Professor
Joshua Armstrong
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2017 - This was my first philosophy class and honestly I feel like I lucked out. Armstrong is a fantastic professor: really engaging and helpful (definitely go to office hours if you're still confused!). I also had a great TA, so the discussion sections were perfect for clearing up any lingering questions. The grade consisted of: 1. Weekly quizzes (about two questions long. One question about topics covered in the previous week and one question about topics covered in the readings) [20% of grade] 2. One short paper (like a page long; served as a sort of tester paper so you get used to the formatting of writing a philosophy paper) [5% of grade] 3. Two longer papers (4-5 pages; one due around midterms and one due around finals) [30% of grade each] 4. Discussion Attendance/Participation [15% of grade] I rated the workload as "neutral" because there is quite a bit of reading, but the grade is essentially the papers. I'd definitely recommend attending lectures, Armstrong really clarified a lot of the readings. Philosophy readings can be pretty confusing to follow (and contain a lot of ideas) Armstrong definitely narrowed down the scope of the papers and talked about the important points. I wouldn't consider the class difficult, because it's really just a matter of giving some genuine thought to the topics and then articulating them via the papers/quizzes/discussions. It's all about how you've taken in the information and formulated your own thoughts/opinions about the material. Armstrong and my TA really stressed that they enjoy seeing students engage with the material and contribute their own ideas.
Spring 2017 - This was my first philosophy class and honestly I feel like I lucked out. Armstrong is a fantastic professor: really engaging and helpful (definitely go to office hours if you're still confused!). I also had a great TA, so the discussion sections were perfect for clearing up any lingering questions. The grade consisted of: 1. Weekly quizzes (about two questions long. One question about topics covered in the previous week and one question about topics covered in the readings) [20% of grade] 2. One short paper (like a page long; served as a sort of tester paper so you get used to the formatting of writing a philosophy paper) [5% of grade] 3. Two longer papers (4-5 pages; one due around midterms and one due around finals) [30% of grade each] 4. Discussion Attendance/Participation [15% of grade] I rated the workload as "neutral" because there is quite a bit of reading, but the grade is essentially the papers. I'd definitely recommend attending lectures, Armstrong really clarified a lot of the readings. Philosophy readings can be pretty confusing to follow (and contain a lot of ideas) Armstrong definitely narrowed down the scope of the papers and talked about the important points. I wouldn't consider the class difficult, because it's really just a matter of giving some genuine thought to the topics and then articulating them via the papers/quizzes/discussions. It's all about how you've taken in the information and formulated your own thoughts/opinions about the material. Armstrong and my TA really stressed that they enjoy seeing students engage with the material and contribute their own ideas.
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2019 - I took this class as a first year and it has impacted how I perceived the world. The professor went in depth in certain topics like genocide and pornography. The class was graded based on 2 papers (I believe) and lecture squibs, which are basically write ups of assigned readings. The ideas presented in class were at times hard to comprehend but TA sessions helped a lot. There is no final for the class. However, the papers took me a lot of time to write and revise since philosophy has never been an easy subject , which is expected. Also attendance wasn’t mandatory.
Spring 2019 - I took this class as a first year and it has impacted how I perceived the world. The professor went in depth in certain topics like genocide and pornography. The class was graded based on 2 papers (I believe) and lecture squibs, which are basically write ups of assigned readings. The ideas presented in class were at times hard to comprehend but TA sessions helped a lot. There is no final for the class. However, the papers took me a lot of time to write and revise since philosophy has never been an easy subject , which is expected. Also attendance wasn’t mandatory.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - I loved this class. I learned a lot. Not too difficult. There's a one-page writing assignment every week and an 8-12 page paper for the final. It was all due at the end, so if you have a rough week, it's fine. He just wants you to think deeply about the subject, and the subject is interesting, so it's fun. He's a really nice guy. He's very good at communicating, and he's patient and encouraging.
Fall 2020 - I loved this class. I learned a lot. Not too difficult. There's a one-page writing assignment every week and an 8-12 page paper for the final. It was all due at the end, so if you have a rough week, it's fine. He just wants you to think deeply about the subject, and the subject is interesting, so it's fun. He's a really nice guy. He's very good at communicating, and he's patient and encouraging.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2021 - Grading: 4 persuasive essays 400 word min (given at the beginning of quarter and due at the end), pick 6 essay question for midterm (600 word min), pick 5 essay questions for final (3 short responses and two long). The class was pretty easy, all information was on the slides and in the readings (assigned at least two weekly about 12-26 pages). Professor Armstrong is very nice and wants his students to be engaged in class the TA I had was a joke but the class was fairly easy so not a big deal. Just keep up and begin essay questions early and you should be fine
Fall 2021 - Grading: 4 persuasive essays 400 word min (given at the beginning of quarter and due at the end), pick 6 essay question for midterm (600 word min), pick 5 essay questions for final (3 short responses and two long). The class was pretty easy, all information was on the slides and in the readings (assigned at least two weekly about 12-26 pages). Professor Armstrong is very nice and wants his students to be engaged in class the TA I had was a joke but the class was fairly easy so not a big deal. Just keep up and begin essay questions early and you should be fine
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