PHIL 1000

This class is definitely interesting and Mitch Green really shows a great amount of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the grading system in this class is a colossal failure. My TA's, Derek, grading was extremely arbitrary. The paper grading was especially subjective, and he expects far too much for an introductory class. I went to every discussion, participated, and even met with him outside of discussion, yet I got an 80 participation grade (which should have been a 100)! If you want to take this class, beware Derek, while he has good intentions his grading is very random and unfair at times.

DO NOT TAKE PHILOSOPHY. It is a lot harder than it seems, and not very interesting.

What a load of BS that was he assigns Descartes like I'm not trying to be a Philosophy major here I'm just trying to get the requirement out of the way. He was all up in the lecture like "You should do each reading twice, maybe 3 times," like buddy you lucky if I do it once! I mean Uncle Mitch is a nice enough guy and all, but he's really persnickety with the midterms (1 word off on an answer and I got a 0). Also Derek Lam, my TA, was a little rusty with the English and he told us that the God stuff was gonna be on the final then it wasn't, so I was kinda annoyed about that. Anyway, I got a B, not too bad considering how much I didn't like the course. A lot of random chit chats about crap like why Descartes didn't know if he actually knew he had hands like wtf...

I really enjoyed Professor Green's lectures and my discussion sections. My TA was extremely helpful with study questions as well. There is a lot of reading, but if you get the general idea from each assignment Prof. Green explains it much more thoroughly in lecture. I'd really recommend the class, it has enhanced my critical thinking and I'm taking another philosophy course in the spring because of it!

Although my TA was awesome, the exams are graded too harshly and the material isn't even that intersting. Prof. Green is a great lecturer but the amount of work and time you put into this intro class, only to get a B or B+ at best, is absolutely not worth it. Take something else, trust me.

do not take this class. the grade is based on 2 midterms and 2 papers. even if you do all the study questions and get the answers from the lecture the grade depends on the ta. my ta was horrific (derek) and his grading seemed completely arbitrary. i am an extremely hard worker and student and am doing terribly. find another easy intro class

Professor Green is very knowledgeable and seems to really care about this course. There is no curve which means that everyone has the potential to do well. Answer the study questions that are assigned each week, keep up with the readings, and enjoy the lectures! Overall, a great class for those looking for a slightly less intense class that still offers a lot of practical knowledge.

Despite philosophy's uniqueness as a subject, Mitch Green does an great job introducing it. His book is an easy read and makes the class simple to follow. Had a different professor for this course and switched out--wouldn't suggest taking it with anyone else.

It was an enjoyable and fun class, you learn a lot, it teaches you how to write a college level. Beware, papers and finals (which make up 80% of your combined) are graded HARSHLY.

Everyone should take this class. Mitch is a great lecturer; I rarely found myself looking at the clock. The course covers a wide range of material and addresses a lot of important questions (the existence of a god, morality, essence of self, etc.). Not too hard to do well in this class, either. This is a class that will stay with you.

This is a great class and a great way to start off your first semester at UVA.

This is a moderately easy class. The midterm and final are both very easy and stress free because professor Green gives you the questions that are going to be on them in advance.

Green is a really interesting guy, always eager for a philosophical discussion and very personable/approachable. The setup of the class is pretty straightforward, it’s based off of two papers which are laid out completely for you and a midterm and final which are both verbatim the study questions that he gives out periodically throughout the semester so if you do them when they come out you barely have to do any studying for the tests. Essentially, great class, really interesting and pretty easy.

This is a good, interesting class. It's a good way to get your feet wet if you're interested in philosophy. Midterm was super easy and based off study questions he gives every week. The papers are a little harder to do well on. Mitch is probably my favorite professor this semester. He's a very interesting, eccentric person. His lectures are over the readings which is good because sometimes they're a little dry and hard to wrap your head around. Also his lectures pretty much follow the book (which he wrote), so if you need any clarification you can always refer to the book.

A great class! Read his book if you dont go to class and you will do fine. Also, make sure you go over the study questions before the exam because they are the exact same thing. This class is a lot of fun and pretty easy.

class was enjoyable and he goes over all the readings during the lecture. slideshows aren't on collar so plan on going to class if you want to get the notes. exam questions are taken from a list of questions that he updates weekly.

Mitch green is a great teacher and a great man.

Course is interesting and a great way to be introduced to philosophy. However, the class seemed to be graded stricter than a normal intro class

Easy and entertaining class. A good, broad introduction to philosophical ideas. Mitch Green is awesome. Doing the reading is not really necessary; pay attention in lecture and you'll be fine.

Professor Green was a decent lecturer, but he seemed a bit too biased. I come from a Christian background (but not necessarily of a devout one), but Professor Green seemed to try to convince us whenever possible that there is no god by emphasizing certain philosophers and/or ideas. Grading was fair enough, I suppose, but go to your TA's office hours for help on papers if you really want to do well.

Interesting professor. Alexander Cohen was a terrible TA. Nit-picked papers.

Green is enthusiastic about teaching and makes the material clear. Work on the study questions given, and go to TA office hours if you need help on the papers or study questions. Great class!

I realized pretty early on that you don't need to do the readings because he covers them in class really well. The class was boring at times but wasn't too difficult

This is a very worthwhile class. The material is very interesting and the midterm and final are pretty easy especially since Mitch gives you all of the study q's that the exams are based on. Mitch is a great professor and a great guy, very accessible. However, DO NOT expect the papers to be graded lightly just because the rest of the class seems easy.

The class wasn't too difficult but it certainly requires a pretty significant amount of knowledge on the material to earn an A

Professor is great and exams are easy because he gives you all the questions that could possibly be on the exams. And everything you ever needed to know for the class, he explains in the lectures.

I have not enjoyed this class at all. Green seems to know how he feels about certain philosophical principles...and if you're not on the same boat as him, you're wrong. That isn't what I needed in a Philosophy class. The material isn't difficult, but I feel like I wasted a semester in this class. If you know Philosophy is for you (and I know now that it is NOT for me), jump to an upper level Philosophy class. And beware of the T.A. that you choose. Mine was horrible (and a demanding grader), so make sure to get an easy one!

Mitch is great and alot of fun. Very smart guy. It's easy to get a high B, but getting an A can be impossible depending on your professor.

The professor is acsessible, smart, and cares about his students. Make sure you put a lot of effort into your papers if you want to do well in the class.

This class gives a great overview of what philosophy is all about. Professor Green is incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The class was very easy because the main part of your grade is a midterm and final for which you have the questions in advance. The papers are a bit more of a challenge but as long as you write about something that interests you, it should be fine.

Pretty easy class.

Material was interesting, some of the reading tough to get through, but lots of people dont even do any of the reading. really not that bad, good for people who want an overview cuz seriously, once you really get into a topic you have to switch to something else!

Mitch is your stereotypical philosopher. He seems like someone who has done a whole lot of sitting and thinking. He's very calm, fair, and straightforward. His lectures are boring to say the least. I hated my TA and he helped me through it by regrading my papers.

Really good class especially for first years. Excellent introduction to the study of philosophy. Even if you are not interested in studying this field, this is a very applicable class and I highly reccommend it.

This is a good introductory level Philosophy class. The reading selections are interesting for sure. The lectures are good, but they are pretty much equivalent to his book. The class has definitely made me interested in taking more philosophy classes though.

Green's class is so easy a caveman could do it. He wrote the textbook, so just make sure you understand the arguments in his book. If you don't, go to his office hours. He is very accessible.

Love this course, you only need to do readings OR go to class, wonderful professor, only bad points are that it doesn't count towards a major or minor and you can get screwed on papers if you get a bad TA. Charlie was hard but good and fair, highly recommended even though he wasn't the best lecturer in discussion.

Mitch is a great guy and definitely go to office hours. However, I wouldn't recommend this class if you're interested in Philosophy. Take a higher level or other non-intro class, this is too broad and simplified. It's actually pretty hard because of the TA's grading, and is overall kind of frustrating. Definitely read Enganging Philosophy and keep up with the study questions. And again GO TO OFFICE HOURS, I have a sneaking suspicion he had a part in my grade being a lot higher than I expected.

Readings are pointless. Just go to the lectures so you will have something intelligent to say during discussion. All you need is "Engaging Philosophy" Mitch's book to answer the study questions and to write the papers.

Tries to cover too many topics in such a short semester- the broad survey class is fairly easy but the professor is extremely arrogant, making lecture miserable. The only book that you need to read is 'engaging philosophy' by Mitch Green.

Great class. Lecture was interesting, though could be skipped if you had the book. The midterm and final are pulled out of questions that you are given ahead of time, so if you put in the effort, there is no reason you should not do well in this class.

Hard to hear him, so lectures were sometimes boring. Starbucks office hours are great, though--this guy knows his stuff and he is so nice. Good selection of topics and readings... the class does make you think.

Professor Green is a very good professor. If you like philosophy and abstract material, this class is a good overview of everything. I thought it was a little too broad.

You really don't have to do the reading to understand the material, and there are only 2 papers to write which are relatively easy. His book sums up his lectures in case you happen to miss one...

Interesting course, will make you think, but fun all the while. It's not too hard to do well in this class, as they provide you with questions from which the exam will be made before the midterm and final, and the TA's aren't out to get you with the grading on papers. Good intro class for anyone with any interest in philosophy

Greene is very personal on the lecture floor. He explains stuff pretty well and his book can clarify most questions you may have. Class isn't very hard, it's just a lot of information.

discussion section is fun if you are willing to stick up for your personal opinions.

Class is fairly easy. Two papers and two exams. Green presents material in fashion that's easy to follow.

Mitch is an awesome teacher! He really tries to get to know his students, and his powerpoint presentations are helpful in understanding the readings. The readings are intense because they are the original writings of notable philosophers, but Mitch definitely elucidates them. Plus his office hours are at Starbucks!

Please do not think that because this is a 100-level class that it is easy. It's really not. The readings are often difficult, boring, and long, and lectures are even more boring and sleep-invoking because the professor only lectures using PowerPoint. A major problem with a survey philosophy course is that once you get a handle on one topic/idea, you move on to another. I found this an unrewarding class...beware.