I think my issue was more about the individual philosophers than the professor himself. For those purely skimming reviews to figure out whether or not to take him, my one word response would be "meh"

Content-wise, you're looking at two five page papers (!!!) and an open-note final all worth about a third of the grade each. Fair enough. The prompts in and of themselves are ridiculously vague and subjective, but over the weeks he explains them in such detail that it won't take you very long to write.

The con, however, is that unless you're into philosophy (I'm not), this ain't a walk in the park. Personally, stuff like Marx and Nietzsche makes me really, really want to go away to my happy place. By the end of the course, I realized it was much more of a philosophy course than a political theory course (example: possible final essay question - "what is the nature of reality?" Not so much the political question). IF that's your thing, then by all means...

I ended up with an A-...no complaints there, especially since I didn't like the material. Lectures are long and phil-heavy, and somewhat provides insight on readings. He's super open with students and really welcoming.

It's ironic that this review generally seems favorable because I really, really hated this class. Take what you will from it.

Very interesting man to say the least. He was full of life and knowledge, not only about political science but about so many other aspects in life. The man is not only a genius in political theory, but he is also a psycho analyst who has a tendency of bringing instruments in class to get his ideas across.

The breakdown of the class was: 2 essays each worth 30% and the final which was also 30%. I like that because nothing was more or less important than the other. If you do well on the first two essays, the final won't be that intimidating. The essays are reasonable. You might want to cry when you read the first essay prompt, but don't. He explains everything so well for his students that it is really hard to mess up. He basically outlines what your essay should consist of. The final is open books and open notes and consists of two essays. Don't get too excited that's just as dangerous. If you are planning on taking in notes MAKE SURE TO ORGANIZE THE CRAP OUT OF THEM! Label philosophers and the idea they are talking about on each page! If your notes are organized enough the final will basically write it self out. :) I got an A+ and an A- on my essays and an A- on the final. Ended up with an A in the class. Oh btw... go to discussion even though it is not mandatory so you don't look like a moron when you turn in your paper. There are certain ideas and what not that TAs really clarify, and they have specific preferences that you should follow. My TA was amazing. Absolutely loved her! The main reason I did so well in the class was because of her help.

BE PREPARED TO READ! EVERYTHING! You will NOT get by if you just show up to lecture and expect to retain enough detailed information to do well on the essays or the final. Yes, there was a certain point in the class when I wanted to strangle every philosopher that we were going over. Nonetheless, Wolfenstein tries his hardest to make the class/subject enjoyable and he definitely accomplished that. You learn a lot in his class (not only about political science). Yes, I worked my ass of for the A, but I definitely do not regret it. Wolfenstein is by far the best, most caring, most involved, and most challenging professor I have come across at UCLA.

So I won't steer you towards or away from Wolfenstein. I personally loved the class, but if you just want a class that allows you to get by without really doing much, keep going though the Schedule of Classes and find another one.

Prof Wolfenstein was my first PS professor at UCLA. He was endearing (he sometimes brought a guitar to class and sang and played!), enthusiastic, a great teacher and explained everything very well and was absolutely clear on every point. He posted thorough online notes ever week which were pretty in depth for something that was just a summary.
There were 2 essays and a final, on which there were 2 essay questions. When some one asked how much writing is expected for each essay question on the final, he just said "well bring as many blue books as you think you'll need". I was so exhausted during the final, which i found difficult. However the best part about the final is it is open book! You could bring any notes or books, just not laptop. The first two essays and the final were all 1/3 of the grade.
I ended up getting an A-; I'm a PS major and this class was a great introduction to what I was already interested in. My TA was great too, definitely ask for help or guidance on the essays, which your TA will be grading... therefore they'll have a big impact on what your final grade is. Discussion isn't mandatory, but is helpful if you need clarification on any points.
Take this class if you're ready to read all 4 books (sounds like a lot but he summarizes in class and the reading is interesting anyway), work hard on the essays, and take additional notes in lecture. He's engaging so you won't be bored. I actually looked forward to going to lecture!

I am a Poli Sci major and took this class after being told amazing things about Wolfenstein by a high-school friend who just graduated from UCLA. After taking PS10 with him, I can see why many students think he is so great.

Before I get into the class/prof, I will cut to the chase about the GRADE since that is what you are probably most concerned with. I am a freshman who received an A+ in PS 30 and 40 this year. I am praying that I will receive at least an A- in PS 10. The class is by no means easy. I would strongly recommend avoiding PS 10 with Wolfenstein (not sure about the class with other profs) if you plan on taking it only for a GE or to maybe get a "taste" of PS. If you fit into one of those categories, go take PS 40 with Schwartz and cruise by with an A+ without trying at all.

Like I said, I came into this class knowing it was not going to be easy, and it wasn't. However, even if my GPA suffers because of taking 10 with Wolfenstein, I do not regret my decision. I can say that in my first year at UCLA, I learned the most in Wolfenstein's class and I actually grew as a person. As seen in other reviews, his lectures will inspire you. I know so many people in the class who never attended class because he posted lecture notes with all the relevant facts. But in honesty, if this topic interests you, every lecture will be entertaining. I cannot remember the last time I was so engaged in a class.

It is important to note that taking 10 with Wolfenstein is misleading since the class is "PS 10: Intro to Political Theory." My best friend at UCLA took Philosophy 6 this quarter (Intro to Political Philosophy) and I will say that PS 10 is way more of a philosophy course. If you are looking for a PS class that will analyze the structures of government and reasons for their existence, PS 10 with Wolfenstein is probably not for you. He takes the works of political theorists (Plato, Marx, Locke, and Nietzsche) to an entirely higher level. In short, this class includes ontological, metaphysical, and epistemological ideas that receive equal weight to issues you would expect to receive more focus, such as the origin of the state, nature of justice, and notions of freedom.

I think PS 10 not being what I expected it to be is why I enjoyed it so much. I cannot stress enough that I have not experienced "learning" like this in a formal setting for a very long time. Wolfenstein's lectures provoked many thoughts in me that I actually delved into randomly. If you have any serious interest in trying to get a better understanding of how humans act by nature and such consequences of that nature, I seriously recommend this course. Taking it at the same time as PS 30 gave me an amazing educational experience this quarter (not to sound cheesy). But seriously, ending my spring quarter by trying to tie all these philosophical theories together into one "big picture" made me feel like I am leaving UCLA this summer on a better off note than when I arrived here.