenomenology, process philosophy, the Frankfurt School. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (F)
3605	Studies in Contemporary Philosophy (4) Various figures or topics in contemporary philosophy. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (W)
3701	Philosophy of Education (4) Philosophical analysis of contemporary theories and methods of education through examination of major works offering contrasting perspectives on the nature of knowledge, competing value systems, and ethical and multicultural concerns in the educational process. Seminar approach emphasizing student participation and presentations. (Y)
3711	Philosophical Dialogue (1) Dialogue between faculty and students on a range of philosophical topics. May include periodic guest speakers. May be repeated up to three times for credit.
3720	Feminist Philosophy (4) Major themes, theories, and different schools of feminist philosophy; the influences of Marxism, psychoanalysis, existential phenomenology, postmodernism, and theories of difference, with special reference to American feminist thought.
3925	Moral Values in the Modern World (4) A problems-oriented course in ethics focusing on issues of current moral concern, e.g., abortion, affirmative action, animal rights, feminism, euthanasia.
3999	Issues in Philosophy (4) Readings, discussion, and research on contemporary and/or significant issues in philosophy. May be repeated for credit when content varies.
4606	Seminar in Philosophy (4) Intensive study of an individual philosopher, school, movement or problem in philosophy. May be repeated for credit when content varies. (Sp)
4900	Independent Study (1-4)
4912	Senior Project (4) Supervised research and preparation of an essay on a significant philosophical problem. Prerequisite: consent of a faculty member.

Footnote

Has prerequisites not included in program.