PHIL 1710

I would not recommend this course unless you really enjoy philosophy. Most of the class consists of doing the readings and taking notes, which is not hard but can be very time consuming. There is not much course work in between the three assignments which are all essays. The first two assignments are 6-8 page essays and the last is two separate 3-5 page essays. The discussions are easy to participate in having only watched the lectures however it is impossible to write an essay without thoroughly reading through the sources. If you watch the lectures and keep up with the readings the class is manageable, but if you get behind on the readings it is going to be a stressful time writing the essays.

This course was structured with 3 papers making up 90% of your grade and discussion being the other 10%. If you don't enjoy writing this class may be a bit of a struggle. Lectures could be dry but the material was interesting. However, some of the readings were long and hard to understand. TAs are really helpful in reviewing essays and going over course concepts.

This was a good class! I took that class just to see what a UVA philosophy class would be like (and also to fulfill my second writing requirement), and I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought. The content was interesting and definitely thought-provoking, even if I'd never learned any of it before. I really liked the second unit, which was on morality and weighing out how much morality is good for living a good life. The readings were super reasonable too, like 20 total pages a week (about 10 pages per class).

Professor Langsam is just the loveliest old guy. He tells lots of jokes during lecture and makes lecture engaging even if he doesn't take questions through most of lecture. He does let students ask questions after he finishes each lecture topic though (he writes the lecture topics on the chalkboard; there aren't any online slides). Honestly the best part is the fact that he talks about how cool his wife is and how much he loves her at least once a week. Nothing like a reminder that love is not dead! He will also occasionally drop some very eye-opening life wisdom, and that definitely keeps the people awake (my class was at 3:30pm lol).

The grade total comes from 2 major papers, section participation, and 2 mini-papers due on the first day of finals. I found it difficult to get started writing my first philosophy papers, but my TA explained the whole process well. My TA (Yucheng, really nice guy!) was great at giving us a summary of the week's class content during discussion section, in a "philosophy for beginners" kind of way. He graded the papers very fairly and gave the most thorough paper feedback I have ever received in my college career (not kidding).

Overall, highly recommend this class. #tCFF23

This introductory philosophy course was fairly average, meeting my expectations. The instructor demonstrated extensive knowledge and passion through standard note-taking lectures. While attendance is vital, especially for noting relevant material, there are no assignments apart from essays, making lecture notes crucial. While attendance is not required, there are no assignments apart from essays, making lecture notes crucial for writing essays.

Teaching Assistants, like James Reed, facilitated helpful discussions, offering simplified interpretations of lectures. I recommend him. Attendance in discussions may impact your grade.

My only complaint is the course's slight disorganization, evident in the delayed grade release. I anticipate an A or A-, but it's still up in the air.

For those seeking a relaxed course to fulfill their second writing requirement, I recommend it. Just ensure thorough note-taking, avoid procrastination on essays, and success in the course is achievable. #tCFF23

I think this is a good class to fulfill the second writing requirement. Your grade is based on 3 papers. Professor Langsam is a good speaker, and lectures are enjoyable. Attendance is not checked, and while going to discussions is usually enough to grasp a good foundation on the material (to write a good essay,) I would still recommend going. It is not too hard to get an A, but it is important to get ahead of writing your essay. DO go to your TA's office hours to get help with essay writing if you struggle at all. The TAs are so passionate and helpful.