College of the Redwoods
CURRICULUM PROPOSAL
1. Course ID and Number: PHIL 14
C-ID Descriptor (if applicable): PHIL 140
2. Course Title: History of Early Modern Philosophy
3. Check one of the following:
New Course (If the course constitutes a new learning experience for CR students, the course is new).
Required - Justification for Need (Provide a brief description of the background and rationale for the course. This might
include a description of a degree or certificate for which the course is required or the relationship of this course to other
courses in the same or other disciplines. To see examples of such descriptions, consult pages 10-11 of The Course Outline of
Record: A Curriculum Reference Guide.
This course is required for the ADT: Philosophy and fulfills CSU GE Area C2. The course also responds to
requests from non-philosophy majors at CR who want to take more philosophy courses for elective credit for
their programs.
Updated/Revised Course
If curriculum has been offered under a different discipline and/or name, identify the former course:
Should another course be inactivated? No
Yes
Inactivation date:
Title of course to be inactivated:
(If yes, complete a Course Inactivation Form found on the Curriculum Website.)
4. If this is an update/revision of an existing course, provide explanation of and justification for changes to this course.
Be sure to explain the reasons for any changes to class size, unit value, and prerequisites/corequisites.
5. List the faculty with which you consulted in the development and/or revision of this course outline.
Faculty Member Name(s) and Discipline(s): Phil Freneau (PHIL/ECE-DN); David Owren (PHIL-EKA); Elizabeth Leach
(PHIL-KT); Sam Savage (PHIL-EKA); Jeff Sellars (PHIL-EKA).
6. If any of the features listed below have been modified in the new proposal, indicate the “old” (current) information
and “new” (proposed) changes. If a feature is not changing, leave both the “old” and “new” fields blank.
FEATURES
OLD
NEW
Course Title
TOPS/CIPS Code
Catalog Description
(Please include complete text of
old and new catalog descriptions.)
Grading Standard
Select
Select
Total Units
Lecture Units
Lab Units
Prerequisites
Corequisites
Recommended Preparation
Maximum Class Size
Curriculum Proposal: Revised 04.25.14; 09.09.14
Academic Senate Approved: 05.02.14
Page 1 of 9
Repeatability—
Maximum Enrollments
Select
Select
Other
1. DATE: July 29, 2015
2. DIVISION: Arts and Humanities
3. [CB04] COURSE CREDIT STATUS: D Credit-Degree Applicable
4. [CB01] COURSE ID AND NUMBER: PHIL 14
5. [CB02] COURSE TITLE: History of Early Modern Philosophy
(Course title appears in Catalog and schedule of classes.)
6. SHORT TITLE: History Early Modern Phil
(Short title appears on student transcripts and is limited to 30 characters, including spaces.)
7. [CB03] LOCAL ID (TOPs code): 1509.00 Taxonomy of Program Codes
8. NATIONAL ID (CIP code): 38.0101 Classification of Instructional Program Codes
9. DISCIPLINE(S): Philosophy Select from Minimum Qualifications for Faculty
Course may fit more than one discipline; identify all that apply:
10. FIRST TERM NEW OR REVISED COURSE MAY BE OFFERED: Spring 2016
11. COURSE UNITS (Note: 1 lecture unit requires 18 hours in-class/36 hours out-of-class; 1 lab unit requires 54 in-class hours)
[CB07]
TOTAL UNITS:
TOTAL HOURS:
[CB06]
3.0
3.0
min. units
max. units
54
54
min. hours
max. hours
Lecture Units:
3.0
Lab Units:
0
Lecture Hours:
54
Lab Hours:
0
11. MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 40
12. WILL THIS COURSE HAVE AN INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FEE? No
Yes
Fee: $
If yes, attach a completed Instructional Materials Fee Request Form found on the Curriculum Website.
GRADING STANDARD
Letter Grade Only
Pass/No Pass Only
[CB12] Is this course a repeatable lab course? No
Grade-Pass/No Pass Option
Yes
Is this course to be offered as part of the Honors Program? No
If yes, how many total enrollments? Select
Yes
If yes, explain how honors sections of the course are different from standard sections.
Honors sections will require additional assignment(s) and contact with the instructor outside of class. Additional
assignments may include but are not limited to 1. a study of one additional full-length work or of a substantial group
of related readings and one additional piece of writing; 2. development of a web-based course resource; 3. class
presentations of research.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION - The catalog description should clearly describe for students the scope of the course, its level, and
what kinds of student goals the course is designed to fulfill. The catalog description should begin with a sentence fragment.
An introduction to the major philosophers of the Western tradition from the Renaissance through the Enlightenment
(@1500-1800). Students will examine the problem of knowledge, reality, truth, freedom, agency, morality, and
value theory. Emphasis is on the explication of primary texts by Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Hobbes, Locke,
Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.
Curriculum Proposal: Revised 04.25.14; 09.09.14
Academic Senate Approved: 05.02.14
Page 2 of 9
Special Notes or Advisories (e.g. Field Trips Required, Prior Admission to Special Program Required, etc.):
PREREQUISITE COURSE(S)
No
Yes
Rationale for Prerequisite:
Course(s):
Describe representative skills without which the student would be highly unlikely to succeed.
COREQUISITE COURSE(S)
No
Yes
Rationale for Corequisite:
Course(s):
RECOMMENDED PREPARATION
No
Yes
Course(s): ENGL 150 or ENGL 102
Rationale for Recommended Preparation:
Students must be able to read and comprehend complex philosophical texts, apply methods of philosophical inquiry
and analysis, and write thesis-driven, analytical essays.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES –This section answers the question “what will students be able to do as a result of taking this
course?” State some of the outcomes in terms of specific, measurable student actions (e.g. discuss, identify, describe, analyze,
construct, compare, compose, display, report, select, etc.). For a more complete list of outcome verbs please see Public
Folders>Curriculum>Help Folder>SLO Language Chart. Each outcome should be numbered.
1. Critically evaluate the arguments, assumptions, principles, and methods of key philosophers of the Renaissance
and Enlightenment eras.
2. Describe the historical and cultural contexts in which modern philosophies were developed.
3. Explicate Renaissance and Enlightenment era primary philosophical texts.
COURSE OBJECTIVES - This section describes the objectives the course addresses through the course content. Objectives can
include specific disciplinary questions or goals that are central to the course subject matter and are meant to address what
the various intents of the course are. Each objective should be numbered.
1. Demonstrate mastery of critical philosophical skills to present accurately and to interpret the positions of 16th to
18th century philosophers, based on readings of their primary texts.
2. Critically analyze and evaluate arguments, assumptions, principles, and methods of 16th through 18th century
philosophers.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION – Clear methods by which instructor will facilitate acquisition of objectives. Include here
descriptions, NOT lists. Course outline must clearly articulate how these methods of instruction are related to, and help
student work towards, achieving the objectives and student learning outcomes. Instructional methodologies will be
consistent with, but will not be limited to, the following types orexamples.
The instructor will provide lectures on major philosophical texts and the main problems in the history of early
modern philosophy to distinguish the major theories of philosophy, the centrality of epistemology, theories of
beauty, and various ethical theories in order to evaluate important works of philosophy. The instructor will facilitate
classroom discussion of primary philosophical texts in order to help students learn to develop logically defensible
interpretations of the meanings of and problems in these texts. Students will deliver presentations that critically
analyze and critique a primary philosophical text or philosophical theory or concept in order to analyze the logical
structure and consistency of an argument. Outside of class, students will produce reading responses that allow them
to practice summarizing and critiquing philosophical writing in order to analyze the logical structure and consistency
of an argument. Outside of class, students will develop a formal essay that offers and defends a research-informed
claim about a primary philosophical text or texts in order to practice critical evaluation of texts and philosophical
argumentation.
Curriculum Proposal: Revised 04.25.14; 09.09.14
Academic Senate Approved: 05.02.14
Page 3 of 9
COURSE CONTENT–This section describes what the course is “about”-i.e. what it covers and what knowledge students will
acquire.
Concepts: What terms and ideas will students need to understand and be conversant with as they demonstrate course
outcomes? Each concept should be numbered.
1. Modernity.
2. Rationalism.
3. Empiricism.
4. Skepticism.
5. Kantianism.
6. Materialism.
7. Idealism.
8. Monism.
9. Dualism.
10. Freewill.
11. Determinism.
12. Atheism.
13. Agnosticism.
14. Theism.
15. Monotheism.
16. Epistemology.
17. Metaphysics.
18. Ontology.
19. Morality.
20. Doubt.
21. Certainty.
22. Perception.
23. Knowledge.
24. Belief.
25. Logical necessity.
26. A priori.
27. A posteriori.
28. Self.
29. Mind.
30. State of nature.
31. Social contract.
32. Pantheism.
33. Principle of Sufficient Reason.
34. Principle of Internal Harmony.
35. Categorical Imperative.
36. Hypothetical Imperative.
37. Means-Ends Principle.
38. Causality.
39. Political liberalism.
40. Justification.
41. Evidence.
Issues: What primary tensions or problems inherent in the subject matter of the course will students engage? Each
issue should be numbered.
1. The tensions between religion and philosophy and between faith and reason.
2. The "problem of knowledge."
3. Distinguishing between philosophic and non-philosophic questions and answers.
4. The implications of rationalism and empiricism for ethics.
5. The value of studying the responses of philosophers to enduring philosophic questions that resist definitive
resolution.
Curriculum Proposal: Revised 04.25.14; 09.09.14
Academic Senate Approved: 05.02.14
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Themes: What motifs, if any, are threaded throughout the course? Each theme should be numbered.
1. The relationships among art, literature, politics, morality, and philosophy.
2. The relationships between the individual and society.
3. The methods of philosophic inquiry.
4. Authority.
5. Knowledge.
6. Clarity and precision of thought.
7. Meaning.
8. The philosophical commitment.
9. Truth.
10. Doubt.
11. Coherence.
12. Consistency.
13. Logic.
14. Certainty.
Skills: What abilities must students have in order to demonstrate course outcomes? (E.g. write clearly, use a scientific
calculator, read college-level texts, create a field notebook, safely use power tools, etc). Each skill should be numbered.
1. Listen actively to questions and comments posed by classmates and the instructor.
2. Pose questions about primary philosophic texts.
3. Read and annotate complex texts closely and critically.
4. Recall factual and theoretical information to respond to quiz questions and writing prompts.
5. Articulate interpretations of primary philosophic texts.
6. Evaluate philosophical arguments for logical consistency and coherence.
REPRESENTATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES –This section provides examples of things students may do to engage the course
content (e.g., listening to lectures, participating in discussions and/or group activities, attending a field trip). These activities
should relate directly to the Course Learning Outcomes. Each activity should be numbered.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Listening to lectures about particular philosophers and philosophies.
Participating in class discussions by posing and responding to questions about assigned readings.
Writing an evaluation of a particular philosopher's attempt to address a philosophical problem.
Generating and defending orally or in writing an interpretation of a primary philosophical text.
ASSESSMENT TASKS –This section describes assessments instructors may use to allow students opportunities to provide
evidence of achieving the Course Learning Outcomes. Each assessment should be numbered.
Representative Assessment Tasks (These are examples of assessments instructors could use.):
1. Participation in class discussions.
2. Mulitple-choice, short-answer, and essay examinations.
3. Essays that explain how different philosophers and/or philosophies offer different responses to the same
philosophical problem.
4. Essays that present and defend interpretations of primary philosophical texts.
Required Assessments for All Sections (These are assessments that are required of all instructors of all sections at all
campuses/sites. Not all courses will have required assessments. Do not list here assessments that are listed as representative
assessments above.):
1. At least one formal, research-informed, out-of-class essay that requires students to offer and defend a claim
about a primary philosophical text.
EXAMPLES OF APPROPRIATE TEXTS OR OTHER READINGS –This section lists example texts, not required texts.
Author, Title, and Date Fields are required
Author Descartes Title DIscourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy Date 1999
Author Leibniz Title Discourse on Metaphysics Date 1991
Author Hume Title An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding Date 1993
Author Kant Title Groundwork for a Metaphysics of Morals Date 1993
Curriculum Proposal: Revised 04.25.14; 09.09.14
Academic Senate Approved: 05.02.14
Page 5 of 9
Other Appropriate Readings:
COURSE TYPES
1. Is the course part of a Chancellor’s Office approved CR Associate Degree?
No
Yes
If yes, specify all program codes that apply. (Codes can be found in Outlook/Public Folders/All Public Folders/
Curriculum/Degree and Certificate Programs/choose appropriate catalog year):
Required course for degree(s)
Restricted elective for degree (s) AAT.PHIL
Restricted electives are courses specifically listed (i.e. by name and number) as optional courses from which
students may choose to complete a specific number of units required for an approved degree.
2. Is the course part of a Chancellor’s Office approved CR Certificate of Achievement?
No
Yes
If yes, specify all program codes that apply. (Codes can be found in Outlook/Public Folders/All Public Folders/
Curriculum/Degree and Certificate Programs/choose appropriate catalog year):
Required course for certificate(s)
Restricted elective for certificate(s)
Restricted electives are courses specifically listed (i.e. by name and number) as optional courses from which
students may choose to complete a specific number of units required for an approved certificate.
3. [CB24] Is the course Stand Alone?
No
Yes (If “No” is checked for BOTH #1 & #2 above, the course is stand alone.)
4. [CB08] Basic Skills: NBS Not Basic Skills
5. [CB10] Work Experience: NWE Not Coop Work Experience
6. [CB22] Noncredit Category: Credit course, not applicable
7. Course eligible Career Technical Education funding (applies to vocational and tech-prep courses only): No
8. [CB23] Course developed using a Chancellor’s Office Economic Development Grant: No
Yes
Yes
9. [CB11] Purpose: Y Credit Course Course Classification Status
10. Accounting Method: W Weekly Census
11. [CB13] Disability Status: N Not a Special Class
12. [CB09] Course SAM Priority Code: E Not Occupational
Definitions of SAM Priority Codes
COURSE TRANSFERABILITY
1. [CB05] Current Transferability Status: C Not Transferable
2. [CB21] Course Prior to Transfer Level: Y Not Applicable Definitions of Course Prior to Transfer Levels
CURRENT TRANSFERABILITY STATUS (Check at least one box below):
This course is currently transferable to:
Neither CSU nor UC
CSU as general elective credit
CSU as a specific course equivalent (see below)
If the course transfers as a specific course equivalent give course number(s)/ title(s) of one or more currently-active,
equivalent lower division courses from CSU.
1. Course
, Campus
2. Course
, Campus
UC as general elective credit
UC as specific course equivalent
If the course transfers as a specific course equivalent give course number(s)/ title(s) of one or more currently-active,
Curriculum Proposal: Revised 04.25.14; 09.09.14
Academic Senate Approved: 05.02.14
Page 6 of 9
equivalent lower division courses from UC.
1. Course
, Campus
2. Course
, Campus
PROPOSED CSU TRANSFERABILITY (Check at least one of the boxes below):
No Proposal
Remove as General Education
Propose as General Elective Credit
Propose as a Specific Course Equivalent (see below)
If specific course equivalent credit is proposed, give course number(s)/ title(s) of one or more currently-active, equivalent
lower division courses from CSU.
1. Course PHIL 27: History of Early Modern Philosophy, Campus CSU Chico 2. Course PHIL 204: History of Modern Western
Philosophy, Campus CSUS
PROPOSED UC TRANSFERABILITY (Check one of the boxes below):
No Proposal
Remove as General Education
Propose as General Elective Credit OR Specific Course Equivalent (fill in information below)
If “General Elective Credit OR Specific Course Equivalent” box above is checked, give course number(s)/ title(s) of one or
more currently-active, equivalent lower division courses from UC.
1. Course PHIL 22: History of Philosophy: Early Modern, Campus UC Davis 2. Course PHILOS 12: HIstory of Modern
Philosophy, Campus UC Irvine
CURRENTLY APPROVED GENERAL EDUCATION (Check at least one box below):
Not currently approved
CR
CR GE Category(-ies): Select GE Category, Secondary GE Category (if applicable)
CSU
CSU GE Category:
IGETC
IGETC Category:
PROPOSED CR GENERAL EDUCATION (Check at least one box below):
No Proposal
Remove as General Education
Review to maintain CR GE Status
New GE Proposal
_X__ _Approved as CR GE by Curriculum Committee: _12.11.15 _
____ _ Not Approved
(DATE)
____ _ Approved to remove CR GE status
CR GE Outcomes
GE learning outcomes in Effective Communication, Critical Thinking, and Global Awareness must be addressed in all
general education courses.
o Effective Communications: Explain how the proposed GE course fulfills at least one of the CR GE outcomes in this
category.
Because PHIL 14 focuses on primary philosophical texts that involve complex arguments about culture, ethics,
aesthetics, knowledge, reality, students will need to be able to communicate effectively both verbally in class
and in writing outside of class their understanding of the issues and their analysis of the arguments offered by
ancient philosophers. This requires students in PHIL 14 to practice effective communication on daily basis in
order to succeed in the course. PHIL 14 students will need to do all of the following: 1) communicate complex
aesthetic, cultural and intellectual ideas, 2) generate, compose, revise and communicate ideas clearly, orally
and in writing, 3) read with comprehension, and 4) listen with comprehension. Furthermore, the required
research-informed essay about a primary philosophic text ensures students will practice and develop their
writing and research abilities, and thus fulfill another component of effective communication when they 5)
conduct research using appropriate methods and tools.
o Critical Thinking: Explain how the proposed GE course fulfills at least one of the CR GE outcomes in this category.
As a study of the development of philosophical thinking between approximately 1500CE and 1800CE, PHIL 14
fulfills virtually all of the GE outcomes in critical thinking. Specifically, students in PHIL 14 interpret a variety of
visual, oral, and written arguments and analyze these arguments using formal methods of philosophical
Curriculum Proposal: Revised 04.25.14; 09.09.14
Academic Senate Approved: 05.02.14
Page 7 of 9
analysis. Particular attention is paid in PHIL 14 to the development and application of logic to philosophical
problems and the development of modern methods of analysis. It is a course that studies the explosive
development and maturation of critical reasoning during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periords.
Successful students in PHIL 14 will be able to do the following: 1) evaluate ideas presented in writing, media,
speech or artistic representations; 2) Evaluate sources of information; 3) Analyze/interpret creative
expressions, resources, data; 4) Make value judgments and ethical decisions; 5) Use problem-solving skills
effectively.
o Global Awareness: Explain how the proposed GE course fulfills at least one of the CR GE outcomes in this category.
The focus of PHIL 14 is the study of primary philosophical texts within their unique cultural and historical
circumstances. Students analyze arguments about the relationships among experience, thought, and
expression and the ways individual perspective and cultural and historical contexts influence these arguments.
PHIL 14 students are required to locate unexamined assumptions (both their own and others) and to consider
intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural values embedded in arguments. To succeed in this course students will
need to be able to 1) analyze issues from multiple perspectives, 2) express an awareness of cultures in a
diverse global community, 3) explain the relationships between humanity and the natural environment, and 4)
analyze issues within their historical context.
GE Criteria for Breadth and Generality
GE courses should be broad and general in scope. Typically such courses are introductory-- not advanced or
specialized—and the content encompasses a broad spectrum of knowledge within a given field of study.
Explain how the proposed GE course fulfills GE criteria for breadth and generality.
PHIL 14 is an introductory survey of a broad range of philosophical ideas that developed from 1500CE to
approximately 1800CE. Students read, discuss, and write about texts that explore issues in ethics, epistemology,
metaphysics, ontology, aesthetics, history, science, religion, and political philosophy. Typical of philosophy courses,
PHIL 14 includes readings that touch on virtually every aspect of human experience, and students in the course
study the richly diverse ways these issues have been addressed.
CR GE Area Designation
Course Learning Outcomes and Course Content should provide evidence of appropriate GE Area Designation.
Additional rationale for GE Area Designation (optional):
Area A:
Area B:
Area C:
Area D:
Natural Science
Social Science
Humanities
Language and Rationality
D1: Writing
D2: Oral Communications
D3: Analytical Thinking
Area E: Multicultural Understanding*
*To be considered part of CR GE Area E, all courses must meet the following two conditions: 1. The course must
also be (or be proposed) in one other CR GE area AND 2. The course must be articulated with HSU as meeting
their lower-division Diversity and Common Ground GE requirement.
PROPOSED CSU GENERAL EDUCATION BREADTH (CSU GE) (Check at least one box below):
NO PROPOSAL
A. Communications and Critical Thinking
A1 – Oral Communication
A2 – Written Communication
A3 – Critical Thinking
C. Arts, Literature, Philosophy, and Foreign Language
C1 – Arts (Art, Dance, Music, Theater)
C2 – Humanities (Literature, Philosophy, Foreign
Curriculum Committee Approved: 04.25.14; 09.01.14
Academic Senate Approved: 05.02.14
B. Science and Math
B1 – Physical Science
B2 – Life Science
B3 – Laboratory Activity
B4 – Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
D. Social, Political, and Economic Institutions
D0 – Sociology and Criminology
D1 – Anthropology and Archeology
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Language)
D2 – Economics
D3 – Ethnic Studies
D5 – Geography
D6 – History
E. Lifelong Understanding and Self-Development
D7 – Interdisciplinary Social or Behavioral Science
E1 – Lifelong Understanding
D8 – Political Science, Government and Legal Institutions
E2 – Self-Development
D9 – Psychology
Rationale for inclusion in this General Education category: Same as above
Proposed Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) (Check at least one box below):
NO PROPOSAL
1A – English Composition
1B – Critical Thinking-English Composition
1C – Oral Communication (CSU requirement only)
2A – Math
3A – Arts
3B – Humanities
4A – Anthropology and Archaeology
4B – Economics
4E – Geography
4F – History
4G – Interdisciplinary, Social & Behavioral Sciences
4H – Political Science, Government & Legal Institutions
4I – Psychology
4J – Sociology & Criminology
5A – Physical Science
5B – Biological Science
6A – Languages Other Than English
Rationale for inclusion in this General Education category: Same as Above
Submitted By: John Johnston
Tel. Ext.: 4375
Dean/Director: Erin Wall
Date: July 29, 2015
Review Date: 11/13/15
For Dean/Director only: Does this course change require a substantial or nonsubstantial change to a degree? Yes
No
CURRICULUM COMMITTEE USE ONLY
Approved by Curriculum Committee: No
Yes
Date: 12.11.15
Academic Senate Approval Date: 12.14.15
Board of Trustees Approval Date: 01.12.16
Curriculum Committee Approved: 04.25.14; 09.01.14
Academic Senate Approved: 05.02.14
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