You are in the official current online General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
Department of Philosophy
COURSES
Philosophy (PHIL)
PHIL 1. Introduction to Philosophy (3 units)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. 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. G.E. Breadth
C2. FS
PHIL 2. Exploring Religious Meaning (3 units)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. Introduction to exploration of the many
dimensions of religions. Topics include tools and resources of the academic
study of religion, the sacred/holy, symbolism, myth, ritual, religious origin,
and destiny. G.E. Breadth C2. FS
PHIL 10. Self, Religion, and Society (3
units)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. Conceptions of human nature; nature and
varieties of religion; personal and social implications and values of religion.
G.E. Breadth C2. FS
PHIL 20. Moral Questions (3 units)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. Introduction to ethics and its place in
human experience. Ethical theory; methods of reasoning about values. Typical
issues include euthanasia, privacy, work ethics, sex, happiness, capital
punishment, censorship, social justice, and environment. Non-Western perspectives;
materials from arts and humanities (e.g., literature, film). G.E. Breadth
C2. FS
PHIL 25. Methods of Reasoning (3 units)
Principles and methods of good reasoning. Typical topics: identification
of argument structure, development of skills in deductive and inductive
reasoning, assessing observations and testimony reports, language and reasoning,
common fallacies. (PHIL 25 and PHIL 45 cannot both be taken for credit.)
G.E. Foundation A3. FS
PHIL 45. Introduction to Logic (3 units)
Basic concepts and methods of logic; development of skills in deductive
and inductive reasoning, with emphasis on deduction. Elementary formal techniques
for propositional logic; categorical logic, fallacies, and language. (PHIL
45 and PHIL 25 cannot both be taken for credit.) G.E. Foundation A3.
PHIL 101. Ancient Philosophy (3 units)
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.
PHIL 103. Bacon to Kant (3 units)
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.
PHIL 104. Nineteenth Century Philosophy
(3 units)
Covers principal developments in European and American philosophy from Kant
to James. Figures include Hegel, Fichte, Schelling, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard,
Feuerbach, Marx, Engels, Mill, Nietzsche, Emerson, Thoreau, Peirce, James,
and others. Movements include idealism, dialectical materialism, transcendentalism,
pragmatism, existentialism, and humanism.
PHIL 105. Twentieth Century Philosophy (3
units)
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.
PHIL 107. Existentialism (3 units)
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.
PHIL 110. Feminist Philosophy (3 units)
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.
PHIL 115. Ethical Theory (3 units)
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.
PHIL 118. Social and Political Theory (3
units)
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.
PHIL 120. Contemporary Conflicts of Morals
(3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area C. Exploration of moral
issues through great works, such as philosophy, novels, dramas, or films.
Looks at questions such as, "What is it to be moral? Why be moral?
Why care about others? How should scarce resources be distributed? What
is integrity?" G.E. Integration IC. FS
PHIL 121. Ethics in Criminal Justice (3 units)
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?
PHIL 122. Introduction to Professional Ethics
(3 units)
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.
PHIL 123. Bioethics (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area B2 and either PHIL 20 or
PHIL 120 or instructor consent. Not open to freshmen. Survey of ethical
issues within the biomedical sciences. Typical issues include research ethics,
informed consent, genetics, stem cell research, non-Western perspectives,
ethical and legal regulation. S (Formerly
PHIL 165T)
PHIL 125. Issues in Political Philosophy
(3 units)
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.
PHIL 127. Philosophy of Law (3 units)
Nature and functions of law; methods of justifying legal systems; logic
of legal reasoning; analysis of fundamental legal concepts.
PHIL 130. Philosophy of Religion (3 units)
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.
PHIL 131. Comparative Religion (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D. A study of major religions
of the world, their traditions, teachings, influential texts, methodological
and comparative approaches. Emphasis on major Western and non-Western religions
such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam. G.E. Multicultural/International MI. FS
PHIL 132. Religion and the Margin (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D. 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. G.E. Multicultural/International MI. FS
PHIL 133W. Literature of the New Testament
(3 units)
(Same as ENGL 115W.) Prerequisite: satisfactory completion (C or better)
of the ENGL 5B or 10 graduation requirement. Discussion and close written
analyses of selected texts from the New Testament. Meets upper-division
writing skills requirement for graduation. FS
PHIL 134. Literature of the Old Testament
(4 units)
(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.
PHIL 135. Asian Religious Traditions (3 units)
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.
PHIL 136. Buddhism (3 units)
Introduction to Buddhism. Life and teachings of Gautama Siddhartha Buddha;
development of Buddhism after death or mahanirvana of the Buddha.
PHIL 137. Hinduism (3 units)
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.
PHIL 138. Chinese Thought (3 units)
Introduction to the development of major ideas and systems of thought in
China; emphasis on Confucian, Taoist, and Chinese Buddhist traditions.
PHIL 139. Islam (3 units)
Introduction to Islam, including the Qur'an, life of Muhammad, sectarianism,
leadership, Islamic law, science, calligraphy, Ramadan, and Hajj. (Formerly
PHIL 165T)
PHIL 140. Advanced Reasoning Skills (3 units)
Development of skills in the analysis of arguments, thinking clearly, and
reasoning well. Emphasis on problems and skills involving language (e.g.,
clarifying meaning, handling vagueness, handling verbal component of disputes),
and on inductive inferences in everyday life.
PHIL 145. Symbolic Logic (3 units)
(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.
PHIL 146. Philosophy of Language (3 units)
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.
PHIL 150. Foundations of Knowledge (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area C. Nature, sources,
and limits of human knowledge; roles of perception, reason, testimony, and
intuition in acquiring rational beliefs; e.g. science, mathematics, values,
the arts, religion, social issues, and psychological states. G.E. Integration
IC. FS
PHIL 151. Cognitive Science: Mind (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area C. The interdisciplinary
study of cognition and mind: cognition includes mental states and processes
such as thinking, reasoning, remembering, language understanding and generation,
visual perception, learning, consciousness, emotions, self-awareness, and
our place in the world. G.E. Integration IC. FS
PHIL 152. Philosophy of Science (3 units)
The nature of scientific inquiries as outcomes and/or practices. Theories
of explanation, confirmation, induction, and discovery; (anti-)realism,
instrumentalism, and social constructivism; nature of scientific theories,
models, and laws of nature; scientific changes and revolutions; philosophical
problems in particular sciences.
PHIL 155. Metaphysics (3 units)
Analysis of classic and contemporary problems of metaphysics: the nature
of the mind-independent world; the reality of abstract objects and types;
the nature of time and causality; realism and anti-realism; essentialism,
modality, and possible worlds; naturalism and emergent properties.
PHIL 156. Philosophy of Mind (3 units)
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.
PHIL 157. Freedom, Fate, and Choice (3 units)
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.
PHIL 158. Judaism (3 units)
Introduction to Judaism, including Torah, Jerusalem, Mishnah, Talmud, midrash,
synagogue, Orthodox, Reform, Halakha, Passover, Shabbat, Yom Kippur, anti-Semitism,
and Holocaust. (Formerly PHIL 165T)
PHIL 165T. Special Topics (1-3; max total
9 units if no topic repeated)
Topics of current or interdisciplinary interest or requiring special background.
PHIL 170T. Senior Seminar (1-4; max total
12 units 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.
PHIL 172T. Seminar in Religious Issues (1-4;
max total 12 units 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.
PHIL 190. Independent Study (1-3; max total
6 units)
See Academic Placement -- Independent
Study. Approved for RP grading.
PHIL 192. Directed Reading (1-3; max total
6 units)
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.
PHIL 198. Applied Ethics Internship (3 units)
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. CR/NC grading only
PHIL 199. Fieldwork in Philosophy and Law
(3 units)
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.
Peace and Conflict Studies (PAX)
PAX 100. Peace and Conflict (3 units)
Provides an overview of causes and types of conflict. Critical examination
of issues related to war, peace, and justice. Principled negotiation; cultural
awareness. G.E. Breadth E1. FS
PAX 110. Peacebuilding (3 units)
Theories, methods, and skills in personal transformation, anger management,
communication, engaging cooperation, building community, reducing prejudice,
maintaining relationships, and consensus decisionmaking. Emphasizes multi-cultural
perspectives. G.E. Breadth E1.
PAX 120. Mediation (3 units)
Includes such topics as interest-based bargaining, anger management, values,
communication, and conflict management, all in the context of mediation.
Participants acquire and practice mediation skills and observe the process
as practiced by skilled professional mediators. F
even
PAX 121. Political Violence: War, Warfare,
and Terrorism (3 units)
Designed to familiarize students with nomenclature, practices, and theories
of war and warfare in domestic and international scope. Covers the beginnings,
prosecution, duration, and end games of violent conflict.
PAX 185. Internship (1-3; max total 6 units)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor and sponsoring agency. Internships
in peace-building, reconciliation, conflict resolution and mediation with
local social service agencies, the Better Business Bureau, school districts,
and corporations. Hours to be arranged. CR/NC grading only. FS
PAX 190. Independent Study (1-3; max total
6 units)
See Academic Placement - Independent
Study. Approved for RP grading. FS
Philosophy
Degrees
Department
Page
Courses
and Programs Menu
Catalog Home
University
Home