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Philosophy
Professor Homiak, Chair
Professor Traiger; Associate Professor Brighouse; Assistant Professor Schaff
On Special Appointment: Adjunct Assistant Professors Tomhave, Yoo
Philosophy is a method that provides students with the skills of conceptual analysis, logical reasoning, and critical thinking. These skills are intrinsically valuable throughout one’s life and apply to a wide variety of professions, including law, medicine, education, journalism, business, public policy, and government. In addition, the methods and skills developed in a philosophical education aim to provide students with the intellectual grounds for reflecting on their beliefs, to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of alterative beliefs, and to understand how philosophical ideas have shaped their culture and history. Studying philosophy will help students develop these intellectual grounds. In both these respects, the mission of philosophy promotes responsible citizenship, social and economic justice, and recognizing and respecting differences among groups and between individuals.
MAJOR: Ten courses (40 units) in philosophy are required for the major, including Philosophy 210; Philosophy 225; Philosophy 230; one of Philosophy 330, 340, 345, 350, 353; one of Philosophy 355, 360, 365, 370, 375, 385; Philosophy 305 or Philosophy 310; three additional courses in philosophy at least two of which must be 300 level or higher (Mathematics 350 can be counted toward the major in lieu of Philosophy 325); Philosophy 490.
WRITING REQUIREMENT: Students majoring in Philosophy will satisfy the final component of Occidental College’s college-wide writing requirement by completing at least one writing-intensive upper division philosophy course with a grade of B- or higher (or appropriate course work). Students should familiarize themselves with the departmental requirement at the time of declaring the major. See the Writing Program and consult the department chair for additional information.
COMPREHENSIVE REQUIREMENT: Graduating seniors in philosophy write one long essay, the “state of thought” essay, to satisfy their comprehensives requirement. This essay, approximately 30 pages long, is on a topic of their choice and is written with the advice and assistance of two faculty advisers.
Seniors begin work on this essay in the Senior Seminar (Philosophy 490) in the fall semester. In this class, which is organized by a faculty member, seniors focus on writing a preliminary 20-page essay that provides a broad survey of the “stateof thought” on their chosen topic, along with a discussion of the important and differing approaches taken by the key philosophers who have written on their topic. With satisfactory completion of the preliminary essay, students receive a grade of CIP (course in progress) at the end of the fall semester.
Altough there is no class associated with the philosophy comprehensives in the spring semester, seniors continue to work on their “state of thought” essays, with the assistance of the instructor for Philosophy 490. In the spring semester seniors focus on assessing the arguments that have been brought to bear on their topic, and on developing their own contributions to the topic. Once essays are complete, seniors present their work orally to the campus community.
With satisfactory completion of their essays and oral presentations in the spring semester, the fall semester CIP grade is changed to a letter grade. The letter grade is based on the quality of their essays, the quality of their contributions to the seminar discussions in Philosophy 490, and on the quality of their oral presentations in the spring. Final grades will be determined by the philosophy faculty as a whole.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL MAJOR IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE: See Cognitive Science.
MINOR: Five courses (20 units) in Philosophy, including Philosophy 210, 225, 230, one 300-level course in moral or political philosophy, and one 300-level course in metaphysics or epistemology.
HONORS: There is no special class associated with honors. Honors in philosophy is awarded in recognition of excellence in work done for the senior essay, and will be determined by the philosophy faculty as a whole once final versions of the senior essays have been submitted. Seniors need a 3.3 GPA in philosophy and a 3.25 GPA overall to be considered for Departmental honors. See the Honors Program and consult the department chair for further details.
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
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 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, metaphysics, and ethics 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 Plato, Descartes, Hume, Hegel, and Nietzsche.
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? 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
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. In 2009-10 we will study the works of Descartes and Leibniz.
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.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE
320. THE PHILOSOPHIES OF INDIA AND CHINA.
This course will look at some of the classic texts in Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. The focus will be the relations of self, society, and spirit. We will consider two primary questions. First, how do these four traditions understand the nature of persons? Second, what implications can be drawn from these ways of understanding persons to the ways that we interact with the world?
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: CENTRAL, SOUTH, AND EAST ASIA
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. This course may be used toward the Core Science/Mathematics requirement.
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
335. 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
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
343. APPLIED ETHICS.
This course will look at some central issues in applied ethics. The topics covered will be those that arise from the conflict between personal liberties and communal obligations. The course will address issues such as affirmative action, universal healthcare, employee vs. business rights, and the legalization of drugs.
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. MODERN 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: INTERCULTURAL
353. TOPICS IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY.
This course covers contemporary philosophical issues in economics, law, and social policy. Topics for discussion may include: the ethics and economies of the drug war (e.g., alienation, addiction, and rationality; the effects of prohibition on civil rights and liberties) and the ethical and legal dimensions of sexual orientation (e.g., the effects of stereotypes on social policy; whether sexual orientation is a matter of choice). Because topics will change from year to year, students may repeat once for credit, with faculty approval.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL
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.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
2 or 4 units
490. SENIOR SEMINAR.
Prerequisite: senior standing in philosophy.
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