Philosophy (Phil)
1. Introduction to Philosophy (4)
Introduction to the basic issues, disputes, and methods of traditional and
contemporary philosophy, including theory of knowledge, ethics, metaphysics,
religion, and social theory. Development of skills in analysis, logical
thinking, and self-expression.
25. Methods of Reasoning (4)
Principles and methods of valid inference. Typical topics: forms of deductive
inference, basic types of inductive inference, common pitfalls in moral
reasoning, problems in reasoning due to the nature of language, and common
fallacies found in arguments in everyday life.
101. Ancient Philosophy (3)
Development of Western Philosophy from its beginning; the emergence of critical
theory, doctrines, and schools of thought in Greek and Roman culture. Topics
considered may include: "pre-Socratic" philosophy; the work of
Plato and Aristotle; Epicurus and the Atomists; Stoicism.
102. Medieval Philosophy (3)
Consideration of Western Philosophy -- its development, principal figures
and schools of thought-from late classical times through the Middle Ages;
Neo-Platonism, Augustine to Anselm; Abelard; Theology, "scholastic"
thought and revival of Aristotle; Aquinas; the rise of nominalism; William
of Ockharn.
103. Bacon to Kant (3)
Development of early modern philosophy: the search for new scientific methods
-- Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Newton, and Locke; empiricism and skepticism
-- Berkeley and Hume; rational ist metaphysics -- Leibniz; influences on
moral and political thought -- the Enlightenment; Rousseau; Kant's critical
philosophy.
104. Nineteenth Century Philosophy (3)
Consideration of the principal figures and systems of thought in philosophy
after Kant; the development of idealism; Hegel and his critics; influential
concepts of evolution and historical change; Marxism; Comte's positivism;
J. S. Mill; irrationalist currents; Kierkegaard and Nietzsche.
105. Twentieth Century Philosophy (3)
Principal developments in philosophy after 1900. Figures and movements include:
logical atomism, logical positivism, linguistic analysis, pragmatism, phenomenology,
existentialism, G. E. Moore, Russell, Wittgenstein, Whitehead, Dewey, Santayana,
Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Austin, Ryle, Strawson, Carnap, Ayer.
106T. Topics in History of Philosophy (1-3; max total 9 if no topic
repeated)
Consideration of special historical issues or individual philosophers.
107. Existentialism (3)
Examination of roots of existentialism in Kierkegaard and Nietzsche; study
of such 20th century existentialists as Sartre, Heidegger, Jaspers, Buber.
Typical problems examined: nature of mind, freedom, the self, ethics, existential
psychoanalysis.
110. Symbolic Logic (4)
Prerequisite: Math 75 or Phil 25 or permission of instructor. Rigorous development
of deductions; sentential logic, a natural deduction system for the predicate
logic; definition of systematic consistency and completeness, proofs of
invalidity, consistency, and independence of sentences within predicate
logic. .
115T. Theory of Value and Obligation (3; max total 9 if no topic repeated)
Investigations of selected topics in ethics, political and social philosophy,
philosophy of law.
116. History of Ethics (3)
Development of the main ethical doctrines of Western Philosophy from Socrates
and the Sophists to Hegel and Mill.
117. Aesthetics (3)
Investigations of selected topics in the philosophy of art and beauty;
the nature of the artistic process and the work of art; expression and creativity;
aesthetic judgment in criticism and experience; the relation of art to moral
and political theory.
120. Introduction to Philosophical Issues
(3)
Not open to students with credit in Phil l. Prerequisite: junior standing.
For students without philosophical background capable of benefiting from
lectures on selected philosophical issues without extensive discussion or
written work.
125T. Theory of Knowledge and Reality (3; max total 9 if no topic repeated)
Investigations of selected topics in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy
of language, and philosophy of science.
130T. Philosophical-Comparative Studies of Religion (3; max total 9 if
no topic repeated)
Investigations of selected topics in philosophy of religion and comparative
religion.
132T. Literature of the Great Non-Western Religions (3; max total 9 if
no topic repeated)
Investigations of selected scriptures of the great world religions including
Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Islam but excluding Judaism
and Christianity.
133. Literature of the New Testament (3)
(Same as Engl 115.) Prerequisite: satisfactory completion (C or better)
of the Engl 1 graduation requirement. Discussion and close written analyses
of selected texts from the New Testament.
134. Literature of the Old Testament (4)
(Same as Engl 116.) Discussion and written analyses of selected texts from
the Hebrew Bible. Special attention to the sources and styles of biblical
literary techniques.
135T. Special Topics (3; max total 9 if no topic repeated)
Topics of current or interdisciplinary interest or requiring special background.
160T. Seminar in Historical Problems (4; max total 12 if no topic
repeated)
Prerequisite: one upper division philosophy course, and one unit of independent
study or permission of instructor. Intensive investigation of historical
periods or figures with extensive writing and supervised research.
165T. Seminar in Metaphysics and Epistemology (4; max total 12 if
no topic repeated)
Prerequisite: one upper division philosophy course, and one unit of independent
study or permission of instructor. Intensive investigation of selected problems
in perception, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and philosophy
of language.
170T. Seminar in Moral and Political Theory (4; max total 12 if no
topic repeated)
Prerequisite: one upper division philosophy course, and one unit of independent
study or permission of instructor. Intensive investigation of problems in
ethical reasoning, moral psychology, .legal and political theory. Extensive
writing and supervised research.
175T. Seminar in Religious Issues (4; max total 12 if no topic repeated)
Prerequisite: one upper division philosophy course, and one unit of independent
study or permission of instructor. Intensive investigation of problems in
philosophical theology, comparative religion, and culture, Extensive writing
and supervised research.
180T. Seminar in Special Topics (4; max total 12 if no topic repeated)
Prerequisite: one upper division philosophy course, and one unit of independent
study, or permission of instructor. Intensive investigation of topics of
an interdisciplinary nature or those having special prerequisites. .
190. Independent Study (1-3; max see reference)
See Academic Placement -- Independent Study.