Courses
Every course below counts toward general education, transfer or both. Start with one of the high-demand courses below, or browse the full catalog by topic.
Start here
These three are where most students in the department begin:
Introduction to Philosophy
The front door for almost everyone in the department: reality, knowledge and ethics through the discipline's central questions.
3 units · Honors section availableWorld Religions
An overview of the world's major religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.
3 units · Honors section availableCritical Thinking and Writing
Sharpen your reasoning and your writing together: build and evaluate arguments while refining how you make your case on paper.
3 units · Requires ENGL C1000Reading the requirements
Counts toward Fullerton College's own general education pattern for the associate degree. The area listed (for example, Area 3) tells you which requirement it fills.
Satisfies the state's unified transfer curriculum for both UC and CSU campuses. The area listed (for example, Area 3B) tells you which requirement it fills.
The full catalog
Philosophy fundamentals
The core courses: start here if you're new to the discipline.A survey of philosophy's central questions (reality, knowledge and ethics) through the major viewpoints on human nature, moral understanding and the self.
A survey of the major ethical theories in the history of philosophy and how they apply to real moral problems, for individuals and for society.
Builds and evaluates arguments (inductive and deductive reasoning, and the fallacies that undermine them) with a strong emphasis on refining your own argumentative writing. Meets the CalGETC critical thinking and writing requirement.
Prerequisite: ENGL C1000 (or equivalent), grade of C or better.
History of philosophy
A chronological walk through the Western philosophical tradition.A historical introduction to Western philosophy from the Ancient Greeks through the Medieval period.
Western philosophy from Descartes to Kant, then Nietzsche to Wittgenstein: what can we be certain of, and is philosophy practical?
Ethics, society and technology
Philosophy applied to social structures, identity and emerging technology.Ancient and modern theories of human nature, social institutions and the individual's place within society.
Philosophical questions raised by and about women: the relations between men and women, theories of knowledge and social justice.
How emerging technology (AI, surveillance, social media) raises long-standing philosophical questions about responsibility and truth. Required support course for the new B.S. in Drone and Autonomous Systems.
Prerequisite: admission into a baccalaureate degree program, upon completion of all required lower-division courses.
Religious studies: foundations
Broad surveys: the best place to start if religious studies is new to you.An introductory study of religion (its origins, functions and modes of expression) drawn from Eastern and Western traditions across ancient, medieval and modern times.
An overview of the world's major religions, with emphasis on Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.
Religious studies: world traditions
A closer look at one tradition at a time.The history, scriptures, rituals and beliefs of Christianity, including the important figures, groups and events of its Roman, Orthodox and Protestant traditions.
The historical development, scriptures, laws, rituals and customs of Judaism, including its modern developments.
The history, teachings and practices of Islam: its rise and spread, scriptures, law, theology, mysticism and modern developments.
The religious traditions and communities found throughout Asia, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism.
Religious studies: religion in history and society
How religion has shaped, and been shaped by, specific histories and cultures.The forces behind the Jewish experience of the Holocaust, its history and the Jewish life that followed, along with broader reflection on genocide.
How the American cultural experience has shaped religions with roots in Africa, Europe and Asia, alongside Indigenous American traditions: from historical context to contemporary practice.
Independent study
For students who want to go deeper on a specific topic with a supervising instructor.Extend your knowledge of a specific area of philosophy through individual research, guided by a learning contract you develop with a supervising instructor.
How these are scheduled
Modality
Most sections are offered in person or online asynchronous: both have historically run more successfully than our evening and hybrid sections, so we've leaned into expanding those two formats. [Exact modality varies by term and section: confirm in the live schedule.]
Frequency
- PHIL 100 and 105 run every term, in multiple sections. We're expanding PHIL 172 as we phase out PHIL 170.
- Most other courses run one to two sections per year.
- PHIL 100 is also offered through Dual Enrollment for eligible high school students.
Ready to build your schedule?
The live schedule has exact days, times and instructors for the current term.