Philosophy

• Description: Develops understanding of informal logic and practical reasoning skills necessary for academic success, including tools needed to analyze information from a variety of sources such as academic essays, philosophic literature, news media and advertising. Focus on skills of argumentation including, but not limited to, elements of an argument, deductive and inductive forms of argumentation, the evaluation of arguments and the recognition of a variety of fallacies. Skills developed through a series of written assignments of increasing scope and difficulty culminating in a sophisticated argumentative essay.
• Prerequisite: One of the following: ENGL 1A or 1AH or ESLL 26.
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 5 hours lecture per week. 60 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:English
• Transferability: Both
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Introductory survey of writings, principles, and concerns of philosophy. Primarily examines major topics in the study of metaphysics and epistemology through reading and critical examination of the writings of major figures in the history of philosophy. Related topics of concern to include ethics, theology, and political philosophy.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 4 hours lecture per week. 48 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:English
• Transferability: Both
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: The use of logic as a tool for constructing, analyzing and evaluating arguments. Topics to be covered will be the basic construction of premises and conclusion to form arguments, common formal and informal fallacies, categorical propositions and syllogisms, propositional logic, natural deduction and predicate logic.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 5 hours lecture per week. 60 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:English
• Transferability: Both
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Analysis and application of competing conceptions of the good. Course focuses on ethical theory (utilitarianism, duty-oriented ethics, virtue ethics, egoism, relativism, etc.) and various topics in applied ethics.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 5 hours lecture per week. 60 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:English
• Transferability: Both
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Analysis of the nature of art and aesthetics as an aspect of philosophic discourse. Engagement with historical and contemporary philosophic literature regarding central topics of aesthetic concern. Topics include the possibility of defining and delineating art from other related fields of endeavor (craft, mass entertainment, video games, etc.); examination of the reasons and qualities that make some sensory experiences specifically artistic; the possibility, or otherwise, for defining objective standards of beauty and taste; the potential for deriving meaning, value and knowledge regarding the human condition from artistic endeavor. Topics illustrated through examples from classical through contemporary visual art, architecture, music, and film.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 4 hours lecture per week. 48 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:English
• Transferability: Both
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Origin, history and significant ideas of the world's major Eastern religions. Particular focus on practice and concepts in Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Zen.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Demonstrated proficiency in English by placement via multiple measures OR through an equivalent placement process OR completion of ESLL 125 & ESLL 249.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 4 hours lecture per week. 48 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:English
• Transferability: Both
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Provides an opportunity for the student to expand their studies in Philosophy beyond the classroom by completing a project or an assignment arranged by agreement between the student and instructor. The student is required to contract with the instructor to determine the scope of assignment and the unit value assigned for successful completion. Students may take a maximum of 6 units of Independent Study per department.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lab per week. 36 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:English
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Provides an opportunity for the student to expand their studies in Philosophy beyond the classroom by completing a project or an assignment arranged by agreement between the student and instructor. The student is required to contract with the instructor to determine the scope of assignment and the unit value assigned for successful completion. Students may take a maximum of 6 units of Independent Study per department.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 6 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:English
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Provides an opportunity for the student to expand their studies in Philosophy beyond the classroom by completing a project or an assignment arranged by agreement between the student and instructor. The student is required to contract with the instructor to determine the scope of assignment and the unit value assigned for successful completion. Students may take a maximum of 6 units of Independent Study per department.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 9 hours lab per week. 108 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:English
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note: