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Philosophy
College of Humanities and Fine Arts
Dean: Joel Zimbelman
Department of Philosophy
Trinity Hall 121
530-898-6183
e-mail:
phil@csuchico.edu
http://www.csuchico.edu/phil/
Chair: Dennis Rothermel
Undergraduate Advisor:
Program
Philosophy Course Offerings
Please see the section on "Course Description Symbols and Terms" in the University Catalog for an explanation of course description terminology and symbols, the course numbering system, and course credit units. All courses are lecture and discussion and employ letter grading unless otherwise stated. Some prerequisites may be waived with faculty permission. Many syllabi are available on the Chico Web.
An introduction to philosophical thought and skills. Issues that traditionally have been of central importance in philosophical
inquiry, such as the nature of knowledge, reality, and values, will be emphasized. This is an approved General Education course.
Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Honors Program.
A special section of PHIL 101 open only to students with demonstrated academic talent. Interested students should consult
with the University Honors Advisor. This is an approved General Education course.
A practical course in clear thinking and sound reasoning, which includes training in recognizing and avoiding the most commonly
made mistakes in reasoning. This is an approved General Education course.
Prerequisites: For Students with English as a Second Language.
A special section of Logic and Critical Thinking open only to students with English as a Second Language. Interested students
should consult with international evaluations. This is an approved General Education course.
Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Honors Program.
A special section of Logic and Critical Thinking open only to students with demonstrated academic talent. Interested students
should consult with the University Honors Advisor. This is an approved General Education course.
An examination of various moral theories and their application to contemporary moral issues. The role of morality in everyday
life will be explored. This is an approved General Education course.
Philosophical interpretations of the human condition as reflected in and affected by modern developments in the arts, science,
society, and philosophy. The course covers modern approaches to freedom, consciousness, subjectivity, language, history, alienation,
power, and creativity. This is an approved General Education course.
The course provides students intensive training to think, read, and write as clearly and as philosophically as they can be
trained to do. One important philosophical problem is used as the sample problem. Students write a short weekly essay and
have class discussions of their essays as well as of the reading material.
Western philosophical thought from the pre-Socratics through Stoicism, including movements and figures such as Pythagoreanism,
Plato, Aristotle, and Epicureanism. This is an approved General Education course.
A philosophical analysis of major ideas in Chinese, Japanese, and Indian thought and their relationship to basic philosophical
developments in the west. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course.
Philosophical analysis of various approaches to the problems of religious belief, such as faith and knowledge, the existence
and nature of God, immortality, and the problem of evil. This is an approved General Education course.
The study of aesthetic values and judgments, emphasizing such topics as creativity and the art object, with reference to works
of architecture, painting, sculpture, music, and literature.
Origins and development of medieval philosophy, centering on its central themes as presented by thinkers such as Plotinus,
St. Augustine, Proclus, John Scotus Erigena, Alfarabi, Avicenna, Averroes, Roger Bacon, St. Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and
William of Ockham.
Western philosophical thought from the Renaissance through Kant, including Bacon, Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke,
Berkeley, and Hume.
Western philosophical thought from Kant through the twentieth century, including the phenomenological and analytic traditions
in western philosophy.
Study of central figures in analytic philosophy, including Wittgenstein, Quine, Davidson, and Kripke, emphasizing philosophy
of language and philosophy of mind.
The phenomenological movement and its impact on philosophy, literature, and psychology, with attention to Husserl's views
on mind, body, and intersubjectivity and Heidegger's ideas of being-in-the-world, authenticity, and death.
A study of the major philosophic movements which have originated in the United States or had a significant impact on its institutions
and culture. This is an approved General Education course.
An examination of existentialism from Kierkegaard and Nietzsche to Sartre, and de Beauvoir. An analysis of the basic forces,
concepts, and figures which have shaped existentialism. This is an approved General Education course. Formerly PHIL 203.
Prerequisites: Enrolling students must be in good standing in the Honors in GE Program. Open only to students working on Theme H: Honors
Ethics has traditionally been characterized as a process of bridging the gap between how we are and how we would ideally be.
One example of a moral ideal is love of neighbor. Because we labor under the pull of self-interest, loving one's neighbor
is not common. In the light of this truism, examples of altruism cry out for explanation. Is there even such a thing as an
"altruistic" behavior? If genuine altruism does exist, what motivates it? This course explores answers to these questions
by looking at philosophical, biological, economic and sociological accounts of selfless behavior. This is an approved General
Education course. This course is also offered as PSYC 318H, and RELS 318H.
An introduction to moral theory, including such figures as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. Alternative views concerning
fundamental moral questions will be explored.
An investigation of major contemporary theories of human happiness. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing the philosophical
assumptions which they make about human nature, on evaluating the ethical content of these theories, and applying these theories
to one's everyday life. This is an approved General Education course.
Prerequisites: BIOL 101 or BIOL 108.
Critically examines scientific and humanistic world views and sensibilities, directly applying these approaches to contemporary
social and personal problems. This is an approved General Education course. This course is also offered as BIOL 322.
Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Honors Program, faculty permission.
Critically examines scientific and humanistic world views and sensibilities, directly applying these approaches to contemporary
social and personal problems. This is an approved General Education course. This course is also offered as BIOL 322H.
A philosophical investigation of the moral and legal dimensions of parenting. This is an approved General Education course.
An exploration of conceptual and ethical issues pertaining to intimate relationships, e.g., sexual equality, perversion, fidelity,
the nature of love and friendship, marriage, and children.
Origin and development in the nineteenth century of dialectical and historical materialism, emphasizing the implications of
Marxist philosophy for an understanding of nature, knowledge, revolution; doctrinal evolution from Marx to Mao. This course
is also offered as POLS 325.
An examination of selected ethical issues confronting contemporary society, emphasizing legal and other institutional contexts
in which these problems arise. Topics may include genetic engineering, animal rights, and preferential treatment. This is
an approved General Education course.
An examination of moral issues arising in medical practice and biomedical research. Among the topics discussed are the responsibilities
of health care professionals, the allocation of scarce medical resources, genetic engineering, and the harvesting of fetal
tissue. This is an approved General Education course.
An examination of ethical issues that arise in business decisions and the formulation of social policy involving business,
e.g. employee rights, consumer and environmental protection, advertising, and affirmative action. Moral theory and alternative
conceptions of justice will also be discussed.
An examination of a variety of approaches to the development of an environmental ethic, including "shallow" and "deep" environmentalism,
the balance of nature argument, and the Gaia hypothesis. This is an approved General Education course.
An introduction to current ethical issues facing individuals, institutions, and society. Students attend regularly scheduled
CAPE forums, symposia, and seminars and do appropriate reading and writing in conjunction with sessions. This course is also
offered as RELS 331.
An investigation of contemporary moral issues involved in police work and corrections, such as deadly force, entrapment, undercover
work, corruption, and prisoners' rights.
Discussion of the ethical issues that arise in the environmental sciences. Emphasis placed on examination of kinds of ethical
dilemmas facing environmental scientists and policy makers, on development of tools for analyzing and resolving such dilemmas,
and on views that have influenced attitudes about the environment and environmental ethics. Attention given to religious,
philosophical, historical, and cultural origins of moral values and various approaches to moral deliberation and moral reasoning.
This course is also offered as RELS 334.
Prerequisites: PHIL 320 or 321 or 326.
Preparation for the Regional Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (RIEB) competition that includes review of moral theory, introduction
to skills in moral problem solving, application of theory to moral dilemmas across a wide range of personal, social, and professional
environments, and oral presentation of solutions to moral dilemmas. Require travel to and participation in the RIEB (one weekend
during semester).
An exploration of traditional and contemporary American Indian thought regarding people in relationship to the human and nonhuman
worlds, with focus on land ethic, animal ethics, sustainability. This is an approved General Education course. This is an
approved US Diversity course.
A philosophical examination of the nature and function of the human community and the political state, and of the implications
for individual life of alternative conceptions of society and politics.
A systematic investigation of the historical origins of the concept of justice and its application to domestic and international
issues involving human rights. Special attention is given to the related issues of power and social control. This is an approved
General Education course.
A critical examination of diverse philosophical views regarding the causes of war and the prospects for peace. This is an
approved General Education course.
An interdisciplinary cross-cultural survey of prospects for peace. Focuses on non-violent modes of conflict resolution. Major
philosophical and social scientific ideas from both the pacifist and non-pacifist traditions are examined in depth. This is
an approved General Education course.
Examines the various theories put forth to explain the differences between men and women, including scientific, social scientific,
and humanistic explanations. Emphasis on feminist perspectives. This course is also offered as MCGS 345.
Philosophical studies of the sources, nature, and criteria of knowledge; alternative approaches to problems of perception,
meaning, and truth.
An examination of basic metaphysical problems, such as free will, the mind-body problem, life after death, and some of the
systems of thought that attempt to deal with them.
An examination of the nature of the mind, including such issues as the mind-body problem and the relationship of consciousness
to human action.
This course examines the history of two competing approaches to psychology, and it evaluates their philosophical and scientific
merits. Implications for contemporary debates in psychology are discussed. This is an approved General Education course. This
course is also offered as PSYC 363.
Prerequisites: Junior standing, faculty permission.
An examination of the emergence of artificial mind in machines, with special attention to related issues in the philosophy
of mind and cognitive science. This is an approved General Education course. This course is also offered as CSCI 380.
A study of the philosophical origins of psychology and the philosophical presuppositions and implications of various schools
of contemporary psychological thought.
An examination of the philosophical issues raised by scientific inquiry. Topics may include the logical empiricist view of
science, confirmation, and induction, scientific explanation, and the implications of reductivism. This is an approved General
Education course.
Examination of selected current issues regarding the methods, scope, concepts, and presuppositions of the social and behavioral
sciences.
In this course students will learn classical propositional and predicate logic. The syntax, semantics and deductive systems
of a few formal systems will be studied.
Critical reading and discussion of selected literary works, with special emphasis on the clarification and analysis of the
philosophical ideas they entail. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units.
Intensive reading and discussion of the writing of Satre & Camus.
Critical examination of selected cinematographic works, with special emphasis on the clarification and analysis of the philosophical
ideas they entail. 2.0 hours discussion, 3.0 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. Special fee required;
see the Class Schedule.
A philosophical study of the nature and significance of art, with references to relevant works. The course considers such
themes as the beautiful, the sublime, comedy, tragedy and the social psychological dimensions of art as well as the periods
of Romanticism, Modernism, Postmodernism.
An examination of theories relevant to the analysis of context and content of oral and written texts.
This course explores the major philosophical trends and traditions affecting Jewish life. Hellenistic and rabbinical philosophy,
Philo to Maimonides, Spinoza to Moses Mendelsohn and the Enlightenment, and Hebrew-Yiddish renaissance to modern Zionism will
be examined. This course is also offered as MJIS 386.
Investigation of special topics in philosophy. Open to upper-division students only. Variable content.
This course is an independent study of special problems offered for 1.0-3.0 units. You must register directly with a supervising
faculty member. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. Credit/no credit grading only.
Intensive reading and discussion of a particular topic in Philosophy; variable content.
Intensive reading and discussion of the writings of major philosophical figures.
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
Individually directed projects in philosophy. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units.
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher.
An analysis of twentieth-century ethical theory. This is a writing proficiency, WP, course; a grade of C- or better certifies
writing proficiency for majors. Formerly PHIL 333.
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher.
Intensive reading and discussion of special issues in social and political philosophy. You may take this course more than
once for a maximum of 6.0 units. This is a writing proficiency, WP, course; a grade of C- or better certifies writing proficiency
for majors.
The classical roots of western political philosophy and their relationship to contemporary political theory. This course is
also offered as POLS 434.
Prerequisites: PHIL 335 or faculty permission
Preparation for the National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (NIEB) competition that includes refining skills in moral problem
solving, application of theory to moral dilemmas across a wide range of personal , social, and professional environments,
and oral presentation of solutions to moral dilemmas. Requires travel to and participation in the NIEB (5-day block during
semester).
The philosophical framework of political and social change, with emphasis on the French Revolution and on the emergence of
liberal ideology as a basis of contemporary radical and liberal political philosophy. This course is also offered as POLS
436.
An extended discussion of the nature of anarchy, corporatism, oligarchy, classical liberalism, radical liberalism, democratic
socialism, communism, and fascism, with a continued focus on these political cultures and their ideological expressions in
contemporary politics. This course is also offered as POLS 437.
The philosophical nature and origins of law. Topics to be examined include theories of law, justice, the relationship of law
to morality, natural law, responsibility, punishment, and other basic concepts. Approach is both theoretical and via case
studies. This course is also offered as POLS 438.
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.
A discussion course which explores a variety of ethical decision-making procedures via a case-study approach in order to help
students develop critical decision-making skills useful in dealing with ethical issues likely to confront the public manager.
This course is also offered as POLS 469.
Prerequisites: PHIL 380, faculty permission.
Systematic treatment of truth functions and quantifiers; introduction to mathematical logic. Topics include syntax, semantics,
and metatheory for the propositional and predicate calculi, elementary set theory. Russell's paradox, infinite sets.
Prerequisites: Junior standing or above and either 9 units of philosophy or have declared philosophy as a major or minor, faculty permission.
This course is an internship offered for 1.0-3.0 units. You must register directly with a supervising faculty member. Internships
in Philosophy: (a) assisting instructors in lower-division courses; (b) assisting the department in preparation of Philosophy
Forums, or department-sponsored discussions, debates, and multimedia presentations; (c) working outside the academic program
in government, community, or business, in tasks appropriate for philosophy students; or (d) assisting faculty in research.
A maximum of 6 units may be counted toward the major or minor in philosophy. You may take this course more than once for a
maximum of 15.0 units.
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing and faculty permission.
Supervised collaborative training in teaching, normally completed in two consecutive semesters. Focus in the first semester
is on developing class plans and instructional communication skills. Focus in the second semester is on creating syllabi and
developing competence in assessment. Registration is by arrangement with a supervising faculty member. You may take this course
more than once for a maximum of 15.0 units.
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, acceptance into Honors in Philosophy, faculty permission.
To provide opportunity for the student accepted for "Honors in the Major" to prepare and write a thesis on a topic germane
to interests developed during the first three years of work in Philosophy. Research and writing will be done under supervision
by a staff advisor and for the total of 6 units in consecutive semesters. You may take this course more than once for a maximum
of 6.0 units. This is a writing proficiency, WP, course; a grade of C- or better certifies writing proficiency for majors.
This course is a culminating project in the Certificate in Teaching Critical Thinking and is offered for 1.0-6.0 units. It
focuses on communication and application of critical thinking techniques in professional and commercial contexts. You must
register directly with a supervising faculty member. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 18.0 units.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing and faculty permission.
Supervised collaborative training in teaching, normally completed in two consecutive semesters. Focus in the first semester
is on developing class plans and instructional communication skills. Focus in the second semester is on creating syllabi and
developing competence in assessment. Registration is by arrangement with a supervising faculty member. You may take this course
more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units.
This course is a culminating project in the Certificate in Teaching Critical Thinking and is offered for 1.0-6.0 units. It
focuses on communication and application of critical thinking techniques in professional and commercial contexts. You must
register directly with a supervising faculty member. 9.0 hours supervision. You may take this course more than once for a
maximum of 18.0 units.
Prerequisites: Open only to students pursuing a Master of Arts Degree with a special major, faculty permission.
This course is a graduate-level independent study offered for 1.0-3.0 units. You must register directly with a supervising
faculty member. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units.