Approval Status
Approved
Date Reviewed
July 2014
LIBS 101: The Human Enigma (12 units in Fall Semester)
Drawing on material about small-scale societies, ancient Greek culture, and
contemporary civilizations, this course concentrates—within a comparative
framework—on the development of cultural values, the concept of human
nature, the growth of self-awareness, and the emergence of scientific and
abstract thought.
LIBS 102: In Search of Self (12 units in the Spring Semester)
This course focuses on the individual, exploring how personal history,
unconscious processes, and political and historical environments shape the
concept of self. This course develops a fuller understanding of these
influences through scientific investigation, historical exploration and
creative expression, employing materials drawn from biology, psychology,
sociology, literature, history, politics and art.
LIBS 201: Exploring the Unknown (12 units in the Fall Semester)
Exploring the Unknown is an investigation of the meaning and limits of
knowledge with respect to the nature of the mind and physical reality. These
issues are pursued through several different but interrelated fields of
study, including literature, art, philosophy, comparative religions and
science. The course considers Newtonian and quantum mechanical theories of
physical reality, the religions of various cultures, and the functions of
myth and religious language. The term includes a section focusing on the
nature of human creativity.
LIBS 202: Challenge of Response in the Modern World (12 units in the Spring
Semester)
This course is an examination of modern accomplishments and problems that
have derived from several sources: the 18th century mechanical models, the
Scientific and Industrial Revolutions, and rise of modern economic theories.
Asking how it is possible in the 21st century to live a moral life, the
course examines the rise of individualism, the tension between personal and
social values, the problems of poverty and the distribution of wealth, and
the multiple consequences of modern technology.
GE Laboratory Requirement fulfilled by completion of four semesters in the
lower-division program.
Course Type
Upper Division