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Home Catalog Programs of Study List of Programs Philosophy

Philosophy

Overview

Philosophy is the critical, rational examination of fundamental issues such as the scope and limits of human knowledge, the nature of the ultimate constituents of reality, and the source of our normative values and obligations. Most importantly, philosophy involves the study and utilization of logic and correct reasoning. Philosophy aims to clarify problems, and to refine the methods by which we solve these problems and investigate the world more broadly. Our courses aim to develop students’ critical and logical reasoning, encourage open debate and independent thought, and provide the opportunity for students to apply the insights they gain to contemporary life.

Degrees Offered

  • A.A.-T. in Philosophy

Associate Degree for Transfer

A.A.-T. in Philosophy

The Associate in Arts in Philosophy for Transfer (AA-T) provides students with a major that fulfills the general requirements for transfer to a California State University. Students with this degree will receive priority admission with junior status to the California State University system. Students should work closely with their American River College counselor to ensure that they are taking the appropriate coursework to prepare for majoring in Philosophy at the institution they wish to transfer to because major and general education requirements may vary for each CSU and the degree may only transfer to specific institutions.

Students must complete the following Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) requirements (pursuant to SB1440, §66746):
• 60 semester or 90 quarter CSU-transferable units
• the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) pattern
• a minimum of 18 semester or 27 quarter units in the major or area of emphasis as determined by the community college district
• obtain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0

All ADTs also require that students must earn a “C” or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis. A "P" (Pass) grade is also an acceptable grade for courses in the major if the course is taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2026

Degree Requirements
Course Code Course Title Units
Required Core:
A minimum of 3 units from the following: 3
PHIL 300 Introduction to Philosophy (3)
PHIL 310 Introduction to Ethics (3)
A minimum of 3 units from the following: 3
PHIL 320 Logic and Critical Reasoning (3)
PHIL 324 Symbolic Logic (3)
   or MATH 320 Symbolic Logic (3)
List A:
A minimum of 3 units from the following: 3
Any course from the required core not already used or
PHIL 315 Contemporary Moral Issues (3)
PHIL 330 History of Classical Philosophy (3)
PHIL 331 History of Modern Philosophy (3)
PHIL 350 Philosophy of Religion (3)
PHIL 360 Social/Political Philosophy (3)
List B:
A minimum of 6 units from the following: 6
Any courses from List A not already used or
ADMJ 300 Introduction to Administration of Justice (3)
ADMJ 320 Concepts of Criminal Law (3)
ETHNS 300 Introduction to Ethnic Studies (3)
HIST 300 History of Europe and the Mediterranean to 1500 (3)
   or HIST 480 History of Western Civilization - Honors (3)
HIST 302 History of Europe Since 1500 (3)
   or HIST 481 History of Western Civilization - Honors (3)
POLS C1000 American Government and Politics (3)
   or POLS C1000H American Government and Politics - Honors (3)
RLST 301 Introduction to World Religions (3)
List C:
A minimum of 3 units from the following: 3
Any course from List A or B not already used or
ENGLT 310 English Literature I (3)
ENGLT 311 English Literature II (3)
ENGLT 320 American Literature I (3)
ENGLT 321 American Literature II (3)
ENGLT 340 World Literature I (3)
ENGLT 341 World Literature II (3)
HIST 305 Women in Western Civilization (3)
HIST 307 History of World Civilizations to 1500 (3)
HIST 308 History of World Civilizations, 1500 to Present (3)
HIST 364 Asian Civilization (3)
HIST 365 Asian Civilization (3)
HUM 300 Classical Humanities (3)
HUM 301 Introduction to the Humanities (3)
HUM 310 Modern Humanities (3)
HUM 320 Asian Humanities (3)
HUM 326 Middle Eastern Humanities (3)
HUM 330 Humanities of the Americas (3)
RLST 302 Introduction to Atheism (3)
RLST 310 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (3)
RLST 311 Introduction to the New Testament (3)
RLST 313 Introduction to Islam (3)
Total Units: 18

The Associate in Arts in Philosophy for Transfer (AA-T) degree may be obtained by completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum 2.0 GPA, including (a) the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program, and (b) the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) Requirement.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  • identify and express arguments found in philosophical and non-philosophical sources.
  • analyze arguments from philosophical and non-philosophical sources into their constituent premises and conclusions.
  • evaluate the cogency of arguments from philosophical and non-philosophical sources with respect to structure and content.
  • critically discuss and evaluate important concepts and theories in ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology.
  • develop and defend personal views concerning important philosophical issues.

Career Information

Because of continuing social and technological changes, today's graduates are more likely to change their jobs/careers than ever before. Job skills learned today for a specific career may be too specific to transfer to other jobs or simply become outdated. The technical skills and knowledge required by many fields are also changing, requiring constant updating to stay current. One advantage to studying philosophy is that it focuses on broader issues such as the nature of knowledge, values, the use of language, and the application of logic and critical reasoning: content that transfers across specific jobs/careers. The analytic skills developed in the study of philosophy are valuable in problem solving and effectively communicating ideas clearly and precisely. Finally, philosophy provides an excellent pre-law preparation, as philosophy majors generally score amongst the highest on the LSAT (Law School Admission Test).

Philosophy (PHIL) Courses

PHIL 300 Introduction to Philosophy

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:Eligibility for ENGL C1000/C1000H (formerly ENGWR 300/480) or ESLW 340
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:Local GE L1B; Local GE L3; Cal-GETC Area 3B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 100
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This course examines some of the perennial questions that have been addressed in the history of philosophy. Some of these include: Do we have free will? Is there a God? What is knowledge? What is the fundamental nature of reality? What makes actions right or wrong? This examination includes a critical analysis of fundamental concepts involved in the issues addressed by these questions, as well as an evaluation of reasoning used to defend various answers to them.

PHIL 310 Introduction to Ethics

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:Eligibility for ENGL C1000/C1000H (formerly ENGWR 300/480) or ESLW 340
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:Local GE L3; Cal-GETC Area 3B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 120
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This course is an introduction to ethics and moral philosophy. It includes a survey of various normative ethical theories including Aristotle's Virtue Ethics, Utilitarianism, and Kant's Deontological Ethics. It may also cover various meta-ethical issues such as ethical relativism vs. ethical objectivism, as well as questions of knowledge and justification of moral claims. It may also include the application of normative ethical theories to contemporary moral issues.

PHIL 315 Contemporary Moral Issues

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:Eligibility for ENGL C1000/C1000H (formerly ENGWR 300/480) or ESLW 340
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:Local GE L3; Cal-GETC Area 3B
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This is an investigation into some of the moral issues our society presently faces. These issues may include abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering, individual liberty and the collective good, sexuality/gender and society, war and terrorism, capital punishment, hunger/poverty and moral obligation, discrimination, and affirmative action.

PHIL 320 Logic and Critical Reasoning

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:Eligibility for ENGL C1000/C1000H (formerly ENGWR 300/480) or ESLW 340
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:Local GE L1B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 110
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This course introduces basic principles of good reasoning. It focuses on recognizing arguments and identifying their premises and conclusions. It examines the distinction between inductive and deductive standards of evaluation and includes an overview of types of inductive reasoning, deductive argument patterns, use and misuse of language, and fallacious reasoning. Practical application to everyday life is emphasized.

PHIL 324 Symbolic Logic

  • Same As:MATH 320
  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:Through the Los Rios Placement Process or successful completion of Algebra II/Integrated Math 3 or Intermediate Algebra.
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:Local GE L1B; Local GE L2
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 210
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This course is an introduction to symbolic logic. It includes a study of the logic of sentences (propositional logic) and the logic of classes and relations (predicate logic), together with an introduction to the nature of deductive systems. This course is not open to students who have completed MATH 320.

PHIL 330 History of Classical Philosophy

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:Eligibility for ENGL C1000/C1000H (formerly ENGWR 300/480) or ESLW 340
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:Local GE L3; Cal-GETC Area 3B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 130
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This course is a survey of classical Greek philosophy. Through a careful examination of primary sources, it begins with an overview of Pre-Socratic thought and focuses primarily on the philosophical ideas of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. An overview of Hellenistic and Roman philosophy may be included.

PHIL 331 History of Modern Philosophy

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:Eligibility for ENGL C1000/C1000H (formerly ENGWR 300/480) or ESLW 340
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:Local GE L3; Cal-GETC Area 3B
  • C-ID:C-ID PHIL 140
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This course is an overview of important themes in the history of Western Philosophical thought from the Early Modern era to the turn of the nineteenth century. These themes may include the fundamental nature of reality, knowledge, values, society, God, and human nature.

PHIL 350 Philosophy of Religion

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:Eligibility for ENGL C1000/C1000H (formerly ENGWR 300/480) or ESLW 340
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:Local GE L3; Cal-GETC Area 3B
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This course is an introduction to a philosophical examination of religion. This examination typically includes an analysis of basic religious concepts such as God, the afterlife, the soul, faith, karma, religious experience, good, and evil. The rationality of religious belief and the relation of religion to science may also be covered.

PHIL 360 Social/Political Philosophy

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:Eligibility for ENGL C1000/C1000H (formerly ENGWR 300/480) or ESLW 340
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:Local GE L3; Local GE L4; Cal-GETC Area 3B; Cal-GETC Area 4
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This course is a historical and topical survey of significant themes of social/political philosophy from Plato to the present. Topics may include freedom, government, justice, law, rights, punishment, war, authority, and the state.

PHIL 495 Independent Studies in Philosophy

  • Units:1 - 3
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Transferable:CSU
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

PHIL 499 Experimental Offering in Philosophy

  • Units:0.5 - 4
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Transferable:CSU
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2026

This is the experimental courses description.

Catalog