PHIL 1710

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

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 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.

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 class was super interesting to understand and look more into society and our human nature. I was a little scared to take it because it is a paper heavy class, but I ended up enjoying it. It was a little overwhelming in the beginning of the semester, but it all worked out. I would definitely recommend reading the readings after watching the lectures because it makes writing the papers so much easier!

THIS CLASS IS NOTHING LIKE THE DESCRIPTION!! I went into this class thinking it would teach me how to live a "happy, satisfying, meaningful, and fulfilling life," but instead it did absolutely nothing of that sort. The entire class is philosophers arguing their views and ideas. The readings are extremely hard to understand/dense and are extremely uninteresting unless you are genuinely interested in philosophy. I signed up for this class to fulfill a gen ed requirement, and dropped it halfway through. This class is not worth it and I highly recommend taking a different class!!! Langsam is clearly passionate about what he is teaching, but all of his lectures are just him talking with no visual aid. They are VERY boring. The discussions are not very helpful, as many of the students sit there extremely confused. 90% of your grade is based on essays, so unless you are a really good writer it will be very hard to get an A. Seriously, do not take this class!!!

This class was alright. If you did the readings and paid attention in lectures, it was honestly pretty interesting. Professor Langsam is a pretty interesting guy, and he's, for the most part, an engaging lecturer. The discussion section was pretty useful because my TA would reiterate all the major points and basically just talk to us for the whole time, rather than making us answer difficult questions, so it was easy to get full marks even without doing the readings. You write four papers throughout the semester and that is pretty much your whole grade, but there are a number of prompts to choose from, each corresponding more or less with one day of reading and lecture, so if there is one class that you understand really well, you'll be fine. I had a very difficult time with this class once we went online for COVID, because it became really hard to focus on readings and the more dry lectures. Still, this class wasn't all that hard, and I did feel like I got something out of it. A word of advice: pay attention at least to the first few lectures, because a lot of the basic topics get built upon as the semester progresses.

This is a great course to take to fulfill the humanities requirement. The only grades you have are 4 essays so that's nice. The readings are dense, but that's to be expected for philosophy. However, Langsam does a great job of clarifying the readings during lecture so I would recommend going. Also, for each essay he gives you like 6-8 options so you can choose to write about what you understand best. Most of the options also only directly relate to 1-2 readings so in theory you can get away without doing every reading. However, as someone who got an A, I would recommend highly annotating each reading because you don't necessarily know which one you are going to write about and it's nice to have these annotations so you don't have to re-read 40 pages in depth before the essay. If you are a good writer, you'll be fine. My TA was Jimin Lee, and she was wonderful. The essays are standard: 2 6-8 page essays and 2 3-5 page essays. Sometimes you feel that you are being redundant which is why I really emphasize understanding in depth the readings (i.e. a prompt can be "is reason what makes us people" or something to that effect which can be daunting to write 7 pages on). However, if you go to lectures, do the readings, and are a good writer I dont see how you wouldn't get lower than a B+ in this class.

Langsam is a funny guy and makes lectures interesting. Unfortunately, if you're not interested in Philosophy this class can be a bit dry. There are a lot of philosophers that you are "supposed" to know what their views are on things etc. I would say this class could be really easy if you want it to be: you could wait for essay prompts to come out (4 essays / semester) then try to understand only that material and write a decent essay. However, listening to Langsam is important because you won't be in the right mindset and know how you are supposed to be thinking.
If you listen to lectures, take basic notes, and write decently, you should get an A depending on your TA grader (Jimin is really nice).

I am an engineering student, so I was scared to take a class that is so paper heavy, but I found this class was worth my time and effort. I do recommend doing the readings (at least quite a few of them, some are hard to read because of the way they are printed) because it makes it easier to figure out which paper prompt you can write best. Lecture can get boring a repetitive, but that's what philosophy is, so that's what you should expect anyways. I went to over half the lectures and I would say they are worthwhile especially if you didn't understand or do the reading. Harold is a reasonable guy and only made us write 3 papers due to COVID 19 and gave us a free A for the last paper. I went to most discussions and had Jimin Lee as a TA and my friends and all really liked her, she sometimes is hard to understand, but gives good examples and helps you understand the material and what she wants from a paper; sometimes she brings candy. Not too hard of a grade if you work a bit for it.

Langsam is a very interesting, engaging lecturer - I wish I attended his class more than I did, because I feel like I would've gotten a lot more out of it. Discussion was OK, my TA (Jimin) had a very heavy accent, and didn't really set clear expectations for our papers, yet graded pretty harshly so I ended with a B in the class. Overall, this was a pretty standard intro Philosophy course, but I don't feel like I learned very much from it. The readings and lectures were pretty straightforward, and it only had about 4 papers all semester, making the workload very manageable; if you need something to satisfy the humanities requirement, I would recommend it.

This course was essentially OK, and if you can, I would highly recommend taking it CR/NC, since professor Langsam's lectures are actually fairly interesting usually, and discussions are also very interesting. The one major issue with the class is that there is little direction for the class itself, and discussions are not really guided in any way. My TA, for example, primarily sat back and let us talk, which is good in most cases, but general direction and some intentional focusing of the conversation could have been beneficial. Additionally, the papers are a bit unclear and, though they can be somewhat interesting to write, challenging not in the way one would seek in terms of philosophical thought but in terms of determining what it is they want you to write about and how to do so.

Unless you’re interested in philosophy, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. I took this class thinking that it would teach me about life and how to have a happy and meaningful life, but that’s not what it was AT ALL. The entire course was useless, as it was just about a bunch of philosophers and intellectual scholars arguing over pointless theories and trying to prove his/her theory to be correct. Even though you can tell that Mr. Langsam is really passionate about philosophy from his lectures, he has no visual aids, and so I felt bored to death every single class. Discussions were useless and boring too. I had Jimin Lee for my TA, and even though she was nice and friendly, she had a very thick accent and it was difficult to understand her at times.

Average course. Not horrible, but not highly recommended. I never did any of the readings except before the paper. Lecture is boring, BUT Langsam is clearly really passionate about philosophy and if you take notes from his lectures it actually helps a lot when it comes time to write the paper because he breaks down the readings a lot.
Discussion was really boring and dry and didn't help me.
If you like philosophy, take it if you're willing to pay attention. If you're looking for an easy A with no work, I wouldn't suggest. Easy B+ though.

The material covered in this class was extremely useful. Although I am not a philosophy major or minor, I would recommend this class to anyone interested in a liberal arts education as it really expanded my horizons. The papers are beyond easy to write, as there are 7 prompts given for each paper and you only need to choose one, and each lecture essentially covers one of the prompts so class attendance is not mandatory.

Honestly this wasn't a bad class. Prof Langsam is very passionate about Philosophy and definitely easy to hear in lectures, to say the least. He explains things very clearly and makes sure to repeat important points. That said, you don't need to go to all the lectures or do the readngs, as long as you go to all of the discussions and do the necessary readings for the papers (there's 4- two 6-8 page papers and two 3-5 page papers). Discussion is a good time where the TA will go over the week's lectures, so you can still participate with that context. I went to probably 30 percent of the lectures, all of the discussions, and only did the necessary readings and I ended up with an A. Just make sure to sice the papers- understand how the TA wants you to write, what style you need to incorporate, etc. Go to discussions.

I loved this class. Professor Langham is outstanding and extremely passionate about philosophy. I went to every lecture, but honestly, you don't have to. My discussion TA (John Mahlan) is awesome and re-explained everything taught in lecture quickly and more precisely. There are only 4 essays. You are given 2 weeks to do them and can talk to the TA as often as you want. Plus, if you write 20+ pages, this class fulfills your Second Writing Requirement. I definitely recommend this class for thought provoking discussion and a requirement fulfillment. I am a Biology Major and again, thoroughly loved this class!

I honestly did not like this class very much. I found it extremely boring and had difficulty sitting through the lectures. Professor Langsam is a great guy, obviously really passionate about philosophy, but he only lectures. I almost never paid attention in lectures and did barely any of the reading and have managed to get As on all my papers. Grade consists 4 papers, totaling 90% of your grade, and 10% for participation. Make sure you get a good TA! They do all the grading. I recommend Andrew Morgan-he's super nice and doesn't get awkward or mean when no one knows what to say in discussion.

Great second writing requirement for those who wouldn't call themselves expert writers! writing philosophy is very different from normal papers and the structure they want is explained well, to the point, easy, and makes sense! Langsam can seem hard to understand at first but go to class and listen and it will eventually all make sense!! #tcf2016

Easy A if you're a pretty good writer and you're willing to go to lecture and discussion. I didn't do a single reading the entire semester and went to almost all lectures and took great notes, ended up with an A. My TA (Andrei) was awesome and totally understood when no one really knew what to say during discussion.

Lecture was interesting to hear. Prof. Langsam seems to be really enthusiastic about what he teaches. However, what I did dislike about the course is that your grade really depended on what TA you got.

This class was repetitive and a little dry at times but you also discuss some really interesting topics. The readings were dense sometimes but you get to choose what topics/authors you write your papers on (including for the final) so really you only need to be comfortable with a few of the readings to do well. Two papers and one final consisting of two smaller papers is the only work due for the class.

I really enjoyed this class. The only times that I didn't go to lecture were basically the days that the papers were due, because they were due in discussion section later that day. Professor Langsam did a great job at explaining the concepts from the readings. Langsam also has a great sense of humor and always tries to relate the concepts to real life, even if it's in a simple or silly way. Prof Langsam also is always willing to answer questions. The class is based on four papers (Two 6-8 pgs, Two 3-5 pgs) and if you write 20 pages overall, which is easy to do in this class, then you can fulfill your second writing requirement. My TA (Robert Reed) was a good, honest TA and always tried to keep us engaged in discussion. This is my first philosophy class and I ended up with an A-, so I was pretty happy with that. If you're a good writer and willing to go to lecture and spend some time on your papers, definitely take this class!

I'm going to be honest, I only attended this class three times. I attended discussion only a few times as well, but ended with a A-. The few times I did go to class though, I really enjoyed it. The professor is very enthusiastic and explains everything in terms everybody understands. The first two papers are about 6 pages and the other two are shorter and just summary papers. I guess I can't say I enjoyed the class since I never went and only read for the papers, but it's an easy A if you try just a bit.

Not a hard class at all. Only graded on 4 papers. Material is somewhat interesting, and Langsam is a quality lecturer.

I thought Langsam was a great professor and was really nice. If you go to class then you do not need to do the readings. However, your class grade is solely based on your TA. Do not take Benjamin Richards.

I really enjoyed this class. The material is interesting, Langsam is a good lecturer, and Craig is a good TA. If you feel solid in your writing, this class is a great GPA booster.

He's quite fantastic. Really organizes all the material in an easy and accessible way, especially as a philosophy professor. I loved the material this semester. The focus is in your papers (4 papers, ~20 pages total). It's a great introductory philosophy course, and depending on your TA, you may have an easy time getting good grades or not.

He's the man.

This class was dealthy boring. Professor Langsam is a cutie pie but the material at times is very bland. The marks consist of 4 papers (first 30%, second 30%, third and fourth (due at same time) 30%) and 10% for discussion. Creativity with the papers is a no go for this class. Simple, mundane thinking is what this course requires!

If you are going to take this class DO NOT get Benjamin Richards as your TA. He is a weird dude and not very helpful. Class discussions were non existant largely due to the fact that Ben likes to shut people down so everyone eventually stops talking. However, discussions are a good time to check e-mails, facebook, read the newspaper, etc.

There are much better phil courses avaliable. If you can take something else, do it.

Great intro to philosophy for those who are not comfortable with the subject. Easy going professor, funny lecturer at times, dry at other points. Two 5-7 page papers, two 2-3 page papers. Not bad at all.

Do this class for the second writing requirement. You have to write two 6-8 page papers and two 3-5. The discussions arent hard, and lecture is reasonably interesting, Langsam just overviews different topics you can expand on in your papers

Craig (TA) is great.
The papers take a lot of thought but the class overall is interesting and worth it

Langsams lectures can get boring unless you like philosophy but there are no midterms/finals so that is nice. The papers are VERY toughly graded so be careful as its your entire grade. Its a nice way to get rid of your second writing requirement though

You don't really have to do the readings for this class until you write the paper. There are two 7-8 page papers and two 3-5 page papers. You just have to read a section or two to write a paper and taking notes in class helps a lot. You don't even have to go to class, but I always come back because Langsam is so emphatic about the topic of Human Nature

The lectures are interesting, and there are no tests. The class is based on 4 essays you write and class participation in your discussion section. There is a lot of reading, but you can get by with skimming or making up the readings.

langsam is really into his lecture. the topics are pretty interesting although sometimes you might fall asleep during lectures. you only really need to buckle down and read when it comes to papers.

I really enjoyed this class. The Professor is kind of quirky, but you can tell that he really enjoys the class and the topic. There are 4 papers, two 6-8 pages and two 3-5 pages. No final. If you write over 20 pages, it fills the 2nd writing requirement. Also, my TA was amazing! He was always willing to work with you on papers. He would even look over outlines and drafts. So if you take him up on that, he will pretty much walk you through the whole process. Overall, very worthwhile. Interesting subject and fills both the humanities and 2nd writing requirement. Would definitely recommend it.

Professor Langsam is very quirky. He's definitely enthusiastic about the topic and is very energetic while he lectures. Reading is not necessary. He covers all the points and elaborates on them during lecture. My TA was the bomb. He was funny and informative during discussions. He even offers to look over outlines/drafts for the papers before they are due, which was immensely helpful.

Very Enthusiastic, approachable, receptive to questions. Genuine interest in material and wants students to be as interested as he is. Lectures can sometimes be redundant, but it's helpful sometimes when the material gets dense. Heavy focus on readings

Langsam is an awesome lecturer. He gets really excited about the topic and makes the class interesting because of it. I'd definitely recommend him!

Prof. Langsam is very different. He shakes a lot and is pretty quirky, but really knows his stuff. His lectures are organized and the material is very interesting. Two 6-7 page papers and two 3-5 page papers make up about 90% of your grade, participation in discussions make up 10%.

Langsam is a great lecturer if you can get into Philosophy. This was my first Philosophy class and I thought the material was really interesting. Format is straight-forward: two big papers and two small papers for the final - all graded by your TA. Foster a good relationship with your TA right away.

dont get Cohen for TA-- worst TA I have had at this university

I found this course interesting. With regards to information, you don't need the course packet at all, he covers the material very clearly in class. However, you DO need the Course Packet for citations in papers. Not a very difficult course, even if you don't really do the reading.

Langsam is passionate about what he does, but I personally had a hard time getting into it. Avoid sitting in the front few rows unless you don't mind his extremely loud voice.

The TA was really cool. the class is fun but it can get boring. Langsam is a nice man. There is only two or three papers. That is a plus. but some of the reading is archaic.

you have to read something and write about it three times. pretty easy

if you take the class heavily depends on TA, as they decide your grade- if you get sam duncan either drop the course or switch TA's-- he is horrible and your grade will suffer

Easy, but a waste of time. Take 154 in the spring instead.

I never wanted to take philosophy, but this topic sounded great and I'm very glad I took it. Lectures are very cohesive and Langsam gets SO excited over material, moreso than any professor i've seen. he paces around kind of hunched over waving his arms frantically, its really funny at times and definitely gets your attention. You always get to pick one of several paper topics and there are no tests, so you don't need to come to class very often to know information for papers (and really just reading alone would suffice for them if you wanted). Very fun class with an applicable topic to everyone, looking at if we are moral, social, or hedonistic in nature... i definitely reccomend it.

This class was horrid. I ended up never going to lecture and never doing the reading and got a B. It wasn't hard, it was just torturous pointless argumentation having little to do with what I think of when I think of human nature. Not what I was expecting. Langsam is a good professor though, and I would recommend taking a course with him -- just not this one.

Langsam is very enthusiastic, and the readings were chosen very well. This class works well as an introduction to philosophy at the collegiate level.

This class was decent. I had much higher expectations for it. But, overall, I would recommend this class. There are NO exams what-so-ever, which is really great. You are graded only on papers. We had a total of 4. One thing I would say is do the reading. A lot of the people in my discussion never read, and while you can get by without doing all the reading (except what you would need to write your papers), some it is quite interesting- So, read, people!