What's your philosophical personality?

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What's your philosophical personality?

Take our quiz to find out. Then we'll match you with some classes.

For more info, visit our website or e-mail us at philosophy [at] csun [dot] edu.

First, pick your path:

I'd like to take the quiz to figure out my type.

Just show me the possible results; I want to explore on my own.

Just show me Philosophy classes in the GE

Pick a GE category.

A3: Critical Thinking

B4: Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning

B5: Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning, Upper Division

C1: Arts

C2: Humanities

C3: U.S. History (American Institutions)

D1: Social Sciences

E: Lifelong Learning

F: Comparative Cultural Studies/Gender, Race, Class, and Ethnicity Studies, and Foreign Languages

IC: Information Competence

Click on a philosophical personality type to learn more.

The Logician

The Historian

The Epistemologist

The Metaphysician

The Activist

The Existentialist

The Ethicist

The Aesthete

The Seeker

The Investigator

The Philosopher of Mind

The Cultural Critic

Let's get started. It's early in the morning. What are you doing?

Contemplating the miseries of existence

Staring at the clock and wondering if time is real

Watching the sunrise

Reading

Catching up on the news

Lying in bed, wondering how you can tell you're awake and not still dreaming

Working on some Sudoku puzzles over a cup of coffee

Meditating

Analyzing your dreams

Thinking back, what was your favorite class in High School?

Literature

Art

History

Computer Science

Science

Math

Religion

Physical Education

Social Studies

Now thinking ahead, pick a dream job...

Astronaut

Librarian

Painter

Animal cognition researcher

Judge

Book critic

Community organizer

Video game designer

Spiritual leader

Private detective

Roboticist

Mathematician

Podcaster

Teacher

Novelist

It's the weekend! Where can we find you?

Spending time in nature

Watching TV or movies

Playing sports or games

Computer programming

Doing puzzles

Curling up with a good book

Engaging in political activism

Going to Church, Temple, etc.

Making art

You've got some downtime. Pick a movie.

Get Out

Ex Machina

Elvis

Inside Out

The Dark Knight

Gravity

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Glass Onion

The Matrix

Now, pick a TV show.

Euphoria

Outer Banks

The Good Place

Rick & Morty

Stranger Things

Westworld

Russian Doll

I'd rather read

I'd rather play video games

Let's take a vacation! Where do you want to go?

Paris

Greece

Silicon Valley

Oxford

Boston

Tibet

Italy

Tokyo

The Galapagos

Ok. Now let's dig a little deeper. Choose your preferred form of immortality.

Please upload my consciousness to the cloud

I'm not worried about immortality, since I will always exist somewhere in the multiverse

Immortality is not desirable; the finiteness of life is what gives it meaning

I'd like to live this exact same life on a constant, eternal loop

I plan on leaving my mortal body behind and entering the afterlife

I'd like to achieve immortality by doing something that people will remember

Pick a question:

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

How?

You meet an all-powerful being, but you can only ask them one thing. Which question would you choose?

Does life have an ultimate purpose?

What does it mean to know something?

What is justice?

What is beauty?

Are we living in a simulation?

Is there life elsewhere in the universe?

Is matter conscious?

What makes an action ultimately right or wrong?

Can you outlive your body?

Almost done! Pick a quote:

“The unexamined life is not worth living”—Socrates

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty”—John Keats

“Everything that exists is born for no reason, carries on living through weakness, and dies by accident”—Jean-Paul Sartre

“Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it”—Karl Marx

“He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions”—Confucius

“Morality is not the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but of how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness”—Immanuel Kant

“The mind is furnished with ideas by experience alone”—John Locke

“Science is what you know. Philosophy is what you don't know”—Bertrand Russell

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."—Albert Einstein

Last question! You're hosting a dinner party. Who do you want to join you (choose as many as you'd like)?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Beyoncé

Dr. Frankenstein

Socrates

Wednesday Addams

Angela Davis

Ralph Waldo Emerson

William Shakespeare

Dora the Explorer

Sherlock Holmes

Albert Einstein

BoJack Hoseman

Leonardo Da Vinci

Confucius

Gandhi

Lewis Carroll

Frederick Douglass

Greta Thunberg

The Logician

You're way more comfortable with numbers and symbols than paintings or poems. You do love a good riddle, though, and probably get a kick out of puzzles and games. Maybe you've already put your logical skills to practical use; formal logic is the foundation of modern computer programming, after all.

Based on your personality type, here are some courses we offer at CSUN that we think you might like: PHIL 100: General Logic (we also offer an accelerated version called PHIL 200: Critical Reasoning); PHIL 135: Reasoning with Numbers, PHIL 230: Introduction to Formal Logic; or, if you're feeling a bit more ambitious: PHIL 445: Philosophy of Language.

Ready to branch out a bit? How about PHIL 210: Reasoning in the Sciences or PHIL 250: Philosophy of Technology

By the way, as a Logician you're in good company: People with this personality type include the Greek mathematician Pythagoras, the mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing, and Lewis Carroll (the author of Alice in Wonderland).

But hey! Humans are complex! You are also:

{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #11 percent} The Cultural Critic
{result #12 percent} The Philosopher of Mind

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types! Then, if you're interested in exploring that complexity in the classroom, how about PHIL 150: Introduction to Philosophical Thinking?

The Historian

You're interested in ideas: Where they come from, how they circulate, who they influence, how they have been put into action. Your friends know to find you in the dark corners of the library or wandering the stacks in your local bookstore.

We get it! Books are exciting, and can even be a little bit dangerous: They have sparked revolutions, founded new nations, and liberated the oppressed. Between their covers (nothing like the smell of an old book!) are radical ideas that can transport you around the world and back in time.

Here are some journeys through the history of philosophy we invite you on at CSUN:

Start with PHIL 201: Ancient Philosophy (after all, the British philosopher A.N. Whitehead once said that all of European philosophy consists in "a series of footnotes to Plato"). Then, follow it up with PHIL 401: Advanced Ancient Philosophy. Next, PHIL 202: Modern Philosophy will take you through the European Englightenment (and you can follow it up with PHIL 402: Advanced Modern Philosophy for a deeper dive).

Are you more interested in the ideas that shaped the American Revolution? that helped end slavery? that guided the Civil Rights movements of the 20th century? Try PHIL 317: History of American Philosophy; then see how many of the core American ideals (democracy, pluralism, community) have their roots in Native American thought by taking PHIL 333: American Indian Philosophy.

You should also include histories and ideas from outside the West! Try PHIL 343: Indian Philosophy or PHIL 344: Chinese Philosophy. Then, when you decide you want to take a closer look at the present, you can follow with PHIL 349: Contemporary Social and Political Issues.

While you're a Historian at heart, though, you are also:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #11 percent} The Philosopher of Mind
{result #12 percent} The Cultural Critic

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types! If you're interested in exploring that complexity, you could always start with PHIL 150: Introduction to Philosophical Thinking and take things from there...

The Epistemologist

Socrates famously said that the only thing he knew for sure was that he knew nothing. You get where he was coming from. You think a lot about what it means to know something: What counts as knowlege? Who counts as a knower? Can we know something through reason alone? Is there even such a thing as "objective truth"?

The good news is that these questions are posed in one of the core areas of philosophical thinking: Epistemology. Join us in exploring them in PHIL 150: Introduction to Philosophical Thinking, PHIL 350: Epistemology, and PHIL 450: Advanced Epistemology.

We also think you'll find a lot to like in PHIL 200: Critical Reasoning, PHIL 210: Reasoning in the Sciences, PHIL 330: Philosophy of Science, and PHIL 355: Philosophy of Mind.

That's because Epistemology connects to a lot of other areas of philosophy. It's also because you are:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #11 percent} The Philosopher of Mind
{result #12 percent} The Cultural Critic

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types!

The Metaphysician

Do you ever lie awake at night wondering about the ultimate nature of reality? Do you ever ask yourself if numbers are real, whether we have free will, or if time travel is possible? Do you sometimes wonder what makes you... you?

This is the stuff that gets you sent over to our Department because you're making trouble in your physics class. So, why not join a long list of trouble-makers, from Buddha to Niels Bohr, by enrolling in PHIL 352: Metaphysics (and then PHIL 452: Advanced Metaphysics)? You might also like; PHIL 350: Epistemology, PHIL 355: Philosophy of Mind and PHIL 343: Indian Philosophy

But don't stop there, because you are also:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #11 percent} The Philosopher of Mind
{result #12 percent} The Cultural Critic

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types!

The Activist

The rich tradition of scholar-activism goes back to Socrates and Diogenes. As the philosopher, linguist, and activist Noam Chomsky said: “It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and to expose lies,” and philosophy is our sharpest tool.

Using that tool, philosophers over millennia have transformed human societies (Confucianism), built Utopian communities (the transcendentalists), advocated the rights of women (Mary Wollstonecraft), and defended their liberty in times of slavery (Ottobah Cugoano). They have also reformed education systems (John Dewey), advocated for laws against racial terror (Ida B. Wells) and capital punishment (John Stuart Mill), exposed the logic of fascism (Hannah Arendt) and white supremacy (Charles Mills), and transformed our understanding of sex and gender (Judith Butler). It's no wonder that some of the most important political activists of the 20th century (Martin Luther King, Jr., Angela Davis, Cornel West) earned their graduate degrees in philosophy.

So, where can you start?

We have a range of core social and political philosophy classes, starting with 365: Social and Political Philosophy and PHIL 349: Contemporary Social and Political Issues. We also recommend PHIL 348: Philosophy and Feminism and PHIL 391: Philosophy of Law. You can follow those up with advanced courses like PHIL 446: Advanced Social and Political Philosophy and PHIL 406: Philosophy of Sex, Gender, and Sexuality.

You'll also find political themes and questions running throughout PHIL 201: Ancient Philosophy, PHIL 317: History of American Philosophy and PHIL 333: American Indian Philosophy.

But don't stop there! In addition to being an Activist, you are also:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #11 percent} The Philosopher of Mind
{result #12 percent} The Cultural Critic

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types!

The Existentialist

Let's face it, you think about death. A lot. Is there an ultimate purpose to human existence? Are we alone in a cold, meaningless universe? A naturally inquisitive person, you're obsessed with the really big questions—about responsibility, freedom, the human condition.

As philosophers, we know these questions can bring up a lot of anxiety. But it's nothing that a strong cup of coffee and a good novel can't help you through. May we recommend The Stranger, by the great existentialist writer Albert Camus, or Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment? Or how about enrolling in PHIL 353: Existentialism, followed up with PHIL 354: Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, which focuses on two of the most important existentialists of the 19th century. Or, if you're looking for an advanced course, try PHIL 423: Continental Philosophy or PHIL 439: Phenomenology, two traditions associated with great existentialist thinkers like Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre.

But play around a bit, too! Because you are also:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #11 percent} The Philosopher of Mind
{result #12 percent} The Cultural Critic

Maybe PHIL 180: Human Nature and the Meaning of Life? We also think you might like PHIL 314: Philosophy of Film and Literature, since both are excellent mediums for exploring existentialist themes.

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types!

The Ethicist

You have an intuitive sense of justice and fairness, and your friends always seem to come to you for advice. But you have questions, too: What makes an action right or wrong? What obligations do we have to one another? What is the source of moral value? When faced with an ethical dilemma, how should you act?

The good news is, we can help! Come join us in PHIL 360: Ethical Theory (and its advanced companion course, PHIL 460: Advanced Ethical Theory). Then explore our range of applied ethics courses, including:

PHIL 165: Today's Moral Issues
PHIL 305: Business Ethics and Public Policy
PHIL 265: Medical Ethics
PHIL 240: Environmental Ethics
PHIL 260: Sexual Ethics

After that, you'll want to explore more facets of your philosophical personality. After all, you are also:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #11 percent} The Philosopher of Mind
{result #12 percent} The Cultural Critic

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types!

The Aesthete

A beautiful work of art, a moving poem, just the right bar of music... they've been known to stop you in your tracks. You find beauty in nature as much as in art, and you're interested in the transformative possibilities of painting, sculpture, theater, and literature. From wabi sabi to expressionism, Aesthetes like you are interested in what we find beautiful and meaningful, and in how the things around us invigorate our senses.

But what, exactly, is beauty? Can there be objective judgments of taste? How can we be so moved by things—like a tragic novel or a horror film—that we know aren't real? Does art lie? Come explore these and other questions with us in PHIL 314: Philosophy of Film and Literature and PHIL 380: Aesthetics.

But don't stop there! We also think you'll enjoy PHIL 170: Philosophy and Popular Culture (where you can philosophize about things like comics and television shows—after all, not all art is "high art"!) or PHIL 180: Human Nature and the Meaning of Life, where we'll discuss enduring questions of human meaning and value—precisely the sorts of things we often try to preserve or express in works of art. Last, we think you'd enjoy PHIL 240: Environmental Ethics—a chance to explore our relationship with the natural world—and PHIL 280: Philosophy of Sport and Games, where you will spend time discussing the aesthetics of sports and games.

But hey! Humans are complex! You are also:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #11 percent} The Philosopher of Mind
{result #12 percent} The Cultural Critic

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types!

The Seeker

The questions that keep you up at night are the really big ones: Is there a God? Does life have a purpose? What is a person? Is this all there is? Your friends will often find you staring up at the stars and asking yourself, "What does it all mean?"

Good news! This makes you something of a natural philosopher: Your big question is usually just some version of... why?

So, here's a plan! We recommend you start out with PHIL 180: Human Nature and the Meaning of Life. Then, try PHIL 337: Philosophy of Religion and PHIL 343: Indian Philosophy. After that, you can round out your curriculum with PHIL 353: Existentialism or PHIL 354: Kierkegaard and Nietzsche.

But remember that philosophy is never short on questions; you'll want to keep exploring. To guide your explorations, bear in mind that you are:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #11 percent} The Philosopher of Mind
{result #12 percent} The Cultural Critic

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types!

The Investigator

One thing you've always liked about science is that it's guided by a method. You like systems and rigor and structure. In the end, though, what you're looking for is truth. If there's something to be found out, you're interested in finding it. Like a philosophical detective, you're always on the case: searching for the basic building blocks of reality, the essence of material entities, the structure of good reasoning, the solution to a logical puzzle, or the nature of the human condition.

Based on your philosophical personality, we think you will feel right at home in PHIL 210: Reasoning in the Sciences and PHIL 330: Philosophy of Science. We also think you'll like PHIL 325: Philosophy of Biology, PHIL 350: Epistemology, and PHIL 495: Advanced Philosophy of the Sciences.

But hey! Humans are complex! You are also:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #11 percent} The Philosopher of Mind
{result #12 percent} The Cultural Critic

How about PHIL 150: Introduction to Philosophical Thinking to get a feel for a range of areas that you can explore?

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types!

The Philosopher of Mind

Robots! Cyborgs! Zombies! You think a lot about consciousness and the human mind... or is it the brain? Are they the same thing? You're not quite sure... But you're a fan of movies like Blade Runner and Ex Machina, and when you're with your friends, you like to debate questions like whether there can be a truly intelligent artificial intelligence, what it's like for animals to perceive, and whether you need a body in order to think.

We have good news! You're already thinking about some of the basic issues in philosophy of mind, one of the core areas of contemporary philosophy. Why not take a class at CSUN? We offer PHIL 355: Philosophy of Mind and PHIL 455: Advanced Philosophy of Mind.

We think you will also enjoy PHIL 250: Philosophy of Technology, PHIL 350: Epistemology, and PHIL 352: Metaphysics. Or, for something a little bit different, how about PHIL 439: Phenomenology, which centers on the study of conscious experience from the first-person perspective? And if you're interested in the history of philosophy of mind, including debates about mechanical life in the early modern era, maybe try out PHIL 202: Modern Philosophy.

But there's a lot more for you to explore! Don't forget, you are also:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #12 percent} The Cultural Critic

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types!

Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still

The Cultural Critic

You're fascinated by culture in all its forms—in so-called 'high' and 'low' art, in human behavior and political action, in our institutions and values. In fact, what excites you most about philosophy is that it can be a tool for analyzing and understanding your world. This puts you in good company. Friedrich Nietzsche called himself a cultural critic.

Today, philosophers think about human culture and values in all its modes: We analyze comics and video games and drag shows; we try to understand the formation of social movements and the uses of anger in politics. The German philosopher Thodor Adorno once wrote a whole essay about the astrology column of The LA Times (he was not a fan!).

At CSUN, the best classes for exploring this kind of work are:

PHIL 170: Philosophy and Popular Culture
PHIL 250: Philosophy of Technology
PHIL 260: Sexual Ethics
PHIL 280: Philosophy of Sport and Games
PHIL 406: Philosophy of Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
PHIL 423: Continental Philosophy

(We think you'd also probably enjoy PHIL 165: Today's Moral Issues and PHIL 349: Contemporary Social and Political Issues.)

You can then turn your critical eye on other domains, since, in addition to being a Cultural Critic, you are also:

{result #1 percent} The Logician
{result #2 percent} The Historian
{result #3 percent} The Epistemologist
{result #4 percent} The Metaphysician
{result #5 percent} The Activist
{result #6 percent} The Existentialist
{result #7 percent} The Ethicist
{result #8 percent} The Aesthete
{result #9 percent} The Seeker
{result #10 percent} The Investigator
{result #11 percent} The Philosopher of Mind

Go back to the start of the quiz to explore these other philosophical types!

A3: Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is at the core of Philosophy. In fact, honing the ability to think critically about and reflect on yourself and the world around you is one of the greatest benefits of a Philosophy degree. To entice you into our field, we offer the following classes that satisfy CSUN's Critical Thinking requirement in GE:

PHIL 100: General Logic (4) Study of deductive and inductive inferences. Attention to formal and informal fallacies and the relations of logic and language. Emphasis on critical thinking and the attainment of skill in it.
PHIL 200: Critical Reasoning (3) Examination of the relationship between logic and language. Accelerated introduction to the concepts essential to the identification, analysis and evaluation of arguments, with attention to deduction, induction and common fallacies. Emphasis on the application of these concepts.
PHIL 210: Reasoning in the Sciences (3) Concepts, methods, and limitations involved in the systematic procedures of empirical inquiry in the sciences and in ordinary thought, such as probability, measurement, causal relations, statistical inference, and the concepts of law and theory.
PHIL 225: Evolutionary Reasoning (3) This course introduces basic concepts and skills of critical reasoning and scientific reasoning in the context of reasoning about evolution. These include argument identification, argument analysis, and argument evaluation. Key ideas in evolutionary thinking are also introduced. This course emphasizes the attainment of skills applied in evolutionary reasoning.
PHIL 230 Introduction to Formal Logic (3) Introduction to modern deductive logic, including propositional logic and theory of quantification.

C1: Arts

One of the core areas of philosophy—aesthetics—concerns the nature of the arts, and addresses questions like: What is beauty? What is an aesthetic judgment? What is the relationship between art and reality? Does art lie? Plus, countless films and novels explore philosophical themes, from personal identity (Memento) to cloning (Never Let Me Go), from inequality (The Dark Knight, Parasite) to the nature of time (Interstellar, Arrival).

Come explore these and other topics in the following course, which satisfies the Arts requirement of GE:

PHIL 314: Philosophy of Film and Literature (3) Investigation of philosophical concepts and problems relating to and expressed through film and literature.

C2: Humanities

A core discipline in the Humanities, philosophy questions everything! You can satisfy your C2 requirement at CSUN with a wide range of classes at the lower- and upper-division levels.

Check out the options below:

PHIL 150: Introduction to Philosophical Thought (3) Introduction to philosophy emphasizing the concepts of knowledge, reality and mind, with attention to such topics as skepticism, dogmatism, common sense, materialism, mind-body dualism, the existence of God and free will.
PHIL 165: Today's Moral Issues (3) Philosophical examination of a range of today’s moral issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, the environment, war and world hunger.
PHIL 170: Philosophy and Popular Culture (3) In this course, students will examine philosophical themes within popular culture, and will use philosophy to investigate how they relate to popular culture.
PHIL 180: Human Nature and the Meaning of Life (3) Examines a variety of theories of human nature. Students in the course will discuss how those theories answer questions like: “What are we? Why are we here; what is the meaning of life?” Students in the course will come to understand these theories, learn to critically examine them, and try to determine what implications the theories have for our conception of ourselves and for our conception of a good or happy or meaningful life.
PHIL 201: Ancient Philosophy (3) Critical examination of selected topics in ancient Western philosophic thought, with attention to the pervasive influence of Plato and Aristotle.
PHIL 202: Modern Philosophy (3) Critical examination of topics in modern philosophic thought selected from the writings of such figures as Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume and Kant.
PHIL 240: Environmental Ethics (3) Examines the meaning and value of nature and the environment from a variety of ethical perspectives, including feminist and de-colonial perspectives. Questions can include: How should human beings relate to the natural world? How can we build sustainable interactions with the natural world? Do we have moral obligations toward non-human animals and other parts of nature? What do we owe to other beings, including future generations, with respect to the environment? In the face of catastrophic climate change, is it moral to procreate or to eat meat?
PHIL 250: Philosophy of Technology (3) Introduction to the main issues in philosophy of technology, including the nature of technology, the distinction between technology and science, technology and values, the relationship between technology and society, and feminist approaches to the philosophy of technology. Applied issues to be addressed in this course may include: technology and the environment, the digital divide, the ethics of information technology, transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and existential risk.
PHIL 260: Sexual Ethics (3) Examination of some of the ethical issues in sexual conduct.
PHIL 265: Medical Ethics (3) Introduction to the main issues in medical ethics including debates over reproduction, genetics, medical research, health policy, resource allocation, and clinical relationships.
PHIL 280: Philosophy of Sport (3) This course is an introduction to the philosophy of sport, and through the philosophy of sport an introduction to the history and central questions of philosophy. Topics to be discussed may include the nature of play, games, and sport; the morality of sports, gamesmanship, and athletic enhancement; the relationships among gender, dis/ability, and athleticism; and the relationship between sports and art.
PHIL 314: Philosophy of Film and Literature (3) Investigation of philosophical concepts and problems relating to and expressed through film and literature.
PHIL 325: Philosophy of Biology (3) The course addresses philosophical issues central to biological sciences, including the creation/evolution debate and other social implications of contemporary biological theories. It also introduces basic concepts in philosophy of science, such as demarcation, scientific explanation and the scientific method, which are necessary for examining the above issues.
PHIL 330: Philosophy of Science (3) Analysis of the concepts reality, knowledge, mind and theory that attempts to answer the question: What is the character of the scientific picture of human beings and nature?
PHIL 337: Philosophy of Religion (3) Examination of the conceptual problems religious claims pose and arguments regarding knowledge of God, evil, miracles, death and survival, religious experience, religion and morals, faith and reason. Regular written assignments will be required.
PHIL 349: Contemporary Social and Political Issues (3) Philosophical examination of the concepts, values and arguments relevant to understanding and evaluating practical social and political issues central to current public debates concerning such matters as civil and political rights, social and economic inequality, the environment, biotechnology, economic policy and global trade, and the national defense.
PHIL 353: Existentialism (3) Study of representative works of the major existentialists, with the aim of discovering the fundamental tenets of existentialism. Emphasis placed on existentialism’s influence on and relevance to contemporary thought. Regular written assignments will be required.
PHIL 354: Kierkegaard and Nietzsche (3) Widely acknowledged as forefathers of existentialist philosophy, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche are among the most important figures of 19th-century European thought. This course takes a close look at their lives and writings, comparing their views on issues of central importance to both thinkers. Questions addressed in this course may include: What is the role of the individual in society? What does it mean to lead a meaningful life? What is the relation between science and religion? Is there such a thing as objective truth?

B4: Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning

There are a lot of exciting intersections of philosophy and math. Our contribution to this GE category concerns how mathematical and critical reasoning intertwine.

PHIL 135: Reasoning with Numbers (3) How is our everyday understanding of the world shaped by our encounters with data? How do you calculate a risk? Can numbers lie? This course is a critical assessment of the uses and misuses of numbers in popular media and everyday life. Students will learn how to handle quantitative data visually and creatively and will practice critical reasoning to assess how the language of math can be used to inform and mislead. Special attention is paid to quantitative and statistical reasoning in media, politics, health, and finance.

B5: Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning, Upper Division

The lines between philosophy and science have been blurry at least since Aristotle wrote a treatise on the parts of animals. In fact, some of the most revolutionary figures in the history of science—from Francis Bacon to Thomas Kuhn—have been trained philosophers. For a philosophical take on the upper-division Science requirement, try:

PHIL 325: Philosophy of Biology (3) The course addresses philosophical issues central to biological sciences, including the creation/evolution debate and other social implications of contemporary biological theories. It also introduces basic concepts in philosophy of science, such as demarcation, scientific explanation and the scientific method, which are necessary for examining the above issues.

C3: U.S. History (American Institutions)

Ideas can change history, so enroll in the following C3 course to explore some "home-grown" philosophical ideas, methods, and traditions. You'll also examine the philosophical foundations of our most enduring instituions and ideals.

PHIL 317: History of American Philosophy An introduction to the history of American philosophy with an emphasis on American pragmatism and its intellectual precursors, especially in Native- and African-American thought. Key themes include the relationship between the individual and community, pluralism and democracy, economic and social freedom, and the pragmatic conception of truth and meaning, with an emphasis on how diverse philosophies of resistance and social critique have shaped American institutions and ideals. Attention is also paid to the contemporary landscape of American political philosophy.

E: Lifelong Learning

In many senses, philosophy is a way of life. It changes how you see the world around you and how you understand your ultimate place in it. We offer a number of classes that we think are likely to be relevant even after your time here at CSUN has come to an end. For the ones that fulfill the section E requirement of GE, check out:

PHIL 180: Human Nature and the Meaning of Life (3) Examines a variety of theories of human nature. Students in the course will discuss how those theories answer questions like: “What are we? Why are we here; what is the meaning of life?” Students in the course will come to understand these theories, learn to critically examine them, and try to determine what implications the theories have for our conception of ourselves and for our conception of a good or happy or meaningful life.
PHIL 250: Philosophy of Technology (3) Introduction to the main issues in philosophy of technology, including the nature of technology, the distinction between technology and science, technology and values, the relationship between technology and society, and feminist approaches to the philosophy of technology. Applied issues to be addressed in this course may include: technology and the environment, the digital divide, the ethics of information technology, transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and existential risk.
PHIL 260: Sexual Ethics (3) Examination of some of the ethical issues in sexual conduct.
PHIL 265: Medical Ethics (3) Introduction to the main issues in medical ethics including debates over reproduction, genetics, medical research, health policy, resource allocation, and clinical relationships.
PHIL 280: Philosophy of Sport (3) This course is an introduction to the philosophy of sport, and through the philosophy of sport an introduction to the history and central questions of philosophy. Topics to be discussed may include the nature of play, games, and sport; the morality of sports, gamesmanship, and athletic enhancement; the relationships among gender, dis/ability, and athleticism; and the relationship between sports and art.

PHIL 305: Business Ethics and Public Policy (3) Application of the insights and methods of moral philosophy to a practical examination of contemporary moral problems and normative issues of public policy concerning the conduct and responsibilities of individuals and firms in business and the organization and role of business and economic institutions in society. Regular written assignments are required.
PHIL 337: Philosophy of Religion (3) Examination of the conceptual problems religious claims pose and arguments regarding knowledge of God, evil, miracles, death and survival, religious experience, religion and morals, faith and reason. Regular written assignments will be required.

F: Comparative Cultural Studies/Gender, Race, Class, and Ethnicity Studies, and Foreign Languages

Philosophy is essentially as old as civilization itself. And philosophers have lived and transformed their communities all over the world, not just here at home. The following classes give a taste of a range of philosophical traditions, both East and West, you can study at CSUN:

PHIL 333: American Indian Philosophy (3) A survey of American Indian philosophy from issues arising out of oral traditions, to early colonial Indigenous impacts on American democracy and pragmatism, to recent work on knowledge, value, and being as well as applied issues such as sovereignty and the environment.
PHIL 343: Indian Philosophy (3) Survey of Indian philosophy from the Vedic period to the modern era, with attention to relationships between India’s philosophies, history and culture.
PHIL 344: Chinese Philosophy (3) Survey of Chinese philosophy from Confucius to the People’s Republic, with attention to relationships between China’s philosophies, history and culture. Regular written assignments required.
PHIL 348: Philosophy and Feminism (3) Philosophical analysis of the concept woman in contemporary U.S. culture and other central concepts in feminist thought, including the nature of oppression, equality and justice, and relationships between sex, gender and sexuality. A critical study of philosophical issues in feminism.

IC: Information Competence

In addition to fulfilling various subject area requirements, the following Philosophy courses have the bonus of being designated IC:

PHIL 165: Today's Moral Issues (3) Philosophical examination of a range of today’s moral issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, the environment, war and world hunger.
PHIL 280: Philosophy of Sport (3) This course is an introduction to the philosophy of sport, and through the philosophy of sport an introduction to the history and central questions of philosophy. Topics to be discussed may include the nature of play, games, and sport; the morality of sports, gamesmanship, and athletic enhancement; the relationships among gender, dis/ability, and athleticism; and the relationship between sports and art.
PHIL 349: Contemporary Social and Political Issues (3) Philosophical examination of the concepts, values and arguments relevant to understanding and evaluating practical social and political issues central to current public debates concerning such matters as civil and political rights, social and economic inequality, the environment, biotechnology, economic policy and global trade, and the national defense.

D1: Social Sciences

Philosophers engage closely with the social sciences, including examining issues that lie at the foundations of various social scientific fields: What is a law? What is a person? What is a right? The following classes satisfy the Social Science requirement of GE:

PHIL 305: Business Ethics and Public Policy (3) Application of the insights and methods of moral philosophy to a practical examination of contemporary moral problems and normative issues of public policy concerning the conduct and responsibilities of individuals and firms in business and the organization and role of business and economic institutions in society. Regular written assignments are required.
PHIL 391: Philosophy of Law (3) An overview of philosophical questions arising from the analysis and evaluation of concepts and theories connected with law, including the nature of judicial reasoning and the relationship between law and society. Addresses major theories in normative jurisprudence, including legal formalism, legal realism, legal positivism, Natural Law theory, and/or critical legal studies with attention to their historical and contemporary social context(s). Questions may include: What is justice? What does it mean to be a responsible agent? Must we obey the law? What is the nature of judicial authority?