You are in the official 1996-97 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
COURSES
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. General Education BREADTH, Division 6. (CAN PHIL 2)
10. Self, Religion, and Society (3)
Conceptions of human nature; nature and varieties of religion; personal and social implications and values of religion. General Education BREADTH, Division 6.
25. Methods of Reasoning (3)
No credit if taken after Phil 26, 27, or 45. Principles and methods of good reasoning. Typical topics: identification of argument structure, development of skills in deductive and inductive reasoning, assessment of observations and testimony reports, language and reasoning, common fallacies in reasoning. General Education CORE, Critical Thinking.
26. Reasoning and Religion (3)
No credit if taken after Phil 25, 27, or 45. An introduction to principles and methods of critical thinking utilizing as source material the claims, arguments, and theories of major Western and non-Western religious traditions. General Education CORE, Critical Thinking.
27. Reasoning About Values (3)
No credit if taken after Phil 25, 26, or 45. An introduction to principles and methods of critical thinking, utilizing as source material claims and arguments concerning values, ethics, social, and political issues. General Education CORE, Critical Thinking.
45. Introduction to Logic (3)
No credit if taken after Phil 25, 26, or 27. Basic concepts and methods of logic; development of skills in deductive and inductive reasoning, with emphasis on deduction. Includes elementary formal techniques for propositional logic; also categorical logic, fallacies, and language. General Education CORE, Critical Thinking. (CAN PHIL 6)
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. General Education CAPSTONE Cluster course.
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. General Education CAPSTONE Cluster course.
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.
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.
108. Roman Philosophy (3)
Study of major figures and schools of philosophy in the Roman world. Special emphasis upon Epicurean, Stoic, and Skeptic traditions, with consideration of other major contributions. General Education CAPSTONE Cluster course.
110. Feminist Philosophy (3)
Introduction to feminist approaches to philosophy and to specifically philosophical approaches to gender. Several philosophical issues will be explored at some depth. These might be drawn from the following areas: personal identity; values and society; political authority; knowledge and reality.
115. Ethical Theory (3)
Introduction to the fundamental concepts and problems of moral theory. Examination of various ethical theories, including relativism, egoism, utilitarianism, intui tionism, and non-cognitivism; the meaning of ethical terms.
118. Social and Political Theory (3)
Examination of traditional and contemporary theories of society and government. Analysis of basic concepts such as the common good, social contract, authority, justice, and natural rights.
120. Contemporary Conflicts of Morals (3)
(Same as A Eth 100.) Introduction to ethical theory and its application to contemporary moral problems. Discussion to include: business ethics, medical ethics, sexual morality, abortion, mercy killing; drugs, and alcohol; crime and punishment, civil disobedience, revolutionary violence, rights of women and minorities. General Education BREADTH, Division 6.
121. Ethics in Criminal Justice (3)
Philosophical issues concerning society's treatment of criminal behavior. Topics discussed include: morality and law; punishment or rehabilitation; safe vs. repressive society, and what types of deviant behavior should be regarded as criminal?
122. Introduction to Professional Ethics (3)
(Same as A Eth 101.) Survey of ethical issues and standards facing a range of professionals in their careers, including engineering, law, medicine, the media, science, agriculture, education, and business. Introduction to basic ethical theories and methods of reasoning about moral dilemmas.
125. Issues in Political Philosophy (3)
Not open to students who take Phil 118. Examination of prominent political philosophies and contemporary issues of politics and public policy. Policy issues may include the scope and limits of government authority, the role of government in the economy, foreign policy, health care, education, agriculture, and the environment. General Education CAP STONE Cluster course.
127. Philosophy of Law (3)
Nature and functions of law; methods of justifying legal systems; logic of legal reasoning; analysis of fundamental legal concepts. General Education CAPSTONE Cluster course.
129. Marxism (3)
Examination of basic ideas of Marx inherent in his writings and a consideration of later developments now called "Marxist."
130. Philosophy of Religion (3)
The nature and function of religious faith, belief, and practice; relations between religion and morals; existence of God; problem of evil; nature and significance of religious experience. General Education CAPSTONE Cluster course.
131. Comparative Religion (3)
Survey of the major religions of the world, their history and teachings, with emphasis on Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. General Education BREADTH, Division 6.
132. Religion and the Margin (3)
Exploration of elements facing religious studies that have been historically moved from the center to the side (marginalized), such as women's experience, ethnicity, gender, and class. Focus will include how religion has both supported and resisted this move.
133W. Literature of the New Testament (3)
(Same as Engl 115W.) Prerequisite: satisfactory completion (C or better) of the Engl 1 graduation requirement. Discussion and close written analyses of selected texts from the New Testament. Meets upper-division writing skills requirement for graduation.
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. General Education CAPSTONE Cluster course.
135. Asian Religious Traditions (3)
A study of the major beliefs and values of the Asian religious traditions, including an examination of some of the classical texts central to Asian religions. General Education CAPSTONE Cluster course.
136. Buddhism (3)
Introduction to Buddhism. Life and teachings of Gautama Siddhartha Buddha; development of Buddhism after death or mahanirvana of the Buddha.
137. Hinduism (3)
Introduction to the development and ideas of Hinduism, including an examination of classical scriptural texts, e.g., Upanishads, Bhagavad-gita, as well as modern Hindu writings.
138. Chinese Thought (3)
Introduction to the development of major ideas and systems of thought in China; emphasis on Confucian, Taoist, and Chinese Buddhist traditions.
145. Symbolic Logic (3)
(Similar to Math 110; consult department.) Prerequisite: Phil 25 or 45 or permission of instructor. Theory of deductive inference; includes propositional logic, predicate logic, relations, identity, definite description, nature of axiom systems.
146. Philosophy of Language (3)
Nature and uses of language; theories of meaning; concepts of reference, predication, truth, name, ambiguity, vagueness, definition, metaphor; relationships between methodology in philosophy and theories of language.
150. Foundations of Knowledge (3)
Nature, sources, and limits of human knowledge; roles of perception, reason, memory, authority, and intuition in the justification of beliefs in all areas; for ex ample: science, math, ethics, religion, the past, other minds. General Education CAPSTONE Cluster course.
156. Philosophy of Mind (3)
Analysis of problems concerning the nature of mind and mental phenomena: relation between mind and body, nature of the self and personal identity, free will, action and behavior, thinking machines, knowledge of other minds; concepts of mind, intention, desire, emotion.
157. Freedom, Fate, and Choice (3)
Nature of human action, free will and determinism, free will and moral responsibility; analysis of basic concepts; for example, will, action, freedom, determinism, fatalism, chance, choice, decision, intention, reason, desire, belief; implications for everyday life.
165T. Special Topics (1-3; max total 9 if no topic repeated)
Topics of current or interdisciplinary interest or requiring special background.
170T. Senior Seminar (1-4; max total 12 if no topic repeated)
Prerequisites: senior standing or permission of instructor and at least one upper-division philosophy course. Intensive investigation of selected problems, major figures, or a historical period in philosophy. Extensive writing and supervised research.
172T. Seminar in Religious Issues (1-4; max total 12 if no topic repeated)
Prerequisite: one upper-division philosophy course. Intensive investigation of problems in philo sophical theology, comparative religion, and culture. Extensive writing and supervised research.
190. Independent Study (1-3; max see reference)
See Academic Placement -- Independent Study. Approved for SP grading.
192. Directed Reading (1-3; max total 6)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Supervised readings in a selected philosopher or field of philosophy. Combined units of Phil 190 and 192 may not exceed 6 units.
198. Applied Ethics Internship (3)
Prerequisite: junior standing, Phil 120, 122, or applied ethics courses and permission of instructor. Workstudy experience in community service, with a focus on ethical analysis and understanding.
199. Fieldwork in Philosophy and Law (4-6)
Prerequisites: senior standing, permission of instructor. Practical community work-study experience in legal or paralegal setting. Student works under sponsorship of a law firm or law-related agency, meets periodically with instructor, and submits a written report on relevant issues in ethics, jurisprudence, or philosophy.
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