PHIL 2060

Simmons was definitely a great professor. The class was really interesting and brought forth a lot of interesting concepts for people to dwell upon and think about. His lectures could be dry at times, but there wasn't a lot of reading. The reading can be dense though. Would recommend this course.

I really want to know what class everyone here is talking about. This was the most boring and unmotivating philosophy course I've ever taken, and I'm in the major. Simmons is NOT a compelling lecturer, but he is good at telling funny stories. So is my grandfather. Basically your grade in this class is dependent on your TA, because if he/she sucks, then discussions will suck, your paper grades will suck, and this class will suck. But overall, I wouldn't recommend this class without lots of coffee and an obsessive interest in law (it's more law than philo anyway)

Simmons is a great lecturer and the material is very interesting. However, I would NOT take this class on the basis of TAs. They are the sole determinants of your grades and the grading is done in a very arbitrary manner. Cohen seems to grade more harshly than the others and I would strongly discourage taking his discussion section if you do take this class.

This class was actually very nice in the sense that Prof. Simmons is a very good lecturer. He really knows what he's talking about and tries to be as clear as he can. That said, if your TA is Alexander Cohen, you are COMPLETELY SCREWED for the class. If you have to take this class and he's your TA, good luck. He's smart and everything, he just has NO IDEA how to teach/grade/TA.

Good: This is a very useful class for anyone who is thinking of going to law school. It is a good survey of the various philosophical problems inherent in the law. It is especially beneficial for a philosophy major\minor, as many of the theoretical ethical systems are applied in practical legal contexts. Simmons makes this class about as entertaining as possible considering how dry some of the material is. He is a compelling lecturer and is skilled at getting students interested in the material.

Bad: Unless you are a morning person, I would really not recommend taking this class at the time it was offered when I took it (9:30). It is extremely hard to pay attention and retain a lot of the material (which at times is complex and very nuanced) first thing in the morning. Your notes would probably also suffer as a result. Many of the readings are very boring, poorly written, and tedious (not surprising as many philosophers are horrible writers).

As for TA, get Meshelski if you can. The discussion section is very useful and she is good at clarifying difficult concepts and showing how the material is related. She is also a very fair grader.

I enjoyed Simmons' lectures and found the course material very engaging. There isn't very much reading, and he goes over the most important points from the reading in class. Grading breakdown is kind of unique for such a large lecture: 30% each for two 4-6 page analytical papers, 15% midterm, 25% final. Ashley Kennedy was a laidback and fair TA.

One of my favorite classes I've taken at UVA! The lectures were informative, interesting, and entertaining. I looked forward to going to lectures. Relatively easy class too. If you have any interest in law and/or philosophy then take this class.

Drop the class or switch discussions if you get Cohen as a TA. Ashley was awesome. Very TA dependent as far as grading goes; Simmons is fantastic, but he's really only going to be doing the lecturing..

This is a very interesting class. I definitely recommend it to someone who wants to take a Philosophy class. Not very difficult, if you study and pay attention during lecture, then you should do fine.

Overall decent class.