Courses

Philosophy
Courses

101 - Introduction to Philosophy

Mind, World, and Self. An introduction to some central problems of philosophy reflecting the human experience, including the nature of reality, the justification of knowledge, the freedom of the will, the nature of the good and the right, and alternative conceptions of the self.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE

Doubt, Fallibility, and Reason. This course is an introduction to the practice of philosophy through engagement with four canonical philosophical texts: Rene Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy, David Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, J. S. Mill's On Liberty, and Friedrich Nietzsche's On the Genealogy of Morals. These texts each, in their own way, grapple with doubt, human fallibility, and the role of reason in either creating or conquering this doubt. Engagement with these texts will challenge students not only to develop the skills of philosophical argumentation, but also to think more clearly about topics of perennial philosophical interest: the nature of knowledge, the existence of God, the legitimacy of political institutions, and the source(s) of morality.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE

205 - Introduction to Ancient Thought

An examination of the problems in moral and political philosophy created by, and resulting from, the historical events surrounding Athens in the 5th Century B.C. The course will examine historical writings (Herodotus, Thucydides), Greek tragedy, Pre-Socratic thought and Plato, and developments in art, with as much reference as possible to their social and economic contexts.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE • PRE-1800

210 - Historical Introduction to Philosophy

We will address some of the fundamental issues in epistemology and metaphysics while reading selections from the works of some important philosophers throughout history. Among the issues addressed will be the existence of the external world, the relation between the mental and the physical, and the foundation of our knowledge of the future. Philosophers covered will include Berkeley, Descartes, Hume, and Kant.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE • PRE-1800

225 - Formal Logic

We will study the formal properties of arguments and sets of statements. This will involve learning two formal languages, the propositional calculus and the predicate calculus. Within these languages we will formalize the notions of validity, soundness, and consistency, and show how these properties can be tested.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: MATH/SCI

230 - Introduction to Ethics

This course will address some fundamental questions in ethics, such as: What is the best life for a human being? Should I be good? Can I be good? Is morality objective, subjective, or relative to one's society? Is there any relation between ethics and religion? What are our obligations to others, both friends and strangers? What are our obligations to non-human animals? We will read both classical and contemporary writings in ethics.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL

235 - Feminism and Philosophy

A critical analysis of contemporary feminist theories and their philosophical roots. Topics for discussion will include: equality, respect, meaningful work, parenting, friendship, sexual relations, abortion, rape, pornography, and prostitution.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

240 - Philosophy of Race

This course will philosophically examine the concept of race and the way race informs identity. Topics include the reality of race, the origins and nature of the concept, and the extent to which race does and should impact our social and personal identities.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL

245 - Science, Law, and Sexual Orientation

The course investigates the current scientific data on sexual orientation in order to evaluate the implications this information has in law and social policy. While biological findings on sexual orientation will be presented and explained, the level of instruction is designed for non-biology majors, and no prior familiarity with law and social policy is presupposed. Some questions that will guide our inquiry include: What is the data that supports biological predisposition? Is sexual orientation genetic? Is it epigenetic? Is it immutable or a matter of choice? How should the law treat sexual orientation as a matter of classification? How should the benefits and burdens of the law be distributed according to this classification? What effect do stereotypes of sexual orientation have on science and social policy, for example, in AIDS research? The course aims to promote an understanding of the biological impact on complex behaviors such as sexual orientation, and to discuss the social and legal implications of that relationship as engaged citizens.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

250 - Bioethics

This course is an introduction to the methods of ethics developed for addressing moral issues in the practice of health care and research. Methods addressed will include: professional ethics (practice standards and professional norms), casuistry, the principles of biomedical ethics, applied normative theory, feminist bioethics, and narrative ethics. We will use these methods to address a host of topics of concern to those participating in health care institutions, either (directly) as providers or (somewhat less directly) as policy makers. Given in alternate years.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

255 - Environmental Ethics

This course will examine the nature of environmental values and their role in decisions and public policies concerning environmental protection. Some of the questions we will address include: What is the relation between the environment and human health and well-being? Are there reasons other than human health and well-being for protecting the environment? How do we compare environmental values against other values in making reasonable decisions? What are the ethical issues involved in cost-benefit analysis? What are our duties to future generations and non-human animals?
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

285 - Paradoxes

Paradoxes and their resolution have played a significant role in the development of philosophy; they still have an influence on philosophy today. While Xeno’s paradoxes of motion where first posed about 2000 years ago there is still not a consensus about what to say about them. Semantic paradoxes such as the liar paradox and the paradoxes of vagueness reveal problems with everyday concepts such as truth and implication. Supertasks reveal problems with our understanding of infinity. What to say about these problems, what they show us about how to understand space, time, infinity, truth and implication, for example, are some of the issues we will discuss in this class. We will examine various paradoxes, puzzles, and purported paradoxes, and discuss different proposed resolutions to them.

290 - Art: Form, Meaning, Value

This course will explore foundational questions in the philosophy of art: What is art? Is there a quality, or feature, or function that all works of art share? How does art get its meaning? Does the artist or the viewer (or both, or neither) determine the meaning of an artwork? (Why) do we value the authenticity or originality of an artwork? What determines whether something is a good work of art? Can art make us better (or worse) people? Can good works of art have morally bad properties? How can we be moved by fictions (that is, how can we fear the monsters of horror films)?
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL ● FINE ARTS

300 - Topics in Classical Philosophy

An examination of the moral and political philosophies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Questions for discussion will include: how should I live and what sort of person should I be? What is the nature of happiness? Can I be happy and also morally vicious? Do I have any good reason to act in the interests of others when they conflict with my own interests? What is the nature of justice and the just state? How do states affect our desires and aims? Given in alternate years.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE • PRE-1800

305 - Topics in Modern Philosophy

A detailed examination of some central philosophical texts from the 17th and 18th centuries.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE

310 - Hobbes to Kant

An examination of four great figures in Western moral and political philosophy of the 17th and 18th centuries: Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant. Topics to be discussed include: the basis of political obligation, the nature of the just state, the basis of human rights and the right to property, the nature of human reason and its relation to passion, and the foundation of moral obligation. Given in alternate years.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE

312 - 19th Century German Philosophy

This course examines the major figures of post-Kantian German Idealism and their critics, including Fichte, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche. Special attention will be paid to the central problem of this tradition to justify the concept of freedom. Topics to be discussed include free will and determinism, non-metaphysical conceptions of freedom, the concept of recognition, the sociality of reason, and the relationship between naturalism and ethical theory. The course assumes no prior knowledge of subject matter or familiarity with these figures, and aims to provide students with an introductory, working knowledge of German philosophy after Kant. Prerequisites: Philosophy 210 or permission of instructor. Given in alternate years.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE

315 - Topics in Continental Philosophy

This course examines figures, movements, and philosophical problems in the Continental tradition of philosophy, typically in German and French philosophy of the 19th and 20th centuries. In the past, topics for discussion have included: ideology and mass media, technology and disciplinary power, and sexuality and agency. Because topics change from year to year, students may repeat course once for credit, with approval of instructor. Given in alternate years. Can be repeated one time.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE

325 - Metalogic

A survey of results in the metatheory of first order logic, including consistency, completeness, decidability, and undecidability. Prerequisite: Philosophy 225, Mathematics 210, or permission of instructor.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: MATH/SCI

330 - Globalization and Justice

This course examines various theories of justice in international relations and evaluates them according to a range of practical problems facing globalization. Typically, we shall start by exploring the tension between universal values and cultural relativism, which underlies much of the theory and practice of international relations. We will then examine this tension in a number of controversies concerning globalization, including war and peace, international political economy and distributive justice, environmental issues, human rights, and terrorism.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL

333 - Transnational Justice

When we discuss, study and call for 'justice' we often do so in the context of (more or less) stable political institutions. In the contemporary global community we frequently face unstable or non-existent political institutions of the kind assumed in a great deal of our political theory. These transitional contexts often exist in the aftermath of large-scale human rights abuses (such as genocide, apartheid and other crimes against humanity). This raises an important question: what constitutes justice in these transitional contexts? This course explores this foundational question, through more particular topics, such as: the nature and value of truth and reconciliation commissions, reparations, restorative justice, the normative foundations of international criminal law, and the nature of evil and atrocity.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL

340 - Philosophy of Law

The course covers both analytical and normative jurisprudence and provides students with a comprehensive foundation for study of the law. Analytical jurisprudence examines the nature and justification of the law including alternative conceptions like natural law theory, positivism, critical legal studies, and law and economics. In addition, the course covers the problem of legal interpretation and the role of judicial review in constitutional democracies. Normative jurisprudence concerns the ethical issues raised by the law including freedom of expression and hate speech, freedom of religion and the separation of church and state, civil liberties and rights, theories of punishment and the death penalty, and equal protection doctrine.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

345 - Contemporary Moral Philosophy: Authenticity, Identity, and Freedom

This course focuses on some issues in moral philosophy that arise for us as reflective and responsible citizens in a multicultural world. Topics for discussion will include: to what extent am I free, and to what extent am I the product of circumstances beyond my control? What is the nature of moral agency and moral responsibility? How can I live authentically and establish my own identity? How ought I to relate to the majority and minority cultures that surround me and of which I may be a part?
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

350 - Contemporary Classics in Political Philosophy: Justice, Liberty, and Equality

This course focuses on John Rawls's Theory of Justice, arguably the greatest work in political philosophy since the 19th century. Attention will also be given to two important, but differing, responses to Rawls, in the work of Robert Nozick and Susan Okin. Topics for discussion will include: what is the nature of the just state? Can a just state guarantee both the liberty of its citizens and their equality? Which economic distributions are just? Is there a right to property, and if so what is its basis? What is the best life for human beings, and how far can a just state go in providing that life for its citizens?
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

353 - Ethics and Economics

The course investigates the intersection of ethical and economic decision-making. The first part examines some of the core methodological issues at this intersection, including the positive/normative distinction, objectivity, explanation and evidence, and models of rationality. The second part critically examines these methodological issues in three practical areas: crime and firearms policy, prohibition economics and the drug war, and so-called "freakonomics."
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

355 - Philosophy of Space and Time

The course will cover such topics as whether space and time exist, how we know what the geometry of space and time is, whether any sense can be made of the claim that time has a direction, and the "paradoxes" of time travel. We will examine these questions in the context of both pre-relativistic and relativistic theories. The readings will range from historical figures, such as Newton, Leibniz and Mach, to contemporary work by both philosophers and physicists, including Hawking, Thorne and Sklar. This course does not require previous exposure to Special or General Relativity and will not require as a prerequisite technical skills that go beyond high school mathematics and physics, but the student is expected to be comfortable with algebraic and geometric reasoning.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL

360 - Philosophy of Mind

A philosophical treatment of consciousness (including sensation, mental imagery, and emotion) and intentionality (including mental representation and "aboutness"). Questions to be asked include: "Is it possible to construct a computer which feels pain?" "What is the status of our folk psychological concepts concerning consciousness?" "Is intentionality the mark of the mental?" and "What is the relation between thought and language?" Given in alternate years.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

365 - Philosophy of Science

We will look at a number of episodes in the history of science. Among the issues that will be addressed will be the following: When should we consider evidence as confirming a theory? What considerations should we use to decide between competing theories? Should we view our best theories as true or merely empirically adequate? Can there be a logic of scientific discovery? We will read works by philosophers and scientists including van Fraassen, Reichenbach, Feyerabend, Newton, and Galileo.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL

370 - Philosophy of Language

We will examine a number of recently proposed accounts of meaning, truth, and reference. Issues that will come up will be whether there could be a private language, what the role of mental content is, how we should understand metaphor, and whether truth is a redundant notion. Philosophers covered include Frege, Russell, Tarski, Quine, Putnam, Kripke, and Searle. Given in alternate years.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL

375 - Theory of Knowledge

This course will examine: (1) the theories of knowledge of such philosophers as Price, Russell, and Chisholm ("Foundationalists"), (2) some of their critics, such as Sellars and Quine, and (3) recent work in naturalized epistemology.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

380 - Wittgenstein

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) is a central figure in the two most important philosophical traditions of the twentieth century: First, the attempt early in the century to characterize language, thought and the world in terms of the newly available formalism of modern logic, and second, the attempt to show that any such formalization will fail to do justice to the rich complexity of language as a form of life, a form inseparable from the social and historical context from which it springs. We will examine two principal works, the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and the Philosophical Investigations. There will also be some treatment of the historical and philosophical context of Wittgenstein's work and life.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE

385 - Metaphysics

The course will focus on contemporary readings that raise some of the most fundamental issues in metaphysics. The following questions are among those that will be addressed: Can we make sense of the idea that we are free agents? Can we understand the concept of causation? Is there a compelling argument for the existence of God? Is there any sense to be made of the claim that some claims are true by necessity while others are only contingently true? Are there true mathematical claims?
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: UNITED STATES

397 - Independent Study in Philosophy

Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
2 or 4 units

490 - Senior Seminar in Philosophy

Prerequisite: senior standing in philosophy.