PHILOS 130
Philosophy of Space and Time
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Preparation: two philosophy courses or one philosophy course and one physics course. Selected philosophical problems concerning nature of space and time. Philosophical implications of space-time theories, such as those of Newton and Einstein. Topics may include nature of geometry, conventionalism, absolutist versus relationist views of space and time, philosophical impact of relativity theory.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
1 of 1
AD
Most Helpful Review
He seems to be one of the more casual philosophy professors in terms of his lecture style,maybe because he's younger than most of them. He seems to present each topic so that everyone can understand. For those interested in math or science previously to this class it seems a little easy and you see a side of math and science you never saw before. Learning the philisophical side of Galileo, Newton, and Einstein can be very interesting. For those not interested in science or math at all, his lectures and examples are still fairly basic and clear. His reading may be a bit much, and is complememtary to lectures, it is not entirely necessary for the papers, but it is for the in class tests. So depending on his grading style, mainly whether or not he has an in class final, the reading can be simply complementary, or necessary.
He seems to be one of the more casual philosophy professors in terms of his lecture style,maybe because he's younger than most of them. He seems to present each topic so that everyone can understand. For those interested in math or science previously to this class it seems a little easy and you see a side of math and science you never saw before. Learning the philisophical side of Galileo, Newton, and Einstein can be very interesting. For those not interested in science or math at all, his lectures and examples are still fairly basic and clear. His reading may be a bit much, and is complememtary to lectures, it is not entirely necessary for the papers, but it is for the in class tests. So depending on his grading style, mainly whether or not he has an in class final, the reading can be simply complementary, or necessary.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2022 - Preface: I took this class during the TA-strike; the whole class was awarded full participation points. You do not need to be a math genius to take this class. I took logic as a prereq but you don't need to be advanced. The Prof: Dr. Smith is so great. His exams are exactly what he covered in lecture making the material feel a lot less intimidating. He's funny and clearly passionate about teaching. He's deeply invested in his students. I went to office hours every once in a while, he always answered questions clearly and in detail. He's a very popular professor. TA: I had Alonso Molina. Honestly, I would get more confused when he explained things to me BUT I went over my study guide answers with him before the midterm and he helped a lot. He told me what I should pay close attention to and what I could improve on. Again this is just the study guide.. but filling out the study guide helps for the exam. Material/Workload: not bad but not great. Definitely keep up with the readings, try to stay consistent with notes. I usually took notes after lecture but I think that taking notes before would have been an advantage. The material is DRY and convoluted as hell. McTaggart can eat his heart out, I can't stand his theories. Luckily Smith explains it very well. Things get better with Block theory, Growing Block, theories of space, and Minkowski spacetime. It's hard but lecture makes it easier. The material is hard but honestly, Smith makes it worth it. I love philosophy; I'm glad I took this class because now I know what this side of philosophy is. I still prefer Nietzsche, Fanon, and Korsgaard. Exams: 1 Midterm, 1 5-6 page essay, and a final. Stressful but it's what one expects in a philosophy class. You need to keep up with readings though. Exams are generally composed of a series of essay questions (6-7) where you pick two to answer. You are well prepared for them in lecture but to get an A you need to expound upon what was taught in the book. I rephrased things and explained how I taught myself the concepts, I talked about it with my TA, and I created my quizlets. I practiced writing my answers and then I took the exam. It's not easy but you can have a system for it. Overall: Definitely take it. The grade distribution is undeniable. The material is hard but it's digestible. Prof Smith is fantastic and the TA's want you to succeed. This class is much more interested in seeing you do well rather than pick you apart. I would definitely take it again.
Fall 2022 - Preface: I took this class during the TA-strike; the whole class was awarded full participation points. You do not need to be a math genius to take this class. I took logic as a prereq but you don't need to be advanced. The Prof: Dr. Smith is so great. His exams are exactly what he covered in lecture making the material feel a lot less intimidating. He's funny and clearly passionate about teaching. He's deeply invested in his students. I went to office hours every once in a while, he always answered questions clearly and in detail. He's a very popular professor. TA: I had Alonso Molina. Honestly, I would get more confused when he explained things to me BUT I went over my study guide answers with him before the midterm and he helped a lot. He told me what I should pay close attention to and what I could improve on. Again this is just the study guide.. but filling out the study guide helps for the exam. Material/Workload: not bad but not great. Definitely keep up with the readings, try to stay consistent with notes. I usually took notes after lecture but I think that taking notes before would have been an advantage. The material is DRY and convoluted as hell. McTaggart can eat his heart out, I can't stand his theories. Luckily Smith explains it very well. Things get better with Block theory, Growing Block, theories of space, and Minkowski spacetime. It's hard but lecture makes it easier. The material is hard but honestly, Smith makes it worth it. I love philosophy; I'm glad I took this class because now I know what this side of philosophy is. I still prefer Nietzsche, Fanon, and Korsgaard. Exams: 1 Midterm, 1 5-6 page essay, and a final. Stressful but it's what one expects in a philosophy class. You need to keep up with readings though. Exams are generally composed of a series of essay questions (6-7) where you pick two to answer. You are well prepared for them in lecture but to get an A you need to expound upon what was taught in the book. I rephrased things and explained how I taught myself the concepts, I talked about it with my TA, and I created my quizlets. I practiced writing my answers and then I took the exam. It's not easy but you can have a system for it. Overall: Definitely take it. The grade distribution is undeniable. The material is hard but it's digestible. Prof Smith is fantastic and the TA's want you to succeed. This class is much more interested in seeing you do well rather than pick you apart. I would definitely take it again.
1 of 1
