Descriptions for Past Courses
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This page includes information about (most recent versions of) courses taught since Winter 03. Though the past may be a predictor of the future, all content is subject to change!
Phil 190 - Introduction to Philosophical Issues (F/05)
This course is an introduction to philosophy by means of an introduction to selected philosophical issues. There are many ways to conduct an introduction to philosophy. Some courses are organized historically, others adopt a shotgun or survey approach. In this case, after some introductory material, the major portion of our quarter will be spent on a small set of issues, mostly relevant to questions about moral value. The idea is not to provide a comprehensive survey, but rather to seriously introduce a philosophical mode of thinking and writing. This mode will have application to a broad range of philosophical problems and concerns.
The only prerequisite is English 101. No religious, philosophical or critical reasoning background is assumed. The material is, however, intrinsically difficult (and interesting!). We will set up background, and proceed at a pace so that everyone can understand. There is one small book, and a reader specifically designed for this course, (eventually) to be available in the Campus Bookstore.
Assignment Schedule #3 (with paper assignment)
Phil 192 - Introduction to Philosophy of Religion (Sp/09)
This course is an introduction to philosophy by means of an introduction to philosophy of religion. After some introductory material, the major portion of our quarter will be spent on a small set of issues from philosophy of religion. In particular, we will take up (i) the problem of evil -- the question whether the existence of evil is reason to think there is no all-powerful, all-knowing, wholly good god; (ii) the cosmological argument -- the question whether the existence of the universe is itself sufficient to show that of a creator; (iii) divine command ethics -- and especially the question whether morality is somehow dependent on god; and (iv) Pascal's Wager -- an argument to the effect that, though it cannot be known to be true, religious belief makes sense as a sort of "fire insurance."
The only prerequisite is English 101. No religious, philosophical or critical reasoning background is assumed. The material is, however, intrinsically difficult (and interesting!). We will set up background, and proceed at a pace so that everyone can understand. The text is a reader specifically for this course, to be available in the CSUSB Bookstore.
Phil 200 - Critical Thinking Through Symbolic Logic (W/09)
Phil 200 is a first course in critical thinking. In this case, critical thinking is introduced through formal logic. We will spend some time introducing the basic notions of logical validity and soundness. Then we will (a) introduce a formal language L. (b) Learn to evaluate validity and truth for arguments and expressions the formal language. (c) Translate ordinary between ordinary arguments and ones in the formal language. And (d) evaluate validity by means of proofs and derivations in the formal language. This material is foundational to disciplines as diverse as philosophy, mathematics and computer science. It is essential for those who will investigate theoretical underpinnings in such areas; it will be illuminating for those who would undertake further course work or reading in these and related disciplines.
The text is a manuscript by Prof. Roy, which includes appropriate sections from chapters 1 - 7 with answers to selected exercises; it is excerpted from a longer manuscript, Symbolic Logic: An Accessible Introduction to Serious Mathematical Logic; we will cover only material for sentential logic from the first parts of chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. The relevant sections are available as a reader from the CSUSB Bookstore, or may be printed from the web; we will discuss textbook options on the first day of class.
Phil 300 - Predicate Logic (Sp/09)
They say that "all aspirin is not alike." Is this to be taken literally? (Surely not.) Suppose everybody loves my baby, and my baby don't love nobody but me. Does it follow that I am my baby? (It does.) Investigate these questions and more in Philosophy 300! Philosophy 300 introduces the standard predicate calculus. We will push beyond treatment of the logical operators, 'if . . . then', 'if and only if', 'and', 'not', 'or', and move on to the quantifiers 'all' and 'some'. This material is foundational to disciplines as diverse as philosophy, mathematics and computer science. It is essential for those who will investigate theoretical underpinnings in such areas; it will be illuminating for those who would undertake further course work or reading in these and related disciplines. The text is a manuscript by Prof. Roy.
Phil 300 has Phil 200 (or consent of instructor) as prerequisite. If it's been some time since you had Phil 200, you might check out the material from chapter 1, and the first parts of chapters 2, 4, 5 and 6 in the manuscript, Symbolic Logic: An Accessible Introduction to Serious Mathematical Logic.
Phil 308 - Alternative Logics (F/08)
Alternative logics have multiple motivations. Just as predicate logic extends sentential logic to include all and some, so one may desire further extensions to, say, necessity and possibility. Further, there may seem to be fundamental difficulties for the classical approach. So, perhaps you were initially shocked (!) to discover that in classical logic anything follows from a contradiction. In this course, we consider logics alternative to the classical approach, with attention to issues of both sorts. Systems to be considered combine, in different ways, semantics based on possible worlds, and semantics allowing truth values beyond T and F (e.g., neither and even both); these include modal logics, conditional logics, and relevant logics. In one way or another, each has important philosophical applications, and each is itself a subject of philosophical debate.
The main text is Graham Priest, An Introduction to Non-Classical Logic: From If to Is (2nd ed.), we will also make use of readings linked on the left below. The primary treatment of the logics is sentential, so the only prerequisite is Phil 200. This course contributes to the new Minor in Philosophical Logic.
Sentential Logic (chapter 7) Syllabus Final Exam More Natural Derivations for Priest Assignment Schedule #1 (revised) Making Sense of Relevant Semantics Assignment Schedule #2 (revised)
Phil 372 - Philosophy of Religion
This course takes up selected issues in philosophy of religion. It is not intended to be a comprehensive survey, but rather to provide a perspective or foothold from which other topics may be explored. The ultimate focus is on the relation between reason and religious belief. We will begin with some standard arguments for and against religious positions, beginning with the question of human freedom and god's foreknowledge -- whether god's foreknowledge presents a problem for human freedom. After that, there will be some opportunity for student direction of course topics. This initial discussion should motivate stepping back and asking about the rational requirements involved -- about whether religious belief needs such arguments and, if so, what they ought to accomplish. With the paper project, there is an opportunity (but not a requirement) to explore some additional topic in depth.
The texts are Peterson, Hasker, ReichenbachBasinger, Reason and Religous Belief: An Introduction to Philosophy of Religion, along with the anthology edited by them, Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings (both in their 3rd edition); some additional readings will be provided by Prof. Roy. The general text provides a useful orientation to the issues, though our primary focus will be on articles from the anthology. The only prerequisites are satisfaction of the GE Critical Thinking (A4) and Philosophy (C4) requirements. So no specifically religious background is assumed.
Syllabus Paper Assignment #1 Probability Primer Assignment Schedule #1 Paper Assignment #2 Confirmation and Probability Assignment Schedule #2 Midterm Exam Assignment Schedule #3
Phil 380 - Metaphysics (F/08)
The central portion of this course addresses the question how to do metaphysics, and so what metaphysics is. After a general introduction, we will critically consider W.V. Quine's method for metaphysics, and especially his classic article, 'On What There Is'. In the process, we will manage to introduce metaphysical questions about reality, truth, possibility, necessity, abstract objects, fictional objects, and the like. This discussion should provide a foothold from which to explore philosophical questions in metaphysics, and beyond. We won't have much time for this during the quarter, though there is the opportunity (not a requirement) to explore some additional topic in depth with a term paper. The text is a xerox course reader including original articles (esp. 'On What There Is ') along with chapters from a proposed metaphysics text by Prof. Roy. On the text, see About What There Is.
Phil 400 - Advanced Issues in Logic / Metalogic (Sp/09)
This edition of Phil 400 is a first course in classical metalogic. You will, presumably, have already learned to use the classical symbolic logic. In this course we think rigorously about the logic you have learned to use. There is doing of logic; in particular, axiomatic systems are introduced and used. But the main weight is on what the logic does and how it works. Central results for 400 are soundness and completeness of the full predicate calculus. This material is fundamental in disciplines as diverse as philosophy, mathematics and computer science. It is essential for those who will investigate theoretical underpinnings in such areas; it will be illuminating for those who would undertake further course work or reading in these and related disciplines.
The prerequisite to this course is Phil 300 (or consent of instructor). If it's been some time since you had Phil 300, you may want to review the assumed material from chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Symbolic Logic: An Accessible Introduction to Serious Mathematical Logic. In Phil 400, we will begin with chapter 3, and then complete Part II of the text.
Phil 485 - Advanced Issues in Metaphysics and Knowledge / Modal Metaphysics (W/09)
There is a Humean problem about possibility and necessity: "I am in San Bernardino now" is true just because it describes the way things are. However, "I could have been at the beach now" seems true, but only because it describes a non-actual possibility. On its face, however, the very idea of that which isn't actual seems absurd. We will put our toe into the vast literature on possible worlds -- asking what these "possibilities" might be, and about the foundations for modal truth. Notions of possibility and necessity are important in their own right, and essential in logic, science, decision theory, and even ethics -- where it is often thought that "ought implies can." So there is no escaping modal thought!
After an introductory piece by M. Loux, we will turn to classic readings by S. Kripke and D. Lewis and then move to a new (2009) work, Possibility by Prof Roy's dissertation advisor, Michael Jubien.
Phil 485 - Advanced Issues in Metaphysics (with Davidson and Otto) (W/07)
This will be a unique opportunity to interact with faculty and other students around a research project in a seminar environment. The topic is material from Prof. Roy’s sabbatical book project, Properties, Possibilities and Physical Things: Toward the Pleasures of Platonism Without the Pain, in which he takes up questions about abstract objects, including fictional characters, properties and possibilities, and especially the question whether they have a ground in the concrete physical world. The format is modeled on a graduate seminar but with an increased level of faculty input. Thus a typical class will include a short faculty presentation, a response paper from a student – having been prepared (or plotted!) beforehand in conference with other faculty, a short reply by the presenting faculty, and then general faculty/student discussion. So the course will have a unique emphasis on discussion and interaction with faculty, give intensive and one-on-one attention to writing, and provide an opportunity to interact with and contribute to an ongoing philosophical research project. It is something the Department is rarely positioned to offer, and should not be missed. Phil 485 requires as prerequisite Phil 380 or consent of the instructors.
Current draft (3/12/07, for ch 3)
Phil 485 (with Prof. Davidson) - Advanced Issues in Metaphysics and Knowledge: Realism and Antirealism (Sp/04)
In Reason, Truth and History (1981) Hilary Putnam holds,
“Objects” do not exist independently of our conceptual schemes. We cut up the world into objects when we introduce one or another scheme of description.
And it is often said that the world is a product of our concepts or language. Antirealism, the view that the world is such a product, has it’s origins in the work of Kant, and is developed by contemporary thinkers including Goodman, Dummett, Putnam, and many in the humanities apart from philosophy.
In contrast, realism is the view that the world, or at least the parts of it other than minds, exists as it is independently of our thought processes. Very often, realists have found antirealism, and arguments advanced in its favor, elusive. In this course, we examine some prominent arguments for the antirealist position, asking whether any are or can be made adequate to establish the view. Primary readings will be from a course reader.
Readings (contents page from reader)