PHIL 1060
Present Moral Problems
An investigation of a range of contemporary moral issues and controversies that draws on philosophical ethics and culturewide moral considerations. Topics may include: racism, world hunger, war and terrorism, the distribution of income and wealth, gender discrimination, pornography, lesbian and gay rights, abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment. The aim of the course is to present diverse points of view regarding these topics and to provide conceptual and theoretical tools that enable the student to make headway in thinking carefully and critically about the issues.
Instructors
Anne Baril, Baril, Eric Brown, Gardner, Jason Gardner, Kit Wellman, Mallon, Ronald Mallon, Wellman, William Bell
Reviews
2 or less hrs/week
professor baril is an AMAZING professor, highly recommend going to her office hours because she gives you feedback on the assignments + final paper so you have time to revise before submitting
12/28/2024
2 or less hrs/week
chill, Baril tends to go over things a lot (like a lot) but other than that it's an interesting class
12/2/2024
One of the sweetest and most approachable professors. Incredibly organized, passionate, and always willing to help. Lead interesting lectures. Mapping assignments can be tedious, but overall not too much work. I had a health emergency during finals and Baril was the most understanding of all my professors. Definitely cares about her students!
10/22/2024
Amazing professor. Class topics are quite interesting, and she encourages everyone to contribute. You can miss up to 3 classes, miss more and lose 15% of your total grade. Attendance is strict; nevertheless, she always learns the students names and is willing to meet outside of class. Email responses are somewhat slow. No exams or quizzes.
10/1/2024
2 or less hrs/week
honestly not a bad intro philosophy class, super basic introduction to applied ethics with some interesting subjects (just war, gender in society, etc.). our TA matthew was a pretty easy grader as well
7/7/2024
2 or less hrs/week
Not a problem course. The TAs grade the weekly writing kinda harshly but you can get feedback before submitting. Taking it pass/fail and doing well at beginning means you can skip the final project and stop going to class, which means you're done about 3 weeks early
5/21/2024
2 or less hrs/week
Lecture based class. The lectures are the exact same as required reading. No participation necessary. Essays graded very nicely (average was like a 95).
5/18/2024
Baril is a great teacher and the readings and learning checks are very rewarding as they often come up in other classes. The grading scale makes it easier for students to get a good grade. The final project is all up to you and besides the beginning module, the class is very interesting.
3/24/2024
I mean this guy is super cool and fun, but the grading is just too tough! I get the only B in my entire four years for this program! Guy does not tell your final exam so be ready to get amazed by your low af grade!
1/30/2024
Absolutely incredible professor. Every class was a joy to attend (even at 8:30) just to hear Kit's dynamic and oftentimes hilarious lectures. Classes are structured interactively and everyone works together to figure out the arguments behind papers. Lots of mandatory reading and tests require a lot of memorization, but it's worth it just for Kit.
12/10/2023
Present Moral Problems serves as a great Intro to Philosophy course! Prof. Baril sparked discussions in every class and lectures were always lively! A mix of take-home exams and projects spread throughout the semester; take notes and attend office hours for help and you'll be fine! Prof. Baril was always enthusiastic and made class enjoyable!
8/5/2023
Professor Baril is a great professor, and even though my class was a bit quieter, she never failed to make every topic really interesting to discuss. Initially, I wasn't excited to take PMP, but it was my favorite class so far at WashU!
5/23/2023
Kit Wellman is the best professor WashU has ever seen. This class is hard because the exams are memorization based, and there are only 2 exams. That said, I have never learned so much about ethics in my life, nor thought so deeply about issues outside of a class. TAKE IT
3/28/2023
Professor Baril is by far one of the best professors iv had here at WashU. Her lectures are engaging because she is always enthusiastic and encourages conversation. Her expectations are made clear from the beginning and she isn't harsh in grading. As long as you keep up with the readings, her courses are fairly easy.
3/23/2023
A very kind person and instructs Present Moral Problems in an engaging, approachable way. A bit of an adjustment at the beginning to such a discussion-based class but the topics are very interesting. Only tricky thing is the writing assignments, which take quite a bit of time from experience, but put in the work and you'll succeed.
1/16/2023
This class changed how I think. Kit has discussion-based lectures, so there's a lot of room to participate and help yourself understand the material. He is very passionate about what he teaches, and he inspired me to love the material and be passionate about life. Do the daily summaries and read the essays and you'll learn a lot.
1/7/2023
I'd take Kit 100x again: amazing philosopher, lecturer, and human being. Class was at 8:30 and I never thought about skipping it. Explains well bc he knows content is hard. Actually cared and remembered little things about us. Butyour grade is only based on 4 things and the TA graded mad hard. Reading-heavy. Learn early what na critical analysis is
1/3/2023
Wellman is incredible. I was scared to take a philosophy class but no regrets. Class is summarizing readings and students volunteering to share/ask clarifying questions. He's enthusiastic, passionate, thoughtful, and makes philosophy approachable for anyone. He truly cares about his students and is invested in their success. Class is entertaining.
12/18/2022
Professor Baril is an incredibly kind and caring professor. She stumbles a lot while giving lectures but you can tell she's passionate and is really trying her best. I dropped the class because I didn't feel like the class discussions adequately prepared me for writing the papers. I would have switched it to an audit if the deadline hadn't passed.
11/11/2022