kelsey is awesome.

incredibly organized, podcasts, very good at explaining the material. i took him to fill one of my GEs and he has been by far the most entertaining of my professors

This isn't really an intro philo class, its more of an obscure early precursors to philosophy class. Socrates is the last one studied, to say the least. This class was NOT easy in weird ways. Lecture was very complicated and there was no real way to get a decent grade in the class if you didn't go. TA sections were optional, but if you went they would basically help you write the papers. There were 3 papers no midterm and a ridiculously easy final, but it was the papers that killed everyone. Meet with your ta and have them look over it before you turn it in because they have arbitrary and ridiculous grading systems. I ended up with an A- only because my TA liked the papers he pretty much helped write. This class taught me nothing about philosophy I didn't know going into it, and I do NOt recommend it...take a different philo class!

Although the material itself is somewhat dull and not that easy, professor Kelsey makes it interesting and easy to understand. He is a great lecturer and makes the class trully enjoyable. The discussion sections are voluntary and a waste of time but the lectures are great and if you go to those you're guaranteed to understand the material. The whole grade is based on the midterm and the final which are mostly essays so if you're a good writer it's an easy A.

Professor Kelsey is awesome! Philosophy is a hard subject to understand and he made it a breeze. Don't be scared off by the 7 something difficulty rating, it's not that hard. He's very exciting and enthusiastic about what he teaches and he may go off on tangents sometimes, but it's a very enjoyable class. He's a really nice guy and I just absolutely loved this class! Just be sure to make friends with the TA's, but they're usually really nice and willing to help too! I'd say: Take this class, it's a fun GE!

I would have to say that Kelsey is an amazing professor. He is always concerned that his students truly understand what he is teaching. I was a little intimidated when i went to his first lecture, but after a week or so i was compleatly addictied to going to his class. I normaly hate going to class and will make up any excuse not to go. Kelsey actually teaches you in a way that makes you really enjoy what your learning, and excited to go to class! I would say that Kelsey is probably the most interesting professor at UCLA and if you get the opportunity to enroll in one of his classes do it!

When it comes to getting a good grade in his class i would say you should try to go his lectures. In my course the grade was based on 50% midterm and 50% final. If you go to his lectures and really try and understand what he teaches you, you can get an A in the class. His material is tough but he teaches you in a way that grabs hold of you and makes you want to learn. When it comes to TA try and get one that knows what he or she is talking about, because it will halp a lot. However i dont think that the Discussion section is important and i hardly went.

I'm currently taking this class (spring 05) and in my opinion, Prof. Kelsey is a genius. I have no background (or interest) in philosophy, but i really respect the way Kelsey teaches. He explains concepts in the simplest way possible (well, as simple as philosophy can get...) and always reviews difficult concepts in his next lectures.

I email Prof. Kelsey constantly with questions, and he ALWAYS emails me back quickly, and with thorough and long answers that really help clarify the material. There are few professors who do that, so it's much appreciated.

The class itself is midterm 50% and final 50% (both bluebook). I havent taken the midterm yet, but the practice questions Kelsey posts are very challenging.

If you want an easy A, this class is not for you, but Kelsey is an awesome professor, and will challenge you greatly.

Professor Kelsey knows what he's talking about, and wants you to know it too. He will answer questions until he thinks most people understand what's going on; he'll even enter into a long debate or discussion with one student. The material is intriguing, and he expresses ideas well so everyone can grasp it. Take it to see what other people think about the world. The class isn't too difficult. Go to section to talk and think over all the material.

If you want to think, be challenged, but come out knowing something else in the world, take him. Kelsey is definitely a good professor and very concerned about his students. His lectures are fun and thought-provoking.

Because of Professor Kelsey, I want to be a Philosophy major. That pretty much sums it up. Kelsey is an amazing teacher; the concepts of Philosophy 1 are very complex but I can honestly say that I walked out of each lecture interested, if still perplexed. On that note, if you're planning on taking this class, GO TO LECTURE. His tests revolve completely around them; doing the reading just won't cut it. However, if you know your stuff, the exams should be difficult but manageable. Same for grading; the TA's were tough but seemed fair, at least in my case.

I even think this class was worth getting up on Friday. Kelsey is a great professor, and if he can't get you into phil, no one can. TAKE IT.

At first, I did not think that Kelsey was a good professor since I always seemed lost after walking out of lecture. However, after getting a B/B+ on the midterm without having read much of the text (i.e., how I did on the midterm was based largely on knowledge from the lectures that I went to), I realized how great a professor he really is. The material is very dense (which was why I gave up reading the text early on in the quarter) and is very difficult to understand without having it explained to you, which was why going to lecture was very important. He explains things pretty well and is always happy to address students' questions, which is perhaps his weak point because he takes so much time addressing questions that he does not get to lecture on the material as thoroughly as he might want to. Also, he tends to get carried away with his explanations where it comes to a point that it seems like he is having a one-on-one conversation with the student with the question, leaving the rest of the class confused as he goes further into detail on the topic with that one student. Also, the tests are difficult - hand-cramping essays, lack of time, and picky TA's all combine to form quite an ordeal. Nevertheless, he is an awesome teacher that will help you know the subject very well, and if you're willing to sacrifice the effort, taking Kelsey will certainly be worth your toil.

Professor Kelsey is THE most AWESOME. He is very patient and dedicated to his work. He cares about helping students and very welcoming and approachable. Some profs are weirdos-they're condescending, intimidating, and make you feel dumb. Kelsey is really nice and I always felt better after talking to him. If you have trouble with the material, which you most likely will because philosophy is that junky kind of abstract subject where there is an infinite amount of options to every single little detail and it's very confusing especially the first time you take a phil class...Yeah that sucks but he makes it better. Great lecturer, but always runs out of time because he takes the time to answer everyone's questions (which is the only negative aspect...he's TOO nice and the questions are often repeats and/or stuff that should not be discussed during valuable lecture time.
BE CAREFUL about his TAs...grading is tough and picky in ways you'd never imagine. Exams are hard because there r lots of ESSAYs and not enough time.
basically, TAKE Kelsey's class.