Chabot College
Course Outline for Philosophy 1
GOD, NATURE, HUMAN NATURE
November 1993
Changed to Philosophy 50
Fall 2006
Catalog Description:
1 - God, Nature, Human Nature
3 units
Nature and range of philosophical inquiry in relation to everyday problems of humans as individuals,
as citizen, as existing in nature, and as a creator of works of the arts and of the spirit. Analysis of
primary philosophical documents that concentrate on these broad areas of a human's concerns.
Introduction to Philosophy by the Philosophers' own works, their methods of procedure and inquiry;
attention given to the development of skills for reading, analyzing, and pursuing philosophical
argument. NOTE: Philosophy 2, 4 and 25 are also introductory courses and may be taken before
Philosophy 1 if a more detailed examination of ethical problems, the theory of knowledge, or political
philosophy is desired. 3 hours.
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course, the student should:
1. have been brought into close contact with traditional areas of philosophic discourse through the
reading, analyzing, and discussion of major philosophical statements about humans, society,
nature, the arts and the spirit;
2. have been exposed to the methods of philosophical inquiry, as demonstrated in particular works
of consequence, in order to give the student experience in following through logical arguments to
their conclusion.
Course Content:
1. Method(s) of inquiry used to philosophize about ideas rather than through books of explanation or
paraphrase.
2. Insight into philosophy by way of various philosophers' own "statements" or works.
3. Reading, analyzing, and investigating primary works chosen for their clarity of exposition, their
importance to the understanding of philosophical ideas, and their intrinsic "meaning."
4. Basic works may range from the standard classical philosophies to more current statements but
always with the criterion of selection being their own integrity.
NOTE: This General Introduction to Philosophy is to be three-fold in nature:
1. First, and most importantly, the experience of direct immediate contact with the work itself—the
concepts, methods, and procedures of individual philosophers—how the philosopher proceeds,
the logic of inquiry;
2. Secondly, by a loose organization of the works into fundamental "problem" areas (i.e., moralsocial inquiries, the search for truth, the nature of being or God, etc.) the interrelationships of the
works themselves as well as a human's continuing concern with certain basic issues;
3. Third, and finally, some "historical" grasp of the progression and continuing attempts of an
inquiring human to solve the problems of his time, of himself, and of the cosmos.
Methods of Presentation:
1. Lecture-discussion-analysis of assigned works.
2. Participation in the on-going classroom inquiry, to read with skill, and to analyze rigorously.
Chabot College
Course Outline for Philosophy 1, Page 2
November 1993
3. Emphasis will be given to expression through writing.
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Daily class contributions (including quizzes)
Short analytic essay assignments
A midterm, and final examination.
All tests will be based on class discussion as well as on the readings.
Textbook(s) Typical:
Philosophy Theory and Practice, J. P. Thiraux, MacMillan Publishers
Special Student Materials:
None
AR:kh Phil 1
Revised: 10/30/96