2019-2020 Catalog 
    
    Apr 30, 2024  
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2019-2020 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses

Browse the entire list of course offerings below, or use the course filter search to view a course or selection of courses.
 

Music
  

  • MUS174 JM - Claremont Chamber Choir

    See Scripps College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 0.5

    Course Number: MUS 174 JM
  

  • MUS175 JM - The Claremont Concert Orchestra

    See Scripps College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 0.5

    Course Number: MUS 175 JM
  

  • MUS176 JM - Claremont Treble Singers

    See Scripps College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 0.5

    Course Number: MUS 176 JM

Neuroscience
  

  • NEUR095L JT - Foundations of Neuroscience

    An introduction to the nervous system and behavior that explores fundamental issues in neuroscience from a variety of perspectives. Emphasis will be placed on technological advances, experiments, and methodologies that have most influenced our understanding of the nervous system. The class will be divided into three groups that will rotate through four 3-week modules covering the history and philosophy of neuroscience, the electrical nature of the nervous system, the chemical nature of the nervous system, and cognition and the nervous system. The course will end with a final integrative module that brings together fundamental principles developed throughout the course. Intended primarily for first- and second-year students. Permission of instructor required of third- and fourth-year students. Lecture, discussion, and laboratory.

    Offered: Every spring

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: NEUR095L JT
  

  • NEUR188L KS - Senior Thesis Research Project in Neuroscience

    Seniors may apply to do laboratory or field investigation with a faculty member. The topic should be chosen by the end of the junior year. In this course, library and lab materials are developed, research begun, and seminar discussion held with faculty members and students in the field of concentration. This is the first course for students doing a two-semester senior project. Registration in this course will be followed by registration in NEUR 190L KS . This course has a laboratory fee.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: NEUR188L KS
  

  • NEUR189L KS - Senior Thesis Summer Research Project in Neuroscience

    Students who intend to satisfy a two-semester senior thesis project by conducting a substantial research project during the summer after their junior year should enroll in this course in the fall semester following their research. No credit towards graduation will be awarded for this course. Registration in this course will be followed by registration in NEUR 190L KS .

    Offered: Every fall

    Credit: 0

    Course Number: NEUR189L KS
  

  • NEUR190L KS - Senior Thesis Research Project in Neuroscience, Second Semester

    Senior laboratory or field investigation research is culminated and results are summarized in a written thesis and formal presentation. This is the second-semester course for those doing a two-semester research thesis. This course has a laboratory fee.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: NEUR190L KS
  

  • NEUR191 KS - One-Semester Thesis in Neuroscience

    All students who intend to complete a one-semester thesis should enroll in this course. Students are required both to submit a substantive written thesis-which may involve experimental work, analysis of datasets previously collected by other researchers, or a critical analysis of the literature-and to make a formal presentation. Students register for this course during the semester in which the one-semester thesis is written and due.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: NEUR191 KS

Philosophy
  

  • PHIL030 CM - Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophical Questions

    This course offers an introduction to philosophy. Some instructors focus primarily on historical texts, while others focus on contemporary readings; some survey a range of philosophical questions, while others compare how different authors deal with one core topic. All courses focus on teaching philosophical methods, including the skills of interpreting and evaluating arguments in a rigorous fashion.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL030 CM
  

  • PHIL033 CM - Introduction to Philosophy: Political Philosophy

    This course challenges students to critically evaluate some of the most difficult political issues facing society. It provides an introduction to the problems themselves and to the logical methods that enable us to better resolve them. Specific topics may include: the source of governmental authority, economic and political rights, and international justice. The course may discuss abstract theories or specific political problems.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL033 CM
  

  • PHIL034 CM - Introduction to Philosophy: Moral and Political Issues

    This course challenges students to critically evaluate some of the most difficult moral problems facing society. It provides an introduction to the problems themselves and to the logical methods that enable us to better resolve them. Specific topics may include: global poverty, war and terrorism, capital punishment, abortion, human cloning, environmental ethics, and animal rights.

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL034 CM
  

  • PHIL036 CM - Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy of Religion

    An examination of questions such as: (1) Can God’s existence be proved? (2) Is religious faith ever rationally warranted? (3) Are religious propositions cognitively meaningful? (4) Can one believe in a good, omnipotent God in a world containing evil? Readings from historical and contemporary sources.

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL036 CM
  

  • PHIL037 CM - Introduction to Philosophy: Happiness, Meaning, Morality

    Three of the most pressing questions in anyone’s life are: How can I find happiness? How can I find meaning? How can I live morally with my fellow human beings? Many important philosophers have tried to answer these questions, and they have also offered ways to put this knowledge into practice in our everyday lives. This course explores historically important answers to these questions as well as the pragmatic suggestions for improving our lives. Readings may be drawn from such figures as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Augustine, Descartes, Buddha, and Bertrand Russell, among others.

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL037 CM
  

  • PHIL038 CM - Introduction to Philosophy: Reason and Reality

    Philosophy is sometimes divided into “value theory” and “metaphysics and epistemology”. Where value theory considers such topics as ethics and political philosophy, metaphysics and epistemology considers the fundamental nature of reality (metaphysics) and possible means of finding out about that reality (epistemology). This course is a general introduction to philosophy through metaphysics and epistemology. Questions to be considered include: Is the natural world all there is? Do we have free will? Is there a difference between perception and reality? What is consciousness? What is time?

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL038 CM
  

  • PHIL039 CM - Introduction to Philosophy: Special Topics in Introductory Philosophy

    This course covers special topics in philosophy that are not the focus of other introductory courses. Course content changes each time the course is offered. Like all introductory courses, this class focus on one or more central topics in philosophy, and it teaches philosophical methods, including the skills of interpreting and evaluating arguments in a rigorous fashion.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL039 CM
  

  • PHIL095 CM - Fundamentals of Logic

    An introduction to formal techniques for evaluating arguments. These techniques include truth tables, natural deduction for propositional logic, natural deduction for predicate logic, and introductory model theory. The goal of the course is not only for students to develop skill with these formal systems, but also for them to develop an understanding of what it means to reason logically.

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL095 CM
  

  • PHIL100A CM - Classical Philosophy

    This course introduces students to some of the earliest, most profound, and most influential thinkers in the Western philosophical tradition. The focus of the course is methodological, its goal to teach students skills which will enable them to develop their own interpretation and critiques of classical philosophical texts. We will focus on the works of Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and the Skeptics. Some of the questions we will address will be what philosophy is, what one should aim at in life, what kinds of things exist, and what can be known.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL100A CM
  

  • PHIL100C CM - Early Modern Philosophy

    This course serves as an introduction to philosophy during the 17th and 18th centuries, the beginning of the modern period. Readings are drawn from central works by philosophers such as Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. We will focus especially on epistemology (including skeptical and anti-skeptical arguments) and metaphysics (including issues concerning the nature of reality, the nature of the mind, freedom of the will, and the existence and nature of God).

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL100C CM
  

  • PHIL100E CM - Special Topics in History of Philosophy

    This course covers special topics in the history of philosophy. These will include at least: Ancient Greek philosophy, Early Modern European philosophy, and Continental Philosophy. The course content changes each time the course is offered.

    Prerequisite: One previous course in philosophy.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL100E CM
  

  • PHIL101C CM - Classical Ethical Theory: Aristotle

    Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is one of the most significant texts in the history of philosophy; it has also proved enormously influential in 20th-century ethical theorizing. This course will focus on a close reading of Aristotle’s Ethics. We will also assess Aristotle’s views for their philosophical merit and discuss their relation to contemporary virtue ethics. Some topics we will focus on will be the relation of virtue to happiness, the role of intellectual activity in the good life, the doctrine of the mean, Aristotle’s analysis of weakness of will, and the nature and significance of friendship.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.

    Offered: Every third year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL101C CM
  

  • PHIL101D CM - Classical Ethical Theory: Stoics, Skeptics, and Epicureans

    How should I live my life? What are my moral obligations? How do I sustain my moral commitments in situations of temptation and duress? The Greek and Roman philosophers of the Hellenistic period (4th century BC to 2nd century AD) pursued these questions in one of the most vigorous and probing debates in the history of Western philosophy. The Stoics identified happiness with virtue, the Epicureans with pleasure, and the Skeptics with the acceptance of one’s intellectual limitations. This course will focus on a close study of these three schools of philosophy. We will study the writings of figures ranging from Epictetus, a freed slave, to Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of instructor

    Offered: Every third year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL101D CM
  

  • PHIL103 CM - Nietzsche

    An introduction to Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy. Topics include Nietzsche’s accounts of the problem of nihilism, the eternal recurrence, the death of God, his critique of morality, and his perspectivism. The emphasis will be on Nietzsche’s late works. Some discussion of interpretations of Nietzsche by later philosophers.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL103 CM
  

  • PHIL106 CM - Kant

    This course examines the philosophy of Kant. We pay special attention to Kant’s influential masterpiece, the Critique of Pure Reason. Topics include the nature and limits of our knowledge, freedom of the will, and Kant’s “transcendental idealism.”

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of instructor.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL106 CM
  

  • PHIL108 CM - Hegel

    This class focuses on Hegel’s philosophy, which stands at the crossroads between Early Modern Philosophy and later figures such as Marx, Nietzsche and Heidegger. We pay special attention to extremely difficult readings from the Phenomenology of Spirit and the Science of Logic. Topics include the nature of dialectic, the struggle for recognition and the dialectic of lordship and bondage, freedom of the will, Hegel’s criticisms of Kant, the laws of nature, teleological explanation, and Hegel’s account of “absolute knowledge.”

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of instructor

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL108 CM
  

  • PHIL121 CM - Naturalism and Morality

    It is sometimes said that science is the investigation of how things are, and ethics is the investigation of how things ought to be. But in what sense can we really “investigate” how things ought to be? Are there moral truths “out there” waiting to be investigated? If there are moral truths “out there”, how, if at all, do they fit into the natural world investigated by science? And how, if at all, could we come to know what the moral truths are? Does science reveal our moral sentiments to be mere products of our cultural and evolutionary history, having no connection to any alleged truths of morality? This course will cover classical and contemporary texts on the relationship between naturalism and morality.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL121 CM
  

  • PHIL126 CM - Metaphysics

    An introduction to the basic questions regarding existence: What is there? What is it like? Topics include the nature of the self and the mind, the existence of God, particulars and universals, necessity and possibility, the nature of truth, and the possibility of free will.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL126 CM
  

  • PHIL127 CM - History of Metaphysics

    This class surveys the history of metaphysics. Topics covered may include: Arguments for and against the existence of God; Accounts of universals including Plato’s forms; atomism; monism; causation; the laws of nature; time; the existence of a fundamental level of reality. Also, we address arguments that metaphysics is objectionable because it is either not meaningful, knowable, of pragmatic relevance, or a symptom of a broader problem. Figures may include: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Ockham, Spinoza, Leibniz, Hume, Hegel, Nietzsche, Bradley, McTaggart, Russell, Dewey, Heidegger.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL127 CM
  

  • PHIL128 CM - The Metaphysics of Persons

    This course investigates how we should conceive of ourselves as persons. What is a person, and what is it that makes someone the same person over time? Is there such a thing as the self, and if so, can it be conceived of as a unified entity? We will also explore the relationship between the metaphysical nature of persons and various important moral, legal, medical, and psychological issues.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of instructor.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL128 CM
  

  • PHIL134 CM - Special Topics in Metaphysics and Epistemology

    This course covers special topics in metaphysics and epistemology, considered broadly to include philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and philosophy of science. The course content changes each time the course is offered.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL134 CM
  

  • PHIL135 CM - Philosophy of Mind

    An exploration of problems concerning the nature of the mind. The main topic of the course will be the mind-body problem: Is there a mind (or a soul) that is distinct from the body? Related topics include: What is the nature of consciousness? Can computers think? How can we know of the existence of other minds?

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL135 CM
  

  • PHIL136 CM - Belief, Justification, and Religion

    This course will explore various justifications that have been offered for religious belief. We will begin with a general survey of the ways in which beliefs can be justified. We will then ask whether religious belief fits one or more of these categories. We will look at traditional approaches to justifying religious belief—such as the design argument and Pascal’s wager—as well as modern approaches—such as Plantinga’s “reformed epistemology” and appeals to research on happiness. We will conclude by asking whether belief per se is really a core part of being religious.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of instructor

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL136 CM
  

  • PHIL137 CM - Skepticism

    Skepticism about a particular subject matter is the view that nothing can be known about that subject matter.  This course surveys various types of skepticism–such as external-world skepticism, religious skepticism, moral skepticism, and scientific skepticism–and the interesting relationships among them.  We will also be paying close attention to the way in which skepticism interacts with more practical matters–e.g., if you have no reason to believe that the external world exists, do you still have reason to get out of bed in the morning? 

    Prerequisite: One previous course in philosophy, or permission of the instructor.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL137 CM
  

  • PHIL138 CM - Epistemology

    Every day, we casually sort our judgments into categories. If a belief isn’t well-supported, we might say that it is just a guess. If a belief is well-supported, we might say that it is knowledge. In between, we distinguish things like hunches, educated guesses, and reasonable beliefs. These and related distinctions play a fundamental role in our personal and legal relationships. But how, exactly, should we draw these distinctions? What, for example, makes a belief reasonable as opposed to unreasonable? This course introduces students to the basics of epistemology, which seeks to refine and answer these questions.

    Prerequisite: One previous course in philosophy.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL138 CM
  

  • PHIL139 CM - Language and Reality

    An exploration of issues in the philosophy of language and, in particular, the relation between language and the world. Topics to be discussed include: the nature of meaning, the nature of thought, and the reference of proper names and definite descriptions. Readings will be drawn primarily from late 19th-century and 20th-century sources.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of instructor

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL139 CM
  

  • PHIL141 CM - Free Will, Responsibility, and Determinism

    This course focuses on philosophical issues concerning freedom of the will, responsibility and determinism. Do we have a free will? Is free will compatible with determinism? What are we doing when we deliberate about what do do? Would it make sense to believe determinism is true and yet still deliberate about what to do? What is it to hold someone responsible? Is this compatible with determinism? What is determinism? Is it true? Can punishment be justified in a manner consistent with reflection on the nature of freedom of the will, responsibility, and determinism?

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of instructor

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL141 CM
  

  • PHIL158 CM - Ethical Theory

    This course will address the question “What makes an action moral or immoral?” In the process of answering it, students will be introduced to the techniques that philosophers use to resolve ethical problems and to some of the greatest works of ethical philosophy in the Western canon, including works by Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy or permission of instructor

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL158 CM
  

  • PHIL159 CM - Metaethics

    Metaethics inquires about the nature of values and value judgments. Are values real? Imaginary? Constructed? When we judge that something is good or bad, what are we doing? Are we making testable observations? Expressing our positive and negative feelings? Asserting universal truths? Asserting culturally relative truths? Talking about fictional entities? Metaethics also inquires into the nature of moral motivation. Can we be motivated do what we believe is right just by the belief that it is right? Related topics include the nature of moral expertise, the relationship between values and reasons, and the relationship between reasons and motivation.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL159 CM
  

  • PHIL160 CM - Special Topics in Value Theory

    This course covers special topics in value theory, including special topics in ethical theory, applied ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics. Course content changes each time the course is offered.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL160 CM
  

  • PHIL164 CM - Political Philosophy: Current Debates

    The government taxes you and regulates your everyday behavior in countless ways. It claims the right to draft you into the military and may fine or jail you if you commit a crime. What, if anything, gives it the right to do these things? What are the limits on state power? What obligations does a state have to its citizens, and what obligations do citizens have to the state? In this course, we’ll look at recent work in political philosophy addressing the appropriate relationship between a state and its citizens. Readings from Rawls, Nozick, Hayek, Cohen, Sandel, and others.

    Prerequisite: One previous course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL164 CM
  

  • PHIL167 CM - Moral Psychology

    Moral psychology addresses questions at the intersection of ethics and philosophy of mind. Topics vary by semester but might include some or all of the following: Are human beings egoistic, or can they act altruistically? Are we ever motivated by reason, or are we only motivated by desire? Why do we sometimes act against our own best judgment? Do we have free will? When is it appropriate to praise and blame people for what they’ve done? What is the proper role of moral emotions such as love or shame? Does love entitle you to show preference to your loved ones?

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL167 CM
  

  • PHIL176 CM - Philosophy of Law

    Participants in this course will first examine prominent theories of law, including positivism and recent variations upon natural law and legal realist approaches. We then proceed to the study of alternative approaches to statutory (including constitutional) interpretation, theories of tort law, and theories of punishment.

    Offered: Every third year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL176 CM
  

  • PHIL177 CM - Global Ethics

    This course focuses on ethical and political issues that affect the international community. The course may concentrate on one topic or several. Sample topics include: the ethics of war, terrorism, the distribution of global wealth and poverty, business and globalization, and global environmental problems.

    Prerequisite: One previous course in philosophy

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL177 CM
  

  • PHIL178 CM - Special Topics in Philosophy

    This course covers special topics in philosophy that do not fall under the “history of philosophy” group, the “Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Philosophy of Mind” group, or the “Ethics, Political Philosophy, and Value Theory” group. Course content changes each time the course is offered.

    Prerequisite: One previous course in philosophy.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL178 CM
  

  • PHIL180 CM - Health, Measurement, and Justice

    When an insurance company decides what treatments to cover, a government decides what medical research to fund, or a charitable organization decides where to direct its resources, those decisions can determine who lives and who dies. How should such decisions be made? In this course we will look at quantitative tools, such as the QALY and DALY, increasingly being used to make policy decisions about health. We will investigate the philosophical assumptions underlying the measures and the ethical issues raised by their use. Along the way, we will discuss several general problems in the philosophy of economics. This course qualifies as a level-I elective in the economics major.

    Prerequisites: One previous course in philosophy and ECON 050 CM , or permission of instructor.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL180 CM
  

  • PHIL182 CM - Aesthetics

    Aesthetics is the philosophical study of art and beauty. The specific topics vary by term, and students should write to the instructor for more information on the course. Possible topics and questions include: What makes something a work of art? What, if anything, makes some works of art better than others? What is interpretation, and how can we properly interpret works of art? What is the relationship between art and morality? Why do we value art? Course material will typically include philosophical writings on these subjects as well as objects of art (novels, stories, paintings, musical compositions, etc.).

    Prerequisite: One previous course in philosophy

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL182 CM
  

  • PHIL183 CM - Aesthetics of Literature

    The principal question of the course is: what, if anything, makes one work of literature superior to another? Readings are varied, and may include classic and modern philosophical work on aesthetics, the reflections of authors on how best to write, and specific works of fiction. Students will be asked to examine their instincts about the merits of certain works of fiction and to determine whether those instincts can be transformed into a single coherent theory of the aesthetics of literature.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL183 CM
  

  • PHIL184 CM - Topics in Aesthetics

    Aesthetics is the philosophical study of art and beauty. Rather than surveying the entire field, this course takes up specific topics, and students may write to the instructor for more information on the specific topics in any semester. Possible topics include: Should art be publicly funded? What is the purpose of art in society and education? Can critics help us understand the value of art? How should we evaluate the aesthetics of a natural environment or a built environment like a city or garden? How should aesthetic appreciation fit into our relationships with everyday objects?

    Prerequisite: One previous course in Philosophy

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL184 CM
  

  • PHIL186 CM - Bioethics

    An exploration of ethical issues arising in the biological sciences and in the practice of medicine. Topics vary by semester, and the course might focus on the ethical issues in clinical medicine, public health, or health policy. The course may also explore controversies in bioethics such as abortion, euthanasia, human experimentation, genetic and reproductive intervention, and allocation of scarce medical resources. Intended especially but not exclusively for juniors and seniors concentrating in pre-medicine, biology, or philosophy.

    Prerequisite: one previous course in philosophy.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL186 CM
  

  • PHIL187 CM - Environmental Ethics

    An exploration of human beings’ ethical relationship to the natural environment. Topics vary by semester and may include the following: the moral standing of non-human members of the environment, pollution, the ethical dimensions of cost-benefit analysis, preservation of the wilderness, overpopulation, and climate change.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL187 CM
  

  • PHIL188 CM - Philosophy Through Science Fiction

    Philosophers have long turned to science fiction to help bring into focus the abstract ideas with which we deal. This class uses the works of Asimov, Bradbury, Dick, Heinlein, Le Guin, and Zelazny (among others) to explore some of the most fundamental philosophical problems facing humankind. Questions to be considered will be drawn from among the following: What is the moral status of machines? Can we have free will? How can we know we’re not dreaming? Is time travel conceptually coherent? What are the philosophical implications of our increasing reliance on technology?

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL188 CM
  

  • PHIL189 CM - Business Ethics

    This course introduces students to ethical and political dilemmas that arise in the practice of business. Course topics change each semester, and the course may focus on several topics or just one. Sample topics include: the reasons to practice ethical business, honesty and trust in business, integrating work and domestic life, economic justice, corporate social responsibility, ethics and technology, the ethics of advertising, international business, and environmental ethics.

    Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL189 CM
  

  • PHIL190 CM - Science, Values, and Democracy

    Scientists shouldn’t let personal or political values influence the way they measure phenomena, assess evidence, or reach conclusions, right? Recent work by scholars of science has suggested that that isn’t right - that doing good science requires making value judgments. We’ll look at the arguments for this conclusion and responses to them, then consider the ramifications for policy. Can science serve as an objective resource for policy-makers and the public if it is grounded in personal or political values? Readings drawn from historians, sociologists, and philosophers of science, plus case studies taken from climate science, toxicology, economics, and sexual assault research.

    Prerequisites: One previous PHIL course or junior/senior science major (including mathematics and social sciences).

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL190 CM
  

  • PHIL191 CM - Race and Policy

    We can all agree that racism is wrong. But, what is it that we are agreeing to when we say that and what should we do about racism and the effects racism has on the world we live in? In this course, we will explore the questions of what race, racism, and racial identity are with the goal of critically assessing various policy proposals that have been offered to address the legacy of racism.

    Offered: Occasionally

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL191 CM
  

  • PHIL198 CM - Advanced Seminar in Philosophy

    Advanced study of selected topics in philosophy. Topics and instructor rotate by semester. All CMC philosophy majors must take at least one advanced seminar, and may take multiple advanced seminars on different topics. Requires two previous courses in philosophy.

    Prerequisite: Two previous courses in philosophy

    Offered: Every Semester

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHIL198 CM
  

  • PHIL199 CM - Independent Study in Philosophy

    Students who have the necessary qualifications and who wish to investigate an area of study not covered in regularly scheduled courses may arrange for independent study under the direction of a faculty reader.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 0.5 or 1

    Course Number: PHIL199 CM

Physics
  

  • PHYS030L KS - General Physics for the Life Sciences

    A yearlong, calculus-based introductory physics course sequence with lab introducing mechanics, sound, fluids, waves, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, atomic physics, relativity, and nuclear physics. This course is designed for life science majors and others interested in the health professions. Potential physics, engineering, and chemistry majors should normally take PHYS 033L KS  and PHYS 034L KS . This course has a laboratory fee.

    Prerequisite: MATH 030 CM  or concurrent enrollment

    Offered: Every fall

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS030L KS
  

  • PHYS031L KS - General Physics for the Life Sciences

    A yearlong, calculus-based introductory physics course sequence with lab introducing mechanics, sound, fluids, waves, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, atomic physics, relativity, and nuclear physics. This course is designed for life science majors and others interested in the health professions. Potential physics, engineering, and chemistry majors should normally take PHYS 033L KS  and PHYS 034L KS . This course has a laboratory fee.

    Prerequisite: PHYS 030L KS ; MATH 030 CM  or concurrent enrollment

    Offered: Every spring

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS031L KS
  

  • PHYS033L KS - Principles of Physics

    A yearlong, calculus-based introductory physics course sequence with lab designed for potential physics, chemistry, and engineering majors. Topics include Newtonian mechanics, waves, fluids, electromagnetism (Maxwell’s equations), electrical circuits, and thermodynamics. Potential physics majors normally complete PHYS033L KS and PHYS 034L KS  in their first year. This course has a laboratory fee.

    Prerequisite or concurrent requisite: MATH 030 CM 

    Offered: Every fall

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS033L KS
  

  • PHYS034L KS - Principles of Physics

    A yearlong, calculus-based introductory physics course sequence with lab designed for potential physics, chemistry, and engineering majors. Topics include Newtonian mechanics, waves, fluids, electromagnetism (Maxwell’s equations), electrical circuits, and thermodynamics. Potential physics majors normally complete PHYS 033L KS  and PHYS034L KS in their first year. This course has a laboratory fee.

    Prerequisites: PHYS 033L KS ; MATH 031 CM  or concurrent enrollment

    Offered: Every spring

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS034L KS
  

  • PHYS035 KS - Modern Physics with Computational Applications

    An introductory modern physics course designed as a continuation of PHYS 033L KS  and PHYS 034L KS . Topics include introductory quantum mechanics, special relativity, statistical physics, and applications.

    Prerequisites: PHYS 031L KS  or PHYS 034L KS ; MATH 032 CM  or concurrent enrollment.

    Offered: Every fall

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS035 KS
  

  • PHYS100 KS - Computational Physics and Engineering

    This course is a comprehensive introduction to the application of computational techniques to physics and engineering. It provides direct experience in using computers to model physical systems and it develops a minimum set of algorithms needed to create physics and engineering simulations on a computer. Such algorithms are employed to solve nontrivial, real world problems through the investigation of seven major projects. Students will use MatLab computer mathematical software. No prior computer course is assumed.

    Prerequisites: PHYS 031L KS  or PHYS 034L KS ; MATH 030 CM , MATH 031 CM  

    Offered: Every spring

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS100 KS
  

  • PHYS101 KS - Classical Mechanics with Computational Applications

    An upper-division course in classical mechanics focused on Lagrangian mechanics, rigid-body motion, oscillator theory, accelerated reference frames, and related topics.

    Prerequisites:  PHYS 034L KS ; MATH 060 CM  or MATH 111 CM  

    Offered: Every fall

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS101 KS
  

  • PHYS102 KS - Electromagnetism

    An upper division course in electromagnetism. Topics include Maxwell’s equations, electrostatic solutions using Laplace’s and Poisson’s equations, polarization, magnetostatics, magnetization, electromagnetic waves, and electromagnetic radiation.

    Prerequisites: PHYS 035 KS ; MATH 032 CM , or permission of instructor

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS102 KS
  

  • PHYS105 KS - Computational Partial Differential Equations

    A survey with examples of modern numerical techniques for investigating a range of elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic partial differential equations central to a wide variety of applications in science, engineering, and other fields.

    Prerequisites:  Entry-level programming, differential equations, scientific computing or equivalent courses, or permission of instructor

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS105 KS
  

  • PHYS106L KS - Electronics Laboratory

    An introduction to modern electronic circuit theory and practice for the engineering or science student. Topics include electrical measurement devices, semiconductor properties, and circuits using diodes and transistors. Both analog and digital circuits will be covered. Operational and differential amplifiers will be built. This course is equivalent to PHYS128  PO.

    Prerequisites: PHYS 033L KS  and PHYS 034L KS  

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS106L KS
  

  • PHYS108 KS - Programming for Science and Engineering

    This course is a comprehensive introduction to programming using MatLab, the primary language of engineering computations. It covers control constructs, internal and external procedures, array manipulations, user-defined data structures, and recursion. These elements are used to develop some computational techniques in engineering. No prior computer experience is required.

    Offered: Every fall

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS108 KS
  

  • PHYS114 KS - Quantum Mechanics with Computational Applications

    An upper-division course in quantum mechanics using both analytical and numerical methods to solve problems. Topics include Schroedinger’s wave mechanics, Heisenberg’s matrix formulation, Dirac formalism, hydrogen model, harmonic oscillators, spin and Pauli matrices, perturbation theory.

    Prerequisites: PHYS 035 KS ; PHYS 100 KS ; MATH 060 CM  or MATH 111 CM  

    Offered: Every spring

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS114 KS
  

  • PHYS115 KS - Statistical Physics with Computational Applications

    This upper-division course focuses on statistical mechanics and thermodynamics. Topics include the laws of thermodynamics, kinetic and transport theory, quantum statistical mechanics (including micro-canonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles, Bose and Fermi statistics) and applications. Both analytical and numerical techniques will be emphasized.  

    Prerequisites: PHYS 035 KS ; PHYS 100 KS ; MATH 032 CM  

    Offered: Every fall

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS115 KS
  

  • PHYS178 KS - Biophysics

    An examination of biological systems from the point of view of classical physics, including mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism. Topics may include molecular diffusion, low-Reynolds number hydrodynamics, cooperative transitions in biomolecules, the mechanism of nerve impulses, the physics of vision and hearing, and principles of medical imaging and radiation therapy.
     

    Prerequisites: BIOL 043L KS  or BIOL 040L KS ; CHEM 014L KS  and CHEM 015L KS , or CHEM 040L KS  and CHEM 015L KS , or CHEM 029L KS ; PHYS 030L KS  and PHYS 031L KS , or PHYS 033L KS  and PHYS 034L KS ; or permission of instructor
     

    Offered: Every other spring

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS178 KS
  

  • PHYS187 KS - Special Topics in Physics

    Selected topics in contemporary physics. Topics will vary from year to year, depending on instructor. Example areas could include solid state physics, optics, material science, etc. Course may be repeated for credit (for different topics).

    Prerequisite: PHYS 035 KS  

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS187 KS
  

  • PHYS188L KS - Senior Thesis Research Project in Physics

    Seniors may apply to do laboratory or field investigation with a faculty member. The topic should be chosen by the end of the junior year. In this course, library and lab materials are developed, research begun, and seminar discussion held with faculty members and students in the field of concentration. This is the first course for students doing a two-semester senior project. Registration in this course will be followed by registration in PHYS 190L KS  . This course has a laboratory fee.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS188L KS
  

  • PHYS189L KS - Senior Thesis Summer Research Project in Physics

    Students who intend to satisfy a two-semester senior thesis project by conducting a substantial research project during the summer after their junior year should enroll in this course in the fall semester following their research. No credit towards graduation will be awarded for this course. Typically registration in this course will be followed by registration in PHYS 190L KS . Graded CR/NC.

    Offered: Every fall

    Credit: 0

    Course Number: PHYS189L KS
  

  • PHYS190L KS - Senior Thesis Research Project in Physics, Second Semester

    Senior laboratory or field investigation research is culminated and results are summarized in a written thesis and formal presentation. This is the second-semester course for those doing a two-semester research thesis. This course has a laboratory fee.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS190L KS
  

  • PHYS191 KS - One-Semester Thesis in Physics

    All students who intend to complete a one-semester thesis should enroll in this course. Students are required both to submit a substantive written thesis—which may involve experimental work, analysis of datasets previously collected by other researchers, or a critical analysis of the literature—and to make a formal presentation. Students register for this course during the semester in which the one-semester thesis is written and due.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PHYS191 KS
  

  • PHYS199 KS - Independent Study in Physics

    Students who have the necessary qualifications, and who wish to investigate in depth an area not covered in regularly scheduled courses may arrange with a faculty member for independent study under his or her direction. A limited opportunity open to all students with permission of instructor.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 0.5 or 1

    Course Number: PHYS199 KS

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)
  

  • PPE001A CM - Philosophy Seminar

    An interdisciplinary double course, seminar- and tutorial-based, that focuses on social theory, ethics, and theories of knowledge.

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PPE 001A CM
  

  • PPE001B CM - Philosophy Tutorial

    An interdisciplinary double course, seminar- and tutorial-based, that focuses on social theory, ethics, and theories of knowledge.

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PPE 001B CM
  

  • PPE011A CM - Politics Seminar

    A double course, seminar- and tutorial-based, that focuses on selected topics in policy.

    Offered: Every spring

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PPE 011A CM
  

  • PPE011B CM - Politics Tutorial

    A double course, seminar- and tutorial-based, that focuses on selected topics in policy.

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PPE 011B CM
  

  • PPE110A CM - Economics Seminar

    A double course, seminar- and tutorial-based, that focuses on selected topics in economic theory and public policy.

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PPE 110A CM
  

  • PPE110B CM - Economics Tutorial

    A double course, seminar- and tutorial-based, that focuses on selected topics in economic theory and public policy.

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PPE 110B CM

Political Studies
  
  
  
  

  • POST174 CH - US Immigration Policy

    See Pitzer College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: POST174 CH
  

  • POST198 CH - God in the Barrio

    See Pitzer College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: POST198 CH

Politics
  

  • POLI060 PO - Global Politics of Food and Agriculture

    See Pomona College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: POLI060 PO
  

  • POLI061 PO - Global Politics of Water

    See Pomona College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: POLI061 PO
  

  • POLI136 PO - Environmental Justice and Policy

    See Pomona College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: POLI136 PO
  

  • POLI143 SC - Civil Liberties and Fundamental Rights

    See Scripps College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: POLI143 SC
  

  • POLI144 SC - Legal Storytelling and the Rule of Law

    See Scripps College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: POLI144 SC

Portuguese
  

  • PONT100 CM - Introduction to Brazilian Literature and Culture

    This is an introductory course, in English, designed to give students a general view of Brazilian culture, from Colonial times to the present. We begin each historical period with a general background that will allow us to analyze different cultural expressions (literary texts, films, architecture, photography and music) in their original context. The course focuses on several overarching topics, including the creation of the modern Brazilian nation, the cultural encounters between indigenous, Portuguese, and African peoples, and its complex political history. Given that Brazil has such a vast territory, we will also focus on different regions and their contributions to the country’s cultural richness.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PONT100 CM
  

  • PORT001 CM - Introductory Portuguese I

    PORT001  CM is the first of a two-semester introductory sequence in Brazilian Portuguese for true beginners, with no previous experience with Romance languages. This course uses a communicative approach to language learning with an emphasis on interactive activities. Students will develop conversational skills, give short oral presentations, produce written descriptive and narrative paragraphs and work on listening and reading comprehension in Portuguese.

    Offered: Every other year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PORT001 CM
  

  • PORT002 CM - Introductory Portuguese II

    PORT002  CM is the second part of a two-semester sequence at a novice level in Brazilian Portuguese. The course will be taken by students who have already taken PORT 001 CM . It uses a communicative approach to language learning with an emphasis on interactive and task-based activities, without forgetting important grammar points. Students will develop more advanced conversational skills, give oral presentations, write short essays of different types and work on listening and reading comprehension.

    Prerequisite: PORT 001 CM  or equivalent. May not be taken concurrently with or after PORT 022 CM .

    Offered: Every other spring

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PORT002 CM
  

  • PORT022 CM - Intensive Introductory Portuguese

    Designed for beginning students with some knowledge of Spanish or another Romance languages. Builds on the similarities and differences between both languages in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation for speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.  Students will complete the equivalent of a year’s study of Portuguese. Includes laboratory work. Letter grade only.

    Prerequisite: Previous study of Spanish, French, Italian, or Latin.

    Offered: Every fall

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PORT022 CM
  

  • PORT033 CM - Intermediate Portuguese

    A continuation of PORT 022 CM . Review and reinforcement of basic skills. Emphasis on conversation, reading and writing. Course includes a tutorial session each week. Letter grade only.

    Prerequisite: PORT 022 CM  or equivalent.

    Offered: Every spring

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PORT033 CM
  

  • PORT044 CM - Advanced Portuguese

    An advanced Portuguese course designed to develop skills in the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking in cultural context. It seeks to accomplish a more thorough comprehension of Portuguese through a detailed review of the more complex elements of the language, including irregular verb forms in all tenses, the differences between the imperfect and the preterite tenses, the subjunctive mood, personal infinitives, ser vs. estar, etc. It also focuses on extended forms of communication, such as readings from Brazilian literature and culture, frequent compositions, and oral presentations and conversations.

    Prerequisite: PORT 033 CM 

    Offered: Every year

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PORT044 CM

Psychology
  

  • PSYC012 AF - Introduction to African American Psychology

    See Pitzer College Catalog for course description.

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PSYC012 AF
  

  • PSYC030 CM - Introduction to Psychology

    A survey of the major areas of scientific psychology including such topics as perception, learning, motivation, child development, personality, social behavior, and abnormal psychology.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PSYC030 CM
  

  • PSYC037 CM - Organizational Psychology

    Applies psychological theory and research to problems of work and other organizations. Topics include individual motivation and satisfaction, group dynamics and productivity, leadership, organizational structure, and the effects of external environments on internal organizational processes.

    Offered: Every semester

    Credit: 1

    Course Number: PSYC037 CM
 

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