2021-22 Pomona College Catalog 
    
    Sep 27, 2024  
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2021-22 Pomona College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG] Use the dropdown above to select the current 2024-25 catalog.

Courses

Check major and minor requirement sections in the Departments, Programs and Areas of Study section to determine if specific courses will satisfy requirements. Inclusion on this list does not imply that the course will necessarily satisfy a requirement.

Click here  to view a Key to Course Listings and Discipline codes.
 

Music
  

  • MUS120 SC - Music in Christian Practice


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 1
  

  • MUS121 PO - Seminar in Music History (Before 1750)

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 1.0

    Seminar in music history and literature geared to giving intermediate and advanced students an in-depth experience with a particular topic or corpus of music, and exposure to established methodologies in historical musicology as appropriate to that topic. Courses in the MUS 121 PO series will focus on music and the society in which it was produced from before 1750, or will include substantial engagement with some aspect of repertoire, style and culture of that time. Emphasis on deeper investigations of topics through selected readings, listening, discussions, oral presentations, analytical projects or class performance, and writing. Historical engagement with issues related to religion, politics, culture, literature, class, gender, race and/or other matters through the lens of music as appropriate to the seminar’s focus will also be included. Fulfills one history and literature requirement for Music majors and minors. Prerequisites: MUS 051 PO  and MUS 080 PO  or permission of instructor. Repeatable twice for credit when being offered under a different topic; check with instructor or department chair.    

     
      
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 1; Writing Intensive
  

  • MUS121 SC - Music of the Spirits


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 1
  

  • MUS122 PO - Seminar in Music History (1750-c.1920)

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): D. M. Di Grazia
    Credit: 1.0

    Seminar in music history and literature geared to giving intermediate and advanced students an in-depth experience with a particular topic or corpus of music, and exposure to established methodologies in historical musicology as appropriate to that topic. Courses in the MUS 122 PO series will focus on music and the society in which it was produced from 1750 to c. 1920, or will include substantial engagement with some aspect of repertoire, style and culture of that time. Emphasis on deeper investigations of topics through selected readings, listening, discussions, oral presentations, analytical projects or class performance, and writing. Historical engagement with issues related to religion, politics, culture, literature, class, gender, race and/or other matters through the lens of music as appropriate to the seminar’s focus will also be included. Fulfills one history and literature requirement for Music majors and minors. Prerequisites: MUS 051 PO  and MUS 080 PO  or permission of instructor. MUS 081 PO  strongly recommended.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 1; Writing Intensive
  

  • MUS123 SC - Music and the Performance of Identities: Intersections of Race, Class and Gender


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 1
  

  • MUS126 SC - Music in East Asia and Diaspora


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 1
  

  • MUS130 SC - Rhythm and the Latina Body Politic


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 1
  

  • MUS132 SC - Stravinsky: His Milieu and His Music.


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 1
  

  • MUS140 PO - Chamber Music

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): G. Lee
    Credit: 0.5

    Program for vocal and instrumental students who participate in small ensembles under the direction of a faculty coach. Restricted to music majors or, with permission of instructor, other very accomplished student musicians who are prepared to make a substantial time commitment, both in and outside of group rehearsals; other students should take MUS 040 PO . Students should form ensembles before enrolling. The department will ensure than an appropriate coach is assigned. Weekly rehearsals and at least one performance required. (May not be taken more than once per semester, regardless of participation.) P/NP grading only.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 6
  

  • MUS147 PO - Linguistic Approaches to the Analysis of Music

    When Offered: Spring 2022.
    Instructor(s): A. Cramer
    Credit: 1

    The question of music’s relationship with the language faculty has not yet been well answered and continues to be vigorously studied. In exploring relationships between music and language, this course proceeds by comparing the various analytical areas of music theory and linguistics. Students will evaluate a number of claims of relationships between music and language, understand some of the musical, linguistic, psychological and cultural phenomena that have prompted those claims, consider some proposed alternative explanations and develop some promising comparisons further. Students will build their sense about how both music and language work and they will consider the kinds of phenomena that may or may not be classifiable as linguistic, paralinguistic and/or musical. They will get to know more music and develop their abilities as discerning listeners and/or performers of music and language. Prerequisites: MUS 080 PO  and LGCS 010 PO .
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 1; Speaking Intensive
  

  • MUS184 PO - 20th-Century Music History and Theory

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): T. Flaherty
    Credit: 1

    20th-century musical techniques and their historical contexts. Prerequisites: MUS 082 PO .
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 1
  

  • MUS184 LPO - Lab, 20th-Century Music History and Theory

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): G. Lee; J. Rockwell; Staff
    Credit: 0
  

  • MUS190 PO - Senior Colloquium

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): J. Rockwell
    Credit: 0.5

    Directed study for majors who are completing the senior exercise. Features regular meetings of students and their advisors for review and discussion of major topics and methods in music composition, theory, history, performance, ethnomusicology, and other specializations as relevant. Required of senior majors.
  

  • MUS192 PO - Senior Project

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5-1

    Half course for students without concentrations; half course for performance concentration; full course for all other concentrations. Prepared under faculty guidance. Proposals must be submitted by April 10 of the junior year in order to be approved by the Music Department faculty. The senior project for a music major without a concentration involves a research paper (normally at least 20 pages), a lecture-recital or work in another format subject to approval. Each concentration has its own specific requirements for senior projects; see the descriptions of the concentrations .
  

  • MUS199DRPO - Music: Directed Readings

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5-1

    Syllabus reflects workload of a standard course in the department or program. Examinations or papers equivalent to a standard course. Regular interaction with the faculty supervisor. Weekly meetings are the norm. Available for full- or half-course credit.
  

  • MUS199IRPO - Music: Independent Research

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5-1

    A substantial and significant piece of original research or creative product produced. Pre-requisite course work required.

Neuroscience
  

  • NEUR101A PO - Introduction to Neuroscience with Laboratory

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): J. King; E. Glater
    Credit: 1

    An introduction to the field of neuroscience. Basic principles of neuroscience are covered including how the cells in the nervous system process signals and transmit information, basic brain anatomy and an introduction to human and comparative systems neuroscience. Prerequisites: BIOL 040 PO  and  BIOL 041C PO . Letter grade only. Previously offered as NEUR101  PO.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 4
  

  • NEUR101B PO - The Human Brain with Laboratory

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): R. Lewis: N. Weekes
    Credit: 1

    An introduction to the human nervous system. We will critically analyze methods of exploring the human nervous system including lesion, electrophysiological, neurochemical and neuroimaging approaches. Topics will include sensation and perception, cognition, movement, regulatory systems, social behavior and psychological and neurological disorders. Prerequisites: NEUR 101A PO . PSYC 051 PO  recommended. Previously offered as NEUR143  PO.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 4
  

  • NEUR102 PO - Neuroethology: Mechanisms of Behavior with Laboratory

    When Offered: Fall 2021.
    Instructor(s): R. Levin
    Credit: 1

    A comparative approach to examining how the nervous system supports behavior. Topics include the evolution and organization of the nervous system, neural-endocrine interactions and mechanisms underlying the detection and recognition of behavioral signals and the generation of a behavioral response to them. Prerequisite: NEUR 101A PO  or permission from instructor.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 4
  

  • NEUR103 PO - Neuropharmacology

    When Offered: Fall 2020.
    Instructor(s): K. Parfitt
    Credit: 1

    Overview of the major neurotransmitter systems, drug-receptor interactions and synaptic transmission. Emphasis on the mechanisms of action of psychoactive drugs, including drugs of abuse, the biology of addiction and the neurobiology of psychiatric illness and neurodegenerative disease. Prerequisite: NEUR 101A PO .
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 4
  

  • NEUR123 PO - The Stressed Brain

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): J. King
    Credit: 1

    This seminar course will explore the neural mechanisms of the stress response. Current research that focuses on the molecular and cellular basis of the stress response will be examined. Topics will include the HPA axis, acute stress, chronic stress, and stress related diseases. Letter grade only. Prerequisites: NEUR 101A PO .
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 4; Speaking Intensive
  

  • NEUR130 PO - Vertebrate Sensory Systems with Laboratory

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): K. Johnson
    Credit: 1

    Vertebrates possess remarkable adaptations for exploring their external environment. We will examine the senses of smell, taste, touch, vision and hearing at molecular, cellular and systems levels, with particular focus on the development of these systems. Topics will also include comparative anatomy, physiology, neural coding and exotic sensory systems. Prerequisite: NEUR 101A PO .
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 4
  

  • NEUR168 PO - Genes and Behavior with Laboratory

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): E. Glater
    Credit: 1

    This course will focus on genetic approaches used to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying various behaviors. We will examine several behaviors including aggression, anxiety, sleep and mating. In the laboratory students will learn current, genetic methods for studying behavior in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Letter grade only. Prerequisites: NEUR 101A PO .
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 4; Writing Intensive
  

  • NEUR178 PO - Neurobiology with Laboratory

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): K. Parfitt
    Credit: 1

    This course will focus on the biology of the nervous systems of vertebrates and invertebrates with a cellular, molecular and electrophysiological approach. We will examine the ionic basis of electrical signaling in excitable cells, the physiology and biochemistry of synaptic transmission, the molecular mechanisms of learning and memory and selected hot topics in the field. Prerequisites: NEUR 101A PO .
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 4; Speaking Intensive
  

  • NEUR190 PO - Senior Seminar

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): J. King
    Credit: 0.5

    Critical analysis and discussion of the current research literature in neuroscience. Discussion of senior thesis exercise. Preparation of a critical literature review and an oral presentation describing thesis background. Topics vary each year. Senior majors only.
  

  • NEUR191 PO - Senior Library Thesis

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5

    A non-empirical thesis in which students design a research protocol to answer an original question. Written in the form of a grant proposal. Half-course. May be taken in either semester of the senior year. Prerequisite: permission of instructor required.
  

  • NEUR192 PO - Neuroscience Senior Project

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): J. King
    Credit: 0.5

    Critical analysis and discussion of the current research literature in neuroscience. Discussion of senior thesis exercise. Topics vary each year. Senior majors only.
  

  • NEUR194A PO - Senior Experimental Thesis

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5

    An empirical thesis in which students undertake an experimental project that addresses an original question. Half-course each semester. NEUR 194A PO, each fall; NEUR 194B PO , each spring.
  

  • NEUR194B PO - Senior Experimental Thesis

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 1

    An empirical thesis in which students undertake an experimental project that addresses an original question.
  

  • NEUR199DRPO - Neuroscience: Directed Readings

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5-1

    Syllabus reflects workload of a standard course in the department or program. Examinations or papers equivalent to a standard course. Regular interaction with the faculty supervisor. Weekly meetings are the norm. Available for full- or half-course credit.
  

  • NEUR199IRPO - Neuroscience: Independent Research

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5-1

    A substantial and significant piece of original research or creative product produced. Prerequisite course work required. Available for full- or half-course credit.
  

  • NEUR199RAPO - Neuroscience: Research Assistantship

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5

    Lab notebook, research summary or other product appropriate to the discipline is required. Half-course credit only.

Ontario Program
  
  

  • ONT105 PZ - Research Methods for Community Change


    See the Pitzer College Catalog for a description of this course.

Philosophy
  

  • PHIL001 PO - Problems of Philosophy

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): M. Green; Staff; P. Thielke
    Credit: 1

    A study of selected problems in philosophy, from such areas as ethics, philosophy of religion, theory of knowledge and metaphysics. Classical and contemporary readings.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Writing Intensive
  

  • PHIL002 PO - Introduction to Ethics

    When Offered: Fall 2021.
    Instructor(s): J. Tannenbaum
    Credit: 1

    The course surveys the major questions about ethics. How do we reason about specific moral problems, such as capital punishment, distribution of scarce resources and the value of life? Are ethical beliefs objective or are they relative to a person or culture? What is the motivation for moral theorizing?
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Speaking Intensive
  

  • PHIL004 PO - Philosophy in Literature

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): S. Erickson
    Credit: 1

    Discussion of various aspects of the human condition, personal and social, as presented in various works of literature.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL005 PO - Gods, Humans and Justice in Ancient Greece

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2013.
    Instructor(s): R. McKirahan
    Credit: 1

    Focus on the fundamental questions in ancient Greek moral thinking, such as the following: What is the best kind of life for a human? Should I be good? Can I be good? Is morality objective, subjective or relative to one’s society? What is the relation between gods and humans? Are we at the mercy of fate? Letter grade only. Course is equivalent to CLAS 064 PO .
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL007 PO - Discovery, Invention and Progress

    When Offered: Last offered fall 2020.
    Instructor(s): L. Perini
    Credit: 1

    Discovery, Invention and Progress: Philosophy of Science and Technology. Introduction to the philosophy of science and technology. Addresses issues such as the difference between science and pseudoscience, how to facilitate objectivity and rationality in science and technology and evaluation of the neutrality thesis, the view that technology is a neutral instrument that can be used for good or ill.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL030 PO - Social Philosophy

    When Offered: Offered alternate years; next offered spring 2022.
    Credit: 1

    This course examines philosophical questions that arise with respect to social institutions and societal norms, policies, and behaviors. Specific topics will vary, but may include disability, housing policy and segregation, felon disenfranchisement, and food policy. Letter grade only.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Analyzing Difference
  
  

  • PHIL031 PO - Ethical Theory: Ancient to Early Modern

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): J. Tannenbaum
    Credit: 1

    Introduction to ethical theory through the major writings of several leading historical figures such as Plato, Aristotle, Hume and Kant. Among the topics we will discuss are: is acting virtuously necessary for living a good life; are a person’s motives relevant to whether an action is praiseworthy or blameworthy; can reason alone move us to act; and are moral judgments the result of reasoning or instead products of emotion? There are no pre-requisites for this class.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Speaking Intensive
  

  • PHIL032 PO - Ethical Theory: Contemporary

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2019.
    Instructor(s): M. Green
    Credit: 1

    Introduction to contemporary (20th and 21st century) ethical theories, such as Consequentialism, Deontology and Virtue Theory as well as metaethical theories, such as subjectivism, relativism and nihilism. Among the topics we will discuss are: is there one true morality; how much good we must do for others, and at what costs to our own personal projects; does morality require that we be impartial, treating others equally, and if so, will this prevent us from being partial towards our friends and family; and can we really use ethical theory to guide our everyday decisions? There are no pre-requisites for this class.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL033 PO - Political Philosophy

    When Offered: Spring 2021.
    Instructor(s): M. Green
    Credit: 1

    Classical and modern sources on the nature of the state, justice and rights. Addresses questions such as these: Should we have a state at all? What is a just society? What powers does the state have? Must individuals obey the state?
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Analyzing Difference; Writing Intensive
  

  • PHIL034 PO - Philosophy of Law

    When Offered: Spring 2021.
    Instructor(s): A. Davis; M. Green
    Credit: 1

    Concerns the nature and substance of law. Addresses questions such as these: What is law? How should judges interpret the Constitution? When, if ever, is punishment justified? When does one private party commit a tort against another?
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Writing Intensive
  

  • PHIL035 PO - Well-being and Autonomy

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): A. Davis; M. Green
    Credit: 1

    This course focuses on two important ethical values, well-being and autonomy and what to do when pursuit of one conflicts with the other. What makes someone’s life go better or worse? What if someone’s life can be made to go better or at least prevented from going worse but only at the cost of undermining that person’s autonomy, that is, by interfering with how the person has chosen to live her or his life? What if the greater good of a community requires limitations on personal freedoms or the infringement of the right not to be harmed? Possible contexts of conflict include sports, medicine, national security and war. There are no pre-requisites for this class.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Speaking Intensive
  

  • PHIL037 PO - Values and the Environment

    When Offered: Last offered fall 2017.
    Credit: 1

    Values & the Environment has a wider scope than an environmental ethics course. Specific topics to be discussed will vary, but will usually include examining the implications of choices in housing policies;  food and dietary decisions and practices, and the question of who (and what) has moral standing (only humans?  Humans and nonhuman animals?  Trees?  Mountains?  Ecosystems?). 
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Analyzing Difference
  

  • PHIL038 PO - Bioethics

    When Offered: Offered alternate years; next offered spring 2023.
    Instructor(s): J. Tannenbaum
    Credit: 1

    Focuses on issues and themes in the conduct of scientific research and the application of its results and about the nature and practice of medicine. One year we may explore the conceptual underpinnings that help us understand and assess the efficacy and morality of medical treatment. Another year, the orientation of the course may be more policy-centered.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL039 PO - Gender, Crime and Punishment (CP)

    When Offered: Offered alternate years; next offered spring 2022.
    Instructor(s): S. Castagnetto
    Credit: 1

    Addresses issues of crime and punishment focusing on gender, race and class. Topics include gender and crime; gendered aspects of punishment; women’s rights violations in prison; impact of the war on drugs, harsh sentencing and prison growth on women and their families; issues post-release; alternatives to incarceration. Community partnership with local state women’s prison.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL040 PO - Ancient Philosophy

    When Offered: Last offered fall 2019.
    Instructor(s): R. McKirahan
    Credit: 1

    Origins of Western philosophy through reading and discussion of its classical sources, including the Presocratics, Stoics, Epicureans, Sceptics, Plato and Aristotle.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Writing Intensive
  

  • PHIL042 PO - History of Modern Philosophy

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): P. Thielke
    Credit: 1

    Major philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries (e.g., Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Leibniz, Hume), emphasizing their views on metaphysics, epistemology and philosophy of mind.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL043 PO - Continental Thought

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): E. Anderson
    Credit: 1

    Beginning with a review of Kant, German idealism (Fichte through Hegel), Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Foucault and Derrida will be considered.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL045 PO - Philosophy of Gender

    When Offered: Last offered fall 2020.
    Instructor(s): E. Anderson
    Credit: 1

    This course investigates the features and everyday impacts of gender from a philosophical perspective. Topics considered include: the relation of sex to gender; the nature of gendered oppression and its intersections with other forms of oppression; feminist and queer approaches to values and knowledge; and whether gender is a necessary or contingent feature of social relations.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL046 PO - Feminism and Science (CP)

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2021.
    Instructor(s): S. Castagnetto
    Credit: 1

    This course examines feminist perspectives on and critiques of science and technology, traditional scientific world views, and how gendered and other values inform scientific theory and practice.  Topics include the current and historical participation of women in science, with attention to race, class, and nationality; scientific theories of sex differences; the scientific construction of sex; issues in women’s health; and environmental issues.  This is a Napier course and will include participation of about 6 elders from the Pilgrim Place retirement community, offering an opportunity for intergenerational discussion and mentoring. 
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Analyzing Difference
  

  • PHIL047 PO - Socrates

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2021.
    Instructor(s): R. McKirahan
    Credit: 1

    Socrates wrote nothing but is one of the most famous philosophers of all time. We will explore this and other Socratic paradoxes - for example his claims that he did not know anything but was wiser than anyone he had ever met; that knowledge and virtue are the same thing; that no one knowingly or willingly does wrong; that it is better to be the victim of injustice than to be unjust; that a worse person cannot harm a better one. We will also investigate his claim to be the first genuine philosopher, his importance in the subsequent history of philosophy and his iconic place in human culture.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL052 PZ - Philosophy of Religion


    See the Pitzer College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL054 PO - Existentialism

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): E. Anderson
    Credit: 1

    How does one find meaning in a seemingly meaningless world? This course approaches this question by means of a survey of existentialist thought from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including works by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, and Beauvoir. Topics include anxiety, freedom, subjectivity, and relations with others.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3;
  

  • PHIL057 JT - Philosophy of Technology: Our Technologies, Ourselves

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2020.
    Instructor(s): L. Perini
    Credit: 1

    The course investigates broad issues such as the nature of technology and our relationship to it, how technology affects the sense of self and community, its relationship to changing values and how technology is involved in how we think about the future and about the past. An additional goal of the course is to raise awareness of the invisible and ubiquitous technologies around us. Specific areas of focus may include social media, the quantified self-movement, surveillance and design.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL060 PO - Logic

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): Staff; L. Perini
    Credit: 1

    Introduction to mathematical logic through the development of proof techniques (natural deduction and semantic tableaux) and model theory for sentential logic and quantification theory. Properties of logical systems, such as consistency, completeness and decidability.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 5
  

  • PHIL062 PZ - Chance and Scientific Reasoning


    See the Pitzer College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL070 PO - Art and Aesthetics

    When Offered: Fall 2018.
    Instructor(s): L. Perini
    Credit: 1

    The course will focus on issues concerning the nature of art and its value. Issues include the role of interpretation in determining the meaning of artworks; the question of whether forgery that is visually identical to an original work has less aesthetic—value and if so, why; and problems arising from certain kinds of artworks, like why we have emotional responses to fictional characters and whether it is rational to do so.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL071 PO - History of Aesthetics

    When Offered: Last offered fall 2019.
    Instructor(s): P. Thielke
    Credit: 1

    A survey of various aesthetic theories, from antiquity to the nineteenth century. Topics will include the nature of beauty, the epistemological status of aesthetic judgments and the connection between art and morality. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, among others.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL072 PO - Philosophy of Film

    When Offered: Offered alternate years
    Instructor(s): E. Anderson
    Credit: 1

    Since the explosion of film as a popular medium of entertainment, philosophers have considered the nature of filmic representation and its implications for aesthetics, ethics, and our very understanding of human existence. This survey course covers a variety of philosophies of film, with special emphasis on continental European traditions including phenomenology, critical theory, Marxism, feminist and queer theory, and poststructuralism. The course also puts the philosophy of film in dialogue with the history of aesthetics, questioning whether film fits into traditional theories of art and whether film has the power to improve and/or corrupt societies. Periodic film viewings will also be required.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL080 PO - Philosophy of Mind

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2021.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 1

    What can philosophers tell us about the mind? This course explores approaches—including scientific approaches—to explaining what the mind is. Can any of these views account for consciousness? Do they explain how thoughts can be about things? Do they allow that our mental states cause our actions? How can we know when something has a mind?
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL081 PO - Epistemology: Truth, Justification, Knowledge

    When Offered: Last offered fall 2019.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 1

    The facts seem to matter: Does the movie start at 7? Do the brakes on the school bus work? Should we teach evolution, creationism or both? But how do we know what the truth is? What makes some of our beliefs justified and others unjustified? Can we have any objective grasp on the truth?
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL082 PO - Social Epistemology

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2021.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 1

    Much of what we know and believe about the world comes through social interactions. For example, we give and receive testimony, discuss questions with others, and hear and transmit rumors. Such interactions are not always helpful: think of wide-spread prejudices, propaganda, “fake news.” So how should we respond to and shape our social interactions if we want to improve our knowledge and understanding of the world? Possible topics include: testimony, disagreement, authority, rumors and gossip, open-mindedness, and epistemic injustice.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Speaking Intensive
  

  • PHIL084 PZ - Islamic Philosophy


    See the Pitzer College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL096 JT - God and Philosophy: A Conflict in Reason


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL101 HM - History of Philosophy: Ancient Philosophy


    See the Harvey Mudd College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL103 CM - Nietzsche


    See the Claremont McKenna College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL103 PO - Philosophy of Science: Historical Survey

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2016.
    Instructor(s): L. Perini; B. Keeley
    Credit: 1

    Theories about scientific reasoning and the nature of scientific knowledge have changed significantly since the scientific revolution. This course traces those developments, including key early modern figures like Bacon and Descartes, the Vienna Circle and early 20th-century logical positivism and the work of Thomas Kuhn, ending with more contemporary views, such as feminist philosophy of science. Prerequisite: College-level science or philosophy course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL104 HM - Hist of Phil:Contemporary Period


    See the Harvey Mudd College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL104 PO - Philosophy of Science: Topical Survey

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2020.
    Instructor(s): L. Perini; B. Keeley
    Credit: 1

    Introduction to a selection of topics in the philosophy of science, which might include the structure of scientific theories, the nature of scientific explanation, confirmation of scientific hypotheses, the difference between science and non-science, the reality of theoretical entities and contemporary critiques of science. Prerequisite: College-level science or philosophy course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL106 PO - Philosophy of Biology

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2020.
    Instructor(s): L. Perini
    Credit: 1

    This course will address philosophical problems that revolve around clarifying what is required to do good science on living systems, and the explanatory tactics and methods that are distinctive to the life sciences. A focus of the course will be ways in which biology has been used as a means to understand humans, in terms of their evolutionary history and more recently, in terms of genetics. We will examine some of the distinctive concepts and theoretical resources of the life sciences, like the theory of natural selection, the concept of species, reductionistic explanatory strategies and methodological worries about adaptationism. The course will examine how these conceptual and methodological issues are involved in many of the aspects of the life science that concern categories of difference in human societies, like race and gender. Prerequisite: one college-level philosophy or biology course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Analyzing Difference; Speaking Intensive
  

  • PHIL113 SC - Early Modern Philosophy: The Rationalists


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL120 PO - Metaphysics

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2019.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 1

    This course is a study of basic issues concerning existence: What is there? What is it like? Possible topics include the relation of the mind and body, causation and indeterminacy and their implications for freedom, the nature of time, persistence through time, particulars and universals, necessity and possibility, and the nature of truth. Course is equivalent to PHIL126 CM.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL125 HM - Ethical Issues in Science and Engineering


    See the Harvey Mudd College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  
  

  • PHIL140 HM - Environmental Philosophy


    See the Harvey Mudd College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL150 SC - Philosophy of Feminism


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL151 SC - Feminist Ethics


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL155 PZ - Islam vs. Islam


    See the Pitzer College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL170 SC - Faith and Reason


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  
  

  • PHIL185B PO - Topics in the Philosophy of Law

    When Offered: Last offered fall 2020.
    Instructor(s): M. Green
    Credit: 1

    An advanced course about topics in the philosophy of law such as the justification of punishment and the right to privacy.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL185L PO - Topics in Epistemology, Metaphysics and the Philosophy of the Mind

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2019.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 1

    An examination of various issues in contemporary epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind. Topics may include the nature of consciousness, mental causation, the relationship between the mental and the physical, the nature of epistemic justification and the status of testimony as a source of knowledge. Prerequisites: a PHIL course. May be repeated for credit.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Writing Intensive
  

  • PHIL185N JT - Topics in Neurophilosophy


    See the Scripps College Catalog for a description of this course.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  
  

  • PHIL185P PO - Topics in Value Theory

    When Offered: Offered alternate years; next offered spring 2022.
    Instructor(s): J. Tannenbaum
    Credit: 1

    An examination of topics central to value theory, such as moral dilemmas, moral luck, the obligation to aid and not harm others and moral responsibility. Prerequisites: One of the following: PHIL 002 PO , PHIL 031 PO , PHIL 032 PO , PHIL 035 PO  or their equivalent at another college.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3; Writing Intensive
  

  • PHIL185Q PO - Topics in Applied Ethics

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2018.
    Instructor(s): J. Tannenbaum
    Credit: 1

    This course will look in depth at some applied ethics issues: drugs, reproductive ethics, philanthropy & altruism, etc. Letter grade only. Prerequisites: some philosophy background or another relevant normative background. May be repeated once for credit.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL185S PO - Topics in Social and Political Philosophy

    When Offered: Last offered spring 2021.
    Instructor(s): M. Green
    Credit: 1

    In this class, we will look at important roots and branches of the opioid crisis: What are some of the social, medical, philosophical, and institutional factors that have lead to the widespread and heavy use of these strong painkillers, and why has it proved so difficult to figure out how to change our paradigms and practices.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL186H PO - Topics in History of Modern Philosophy

    When Offered: Fall 2021.
    Instructor(s): P. Thielke
    Credit: 1

    An examination of issues central to 17th to 19th century philosophy. Topics might include the debate between rationalism and empiricism, the limits of reason, the nature of substance and mind and the nature of human experience. Letter grade only. Prerequisite: PHIL 042 PO .
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL186K PO - Kant

    When Offered: Last offered fall 2020.
    Instructor(s): P. Thielke
    Credit: 1

    A detailed examination of the works of Immanuel Kant, focusing on issues that arise from Kant’s transcendental idealism. Topics may include Kant’s account of cognition, the nature and limits of human knowledge, the force of the moral law and the warrant of aesthetic judgment. Prerequisite: PHIL 042 PO .
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  

  • PHIL187C PO - Tutorial in Ancient Philosophy

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): R. McKirahan
    Credit: 1

    Selected topics in ancient philosophy. Requires regular meetings with the instructor to discuss original texts, interpretations and the student’s written work. Sample topics: pre-Socratic philosophy, Socrates and the Sophists, Plato’s theory of forms, Aristotle’s philosophy of science, ancient ethical theories. May be repeated for credit. Letter grade only. Prerequisite: One course in ancient philosophy.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Area 3
  
  

  • PHIL190 PO - Senior Literature Review

    When Offered: Each fall.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 1

    Satisfies the senior exercise requirement for philosophy majors. Literature review of a philosophical issue. In consultation with faculty, each student selects a philosophical issue or question to investigate and researches a list of readings. The finished product is a comprehensive explanation of the current literature on the student’s topic. Letter grade only.
    Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
    Speaking Intensive
  

  • PHIL191 PO - Senior Thesis

    When Offered: Each spring.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 1

    An optional thesis supervised by a member of the philosophy department faculty, undertaken after the required senior exercise, PHIL 190 PO , is completed in the first semester.
  

  • PHIL199DRPO - Philosophy: Directed Readings

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5-1

    Directed Readings. Syllabus reflects workload of a standard course in the department or program. Examinations or papers equivalent to a standard course. Regular interaction with the faculty supervisor. Weekly meetings are the norm. Available for full- or half-course credit.
  

  • PHIL199IRPO - Philosophy: Independent Research

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5-1

    Independent Research or Creative Project. A substantial and significant piece of original research or creative product produced. Prerequisite course work required. Available for full- or half-course credit.
  

  • PHIL199RAPO - Philosophy: Research Assistantship

    When Offered: Each semester.
    Instructor(s): Staff
    Credit: 0.5

    Research Assistantship. Lab notebook, research summary or other product appropriate to the discipline is required. Half-course credit only.
 

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