The Minor in Ethics

Course Requirements for the Minor: 21 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this minor.

2 courses required:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Sustainable	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
PHIL 321	Ethics and Human Happiness		3.0	FS
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. 3 hours discussion. (007191)
RELS 346	Ethical Conflicts and Religious Values		3.0	FS
What role does religion play in contemporary debates about ethics and morality in modern pluralistic societies? Topics may include abortion, capital punishment, assisted suicide, war and peace, environmental destruction, sex, and world hunger and poverty, as well as the conflicts between secular and religious world views. 3 hours lecture. (008158)

1 course selected from:

2 courses selected from:

6 units selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Sustainable	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
GEOS 354	Science and Ethics		3.0	SP
Prerequisites: Completion of the GE Pathway Foundation Physical Sciences, PHIL 321. The process of science and the scientific method. The Darwinian revolution and its social and ethical implications. Proteins and nucleic acids. Technological and ethical issues in biotechnology. Nuclear weapons. Conservation and environmental ethics. This course cannot be used for credit toward a geosciences major or minor. 3 hours discussion. (004147)
PHIL 104	The Good Life		3.0	FS	GE
A critical survey of different theories of happiness and meaning in life, including discussion of the roles of moral values, mental health, art, music, and food and drink in living well. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (007163)
PHIL 129	Environmental Ethics		3.0	FS	GE
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. 3 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. (021190)
PHIL 320	Ethics		3.0	SP
An introduction to moral theory, including such figures as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. Alternative views concerning fundamental moral questions will be explored. 3 hours seminar. (007190)
PHIL 322	Science and Human Values		3.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: One biological sciences course. This course is also offered as BIOL 322. Critically examines scientific and humanistic world views and sensibilities, directly applying these approaches to contemporary social and personal problems. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (001148)
PHIL 322H	Science and Human Values -- Honors		3.0	FA	GE
Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Honors Program, faculty permission. This course is also offered as BIOL 322H. Critically examines scientific and humanistic world views and sensibilities, directly applying these approaches to contemporary social and personal problems. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (001149)
PHIL 323	Moral Issues in Parenting		3.0	FS	GE  GC
A philosophical investigation of the moral and legal dimensions of parenting. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (007212)
PHIL 331	Center for Applied and Professional Ethics (CAPE) Forum		1.0	FS
This course is also offered as RELS 331. 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. 1 hour lecture. (007236)
PHIL 334	Ethics and Environmental Sciences		3.0	INQ
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. 3 hours discussion. (007272)
PHIL 335	Regional Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl		3.0	FA
Prerequisite: 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). 3 hours lecture. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. (020605)
PHIL 341	Justice and Global Issues		3.0	FS	GE  GC
Inquiry into different theories of justice, and their implications for contemporary political issues. Topics include inequality, crime policy, taxes, immigration, globalization, war, and sustainability. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (007211)
PHIL 420	Contemporary Moral Theory		3.0	FA	GW
Prerequisite: ENGL 130 or JOUR 130 (or equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher. An analysis of twentieth-century ethical theory. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. (007270)
PHIL 435	National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl		3.0	SP
Prerequisite: 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). 3 hours lecture. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 9.0 units. (020606)
PHIL 489	Philosophy Internship		1.0 -3.0	FS
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. 9 hours supervision. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 15.0 units. (007293)
RELS 247	Religion, Ethics, and Ecology		3.0	FS	GE
An introduction to ways that religious and secular world views and ethics influence attitudes, behaviors, and policies toward the environment, society, and economy. The course considers alternative views of self and society, the relationship between human beings and the natural world, and issues of lifestyle, justice, and sustainability. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (021200)
RELS 331	Center for Applied and Professional Ethics (CAPE) Forum		1.0	FS
This course is also offered as PHIL 331. 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. 1 hour lecture. (007236)
RELS 332	World Religions and Global Issues		3.0	FS	GE  GC
An introduction to major religions of the contemporary world (Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Chinese religions) with particular emphasis on their relationship to pressing global issues, including economics and poverty, environmental issues, war and peace, and human rights. Explores a number of religious traditions that are closely identified with specific ethnic groups in this country. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (008190)
RELS 343	Wealth, Power, and Justice		3.0	SP
What is the proper attitude toward wealth and poverty? Do the rich have an obligation to help the poor? How should we balance a commitment to human equality and to individual liberty? How are we to determine whether a society's distribution of wealth and power is just or unjust? What methods constitute legitimate means of achieving social change? This course explores alternative religious perspectives on these and other ethical questions that arise in connection with contemporary social, political, and economic life. 3 hours lecture. (008167)
RELS 348	Jesus, Buddha, and Marx: A Study in Comparative Ethics		3.0	FA
This course explores how Christians, Buddhists, and Marxists have sought to answer questions about the nature and goals of human life and about the methods of individual and social transformation. Attention will be given to the diversity of ethical perspectives in the traditions on such topics as the human good, the ideal society, political and economic life, war and peace, the family, the meaning of freedom, and the nature of salvation. 3 hours discussion. (008165)
RELS 489	Internship in Religious Stud		1.0 -3.0	FS
Prerequisites: Faculty permission. Enrollment will be determined by permission of the Department of Religious Studies. 3 hours supervision. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 15.0 units. Credit/no credit grading. (008208)

Note: In fulfilling this requirement, you may count only one of the following sets of courses:

PHIL 129 or RELS 247;

GEOS 354, PHIL 322, or PHIL 322H.

If RELS 489 is selected, it must be taken for 3 units.