Students in this course explore fundamental philosophical issues by investigating theories and problems about the nature of reality, human knowledge, and values. Familiar and unfamiliar views are examined, which exhibit various philosophic methodologies, and such views are related to our actions and experiences. Students will have the opportunity to assess their own views in light of the answers provided by philosophers, past and present. (C-ID PHIL 100) (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-C, CSU-C2, IGETC-3B)

Philosophy and Popular Culture is designed to render relevant the insights, theories and conclusions of philosophers through the ages to the 21st Century American thinker. In contemporary times, people find themselves confronted with a unique set of dilemmas: moral and political relativism, ethical dilemmas, gender issues, consumerism, economic inequalities, the rising distrust of intellectualism and the dissolution of the American Dream. In this course, we investigate how the philosophical tradition has evaluated such developments and how philosophical thinking of the past can be a valuable tool in the quest to live an autonomous and meaningful life amidst these apparently dehumanizing trends. (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-C, CSU-C2, IGETC-3B)

Students will learn about ancient philosophy with an emphasis on the development of philosophy from Socrates, Buddha, to Aristotle and then moving to Augustine, Ibn Sina, Aquinas, and other representatives of the medieval period. Students in this course will also explore other philosophical traditions in this time period, such as Mayan thought. This is a foundational course for any student who wishes to learn the history of ideas.

This course is an exploration of philosophy from the Renaissance to the 21st century, including the development of modern scientific processes, phenomenology, existentialism, empiricism, rationalism, justice and so on. Alternatives to Western traditions are also considered. Students will encounter systems of thought coinciding with the rise of science, colonization, industrialization, trade unionism, technology, the climate crisis, and the great concentration of wealth. In this course, we will learn of our intellectual heritage and how it shapes the world in which we find ourselves.

Students in this course will uncover and analyze the hidden philosophical assumptions and motivating theories of civil rights groups, unions, religious sects, non-governmental organizations, political action committees, educational systems, bureaucracies, and other iconic American institutions by investigating mission statements, resolutions, and positions of such organizations. Of particular importance is the alteration of American groups' philosophies over at least a century, since tracking the theoretical changes of long-standing American institutions is also to track what are distinctively American philosophies. (CSU, UC)

This course examines major Asian and Pacific philosophies, with focus on metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical questions. Special attention is given to family and the just society, and alternative conceptions of the self, time, and reality are also explored. Asian Pacific thought is an alternative to that of the Occident. These differences manifest in the larger cultural and socio-political contexts of the respective peoples. Students will emerge from this course with a greater understanding of the sources of their own fundamental beliefs. (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-C, CSU-C2, IGETC-3B)

Students will focus on the development of fundamental critical reasoning skills and the application of those skills to important areas of life. The analysis and construction of both inductive and deductive arguments are emphasized. Students learn how to use reasoning skills to make sound decisions, evaluate claims and assertions and to avoid logical errors. (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-A3, CSU-A3)

Logic is the study of the principles of correct reasoning. These principles deal with the nature of rational thought and the criteria for making critical judgments. The course undertakes the analysis of human thinking using both natural language and symbolic language. Students will develop logical skills to evaluate their opinions and beliefs and will apply these skills to the practical problems of everyday life. (C-ID PHIL 110) (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-A3, CSU-A3)

This course is an introduction to ethics in theory and in practice. This study involves the exploration of moral theories and principles in order to see how they apply to the individual and society. We will critically examine some of the major schools of moral thought in Western philosophy, as well as some Eastern philosophy. These theories will be applied to some of the primary ethical problems that we face, as individuals and as societies, and will continue to confront. (C-ID PHIL 120) (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-C, CSU-C2, IGETC-3B)

This course introduces students to the range of issues that define bioethics, the fundamental moral issues that arise in medicine, health, and biotechnology. These philosophical issues involve critical dilemmas at the intersections of law, society, culture, public policy, religion and economics. (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-C, CSU-C2, IGETC-3B)

This course is a philosophical examination into the nature of the relationship between morality, politics and social justice, from a multi-cultural perspective. Topics may include: the political significance of religion and culture, the concept of natural law, the existence and nature of rights, the obligation of citizens to their society, the nature of a just society, and theories of reward and punishment. Focus will be on the topics of: justice, equality, liberty, human rights, and the nature and limits of authority. (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-C, CSU-C2, IGETC-3B)

Human beings make aesthetic judgments every day. Why do we decide that something is either beautiful or ugly? What criteria do we use to decide if a movie is good or not? Do our likes and dislikes connect to moral and intellectual judgments? This course is an introduction to major theories in aesthetics designed to help the students clarify and evaluate their own aesthetic judgments. (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-C, CSU-C2, IGETC-3B)

Philosophy of science is a branch of epistemology (theory of knowledge) which deals with the truths of science. As a theory of knowledge it asks what it means for a theory to be "true," and how does science yield knowledge? It is an investigation into the nature and methods of scientific reasoning, in order to evaluate the truth claims of science. It also forces us to distinguish between scientific and non-scientific methodology. (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-C, CSU-C2, IGETC-3B)

The course begins with the indigenous philospohies of Latin America, such as that of the Maya, and proceeds to the colonial period, under which students will learn of imported philosophies such as Scholasticism and Enlightenment thought. The curriculum then turns to the striving for independence in the post-colonial period, and the uneasy tension between positivism and inclusion. As the course turns to the thought of the Twentieth Century, the philosophies of liberation, postmodernism and globalism are explord. The conclusion of this course is a survey of the Latin American philosophies of our century, including those arising in the United States. (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-C, CSU-C2, IGETC-3B)