PHIL 1030
Problems in Philosophy
Introduction to philosophical methods and concepts through an investigation of major issues in Western philosophy such as: what counts as knowledge; truth and belief; the existence of God; the mind-body problem; materialism and idealism; moral theory and concepts of justice. A range of historical and contemporary views on these issues will be considered. The aim of the course is to prepare students to think and write about philosophical problems on their own.
Instructors
Allan Hazlett, Amanda Evans, Andreacute Rosolem Sant'Anna, Boyd Millar, Brandon Towl, Brian Talbot, Chris Dorst, Christopher Colacchia, Cynthia Schossberger, David Kaplan, Emily Crookston, Eric Brown, Frederick Eberhardt, Jason Gardner, Julia Staffel, Nicholas Koziolek, Rebecca Copenhaver
Reviews
LOVED this prof and this class! Problems in Philosophy is a great intro to the subject, and the material is super interesting. One thing to note is you have to consistently do well--there's no room for a bad grade bc it won't get averaged out--but it's not hard to do well on everything as long as you do the readings and pay attention!
5/8/2026
Fun and interesting lecturer with good discussions.
1/24/2026
This is for Problems in Philosophy. His lectures were very interesting and covered a broad variety of topics (so if one week doesn't interest you just wait until the next). Attend lectures as much as you can! Though I would say that having good discussion and posing good questions is more important for your participation grade.
12/22/2025
Professor Gardner is clearly very knowledgeable about phil and does a decent job teaching the course. It's just very monotonous if you aren't super passionate about philosophy. He's not a mean grader-- just fair, and even though he doesn't take attendance, it will factor into your participation grade. He's very honest--all around nice guy.
12/15/2025
Great intro philosophy professor. If you do the readings (~40 pages/week) and write the reflections (>300 words, >500 for extra credit) you'll get at least a 100% on every homework. And if you're a good writer and willing to put in a bit of effort, you'll get an A on the essays.
11/20/2025
Homework is all completion and takes like 2 minutes if you do the readings (I did not). Attendance isn't mandatory, but there is a participation point thing, so if you miss classes, you better speak a lot. Cool professor that had great, in-depth responses to basically every philosophical thing you threw at him.
6/19/2025
If you want a introductory philosophy course, take it with him. Very manageable and most of your grade is based on homework, which are reflections on the weekly readings. There are no tests -- only reflections and essays. Half of the class is discussion based within your small group. Very chill, grading is reasonable, and he gives extensions.
4/20/2025
This is the best professor I had. Whoever gets her is so lucky! She taught me ethics and I loved this subject because of her. she is very humble, kind, caring, and eager to help.
12/18/2024
2 or less hrs/week
avoid hazlett,, he will actually talk ur ears off. so disappointed in this class..
5/23/2024
He is decent (at best). Do not waste your time. Not even a professor he's a lecturer so at the very least there is no need for him to shame students or treat them so poorly.
5/18/2024
2 or less hrs/week
not sure that the professor i took it with still teaches, but easy course and some of the readings were interesting. i hadn't taken a philosophy course before and that wasn't a problem. our grade was all based on 3 essays that were graded really easily, but that probably varies with different sections
5/18/2024
Poorly taught class, everything is graded by the TA. Student Beware, you will not earn above a B in his classes. Make sure you put this class on pass/fail early on because professors and TAs will give out high grades during the beginning of the semester.
5/11/2024
Not sure about for other classes as it seems there were some issues, but for this class specifically he was totally fine. Lectures could get dry but not horribly. Assignments were so reasonable and his TA was the most helpful, kind, and knowledgeable TA I've had.
4/22/2024
Classes were hit and miss. Some days were interesting and thought-provoking, while others were incredibly dull. Overall a decent professor
12/14/2023
Jason was kind as a professor. He offered extensions as long as the privelege isn't abused. The class itself is relatively boring. If you participate during class, your grade should be fine. Expect homework based on the readings after each class. Not the most engaging class and essay assignments were more difficult than expected. Only 3/semester.
11/20/2023
A lot of the reviews here are really poor but I've had an abnormally good experience with professor Hazlett. His class was really easy and fun to attend. He yaps A LOT though and 99% is completely irrelevant to the course though. If you enjoy that kinda thing and an easy A take this course !!!
11/12/2023
Really great lecturer and explains complex philosophical concepts in an easy to understand manner. Clearly extremely knowledgable on anything within the realm of the philosophy of the mind.
9/28/2023
Dr. Evans is relatively young, which is nice because she understands what the college student experience is and is good with technology. Her expectations on papers are super clear-cut and she tries to make philosophy as little intimidating as possible. If you want an introduction to philosophy, Phil 120F is a great place to start.
4/17/2023
I took Phil 120F with Jason. I'm not sure why his rating is only 3/5. The pros most certainly outweigh the cons. He is a great, engaging lecturer who makes sure students enjoy class time through dialogical, classroom discussion. These discussions include several deep, interesting thought experiments! He is, however, a little tough on essay-grading.
5/18/2022