Professor
Mark Johnson
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2020 - I would not retake this class because I did not feel like Prof. Johnson respected his students or our time. Nearly every lecture he went well over the designated lecture time and I would always worry that by leaving class to go to my next class I would be missing important material. He is extremely strict on his grading for the quizzes which is the bulk of the grade however I am writing this review in week 8 and he has not graded a single one of our weekly homeworks so we have no way to assess our learning or get questions answered prior to the weekly quizzes that will ultimately determine our grade. He speaks in a rather condescending tone to his students which creates a hostile environment for asking questions.
Spring 2020 - I would not retake this class because I did not feel like Prof. Johnson respected his students or our time. Nearly every lecture he went well over the designated lecture time and I would always worry that by leaving class to go to my next class I would be missing important material. He is extremely strict on his grading for the quizzes which is the bulk of the grade however I am writing this review in week 8 and he has not graded a single one of our weekly homeworks so we have no way to assess our learning or get questions answered prior to the weekly quizzes that will ultimately determine our grade. He speaks in a rather condescending tone to his students which creates a hostile environment for asking questions.
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2019 - Professor Johnson is a genuine person. He knows the material extremely well, and though he grades a bit tough - he puts more weight on the second paper so people can adjust and write more of an analytic paper. In all honesty, if you’re just looking for an easy class - I wouldn’t recommend this class. That isn’t to say that it’s one of those ‘pain-in-the-ass’ misery-metaphysical hell-holes like Logical Positivism or something... But it does require one to apply themselves and be willing to care. But the material is so interesting and relevant - original Existestentialist doctrine - that it’s easy for one to apply themselves. For me - it didn’t really feel like ‘applying’ myself - I felt like I was going to class out of my own genuine voice and interest in the course. Kierkegaard is very interesting, and Professor Johnson made sure to present lectures with preparation, organization, (some humor here and there), and accuracy. It made for a great quarter.
Winter 2019 - Professor Johnson is a genuine person. He knows the material extremely well, and though he grades a bit tough - he puts more weight on the second paper so people can adjust and write more of an analytic paper. In all honesty, if you’re just looking for an easy class - I wouldn’t recommend this class. That isn’t to say that it’s one of those ‘pain-in-the-ass’ misery-metaphysical hell-holes like Logical Positivism or something... But it does require one to apply themselves and be willing to care. But the material is so interesting and relevant - original Existestentialist doctrine - that it’s easy for one to apply themselves. For me - it didn’t really feel like ‘applying’ myself - I felt like I was going to class out of my own genuine voice and interest in the course. Kierkegaard is very interesting, and Professor Johnson made sure to present lectures with preparation, organization, (some humor here and there), and accuracy. It made for a great quarter.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2024 - This was the second philosophy class I'd ever taken and as a result, it was definitely the most time consuming class in my schedule. Despite it being an upper div, around half the class didn't have experience with philosophy and didn't know how to write a philosophy paper. My TA was Dan Ranweiler and he was extremely helpful in learning how to write the papers, but without him I likely would've been lost. Johnson is a passionate professor but often goes on tangents during class and isn't very good at clarifying the material or philosopher's thoughts. Moreover, the material is interesting but I would advise anyone signing up for the class to make sure they are in a good state of mind if they decide to take it. Learning about evil for 10 weeks can be mentally exhausting and I often found myself feeling a bit depressed throughout the duration of the class. Johnson also has a clear affinity for Nietzsche so he would oftentimes try to push his ideas, even in the weeks where we weren't reading him. Overall, this class definitely improved my critical thinking skills and I have come out of it retaining some optimism (I don't believe human nature is cruel) but it's a lot of work and the reading can be very emotionally heavy so I would advise anyone to proceed with caution.
Fall 2024 - This was the second philosophy class I'd ever taken and as a result, it was definitely the most time consuming class in my schedule. Despite it being an upper div, around half the class didn't have experience with philosophy and didn't know how to write a philosophy paper. My TA was Dan Ranweiler and he was extremely helpful in learning how to write the papers, but without him I likely would've been lost. Johnson is a passionate professor but often goes on tangents during class and isn't very good at clarifying the material or philosopher's thoughts. Moreover, the material is interesting but I would advise anyone signing up for the class to make sure they are in a good state of mind if they decide to take it. Learning about evil for 10 weeks can be mentally exhausting and I often found myself feeling a bit depressed throughout the duration of the class. Johnson also has a clear affinity for Nietzsche so he would oftentimes try to push his ideas, even in the weeks where we weren't reading him. Overall, this class definitely improved my critical thinking skills and I have come out of it retaining some optimism (I don't believe human nature is cruel) but it's a lot of work and the reading can be very emotionally heavy so I would advise anyone to proceed with caution.
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2022 - I loved this professor. I took 177A and 177B with him, and he made the topics actually interesting. He makes a lot of references to art, music, film, etc. which is pretty cool. If you get behind on lectures or are generally lost, he will explain everything in office hours. He is a pretty laid back and understanding guy, I definitely recommend. However, there is not a lot of structure and the schedule is super tentative, so if you are big on strict schedules and such, it might not be for you.
Winter 2022 - I loved this professor. I took 177A and 177B with him, and he made the topics actually interesting. He makes a lot of references to art, music, film, etc. which is pretty cool. If you get behind on lectures or are generally lost, he will explain everything in office hours. He is a pretty laid back and understanding guy, I definitely recommend. However, there is not a lot of structure and the schedule is super tentative, so if you are big on strict schedules and such, it might not be for you.
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