Historical instructor

RUSS SHAFER-LANDAU

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.52/5 from 52 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

PHIL241 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Loved having Russ as a professor
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PHIL241 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
The greatest of all time
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241 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
AMAZING LECTURER! I loved this course, so engaging. Only critique is it is difficult to get an A, any receive ABs/Bs. I enjoyed the format of the exams; essay formats in-person, but giving ideas of what we would be writing about beforehand and was open to interpretation based on your opinions of different theories.
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PHIL241 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Professor gave incredible lectures that made material very easy to understand. Didn't do a single reading and still got a high A. Super funny and very open to questions and discussions during and after class. The grade was decided mainly on our final exams (papers) but they were graded very leniently and weren't long at all (less than one page).
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PHIL241 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
outstanding passionate teacher
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241 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Russ is fantastic, he makes lecture fun and worth coming to. My two critiques are that there are so many readings (as expected but just a lot), and the fact that it's really easy to get a B but super difficult to get an A. The in-class quizzes were so hard, but the papers were always graded with some grace. Very sweet guy though.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with RUSS SHAFER-LANDAU

No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.

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Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

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Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2026PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2026PHILOS 999Independent Work
Fall 2025PHILOS 241Introductory Ethics
Fall 2025PHILOS 549Great Moral Philosophers
Fall 2025PHILOS 799Directed Study
Fall 2025PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2025PHILOS 241Introductory Ethics
Spring 2025PHILOS 701Reading Seminar
Spring 2025PHILOS 941Seminar-ethics
Spring 2025PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2024PHILOS 241Introductory Ethics
Fall 2024PHILOS 549Great Moral Philosophers
Fall 2024PHILOS 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2024PHILOS 682Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2024PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2024PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Spring 2024PHILOS 541Modern Ethical Theories
Spring 2024PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2024PHILOS 999Independent Work
Fall 2023PHILOS 241Introductory Ethics
Fall 2023PHILOS 549Great Moral Philosophers
Fall 2023PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2023PHILOS 549Great Moral Philosophers
Spring 2023PHILOS 701Reading Seminar
Spring 2023PHILOS 941Seminar-ethics
Spring 2023PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2022PHILOS 241Introductory Ethics
Fall 2022PHILOS 549Great Moral Philosophers
Fall 2022PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2022PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2022PHILOS 999Independent Work
Fall 2021PHILOS 241Introductory Ethics
Fall 2021PHILOS 701Reading Seminar
Fall 2021PHILOS 941Seminar-ethics
Fall 2021PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2021PHILOS 999Independent Work
Fall 2020PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Fall 2020PHILOS 549Great Moral Philosophers
Spring 2020PHILOS 241Introductory Ethics
Spring 2020PHILOS 701Reading Seminar
Spring 2020PHILOS 941Seminar-ethics
Fall 2019PHILOS 141The Meaning of Life
Fall 2019PHILOS 241Introductory Ethics
Fall 2018PHILOS 141The Meaning of Life
Fall 2018PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Spring 2018PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Spring 2018PHILOS 941Seminar-ethics
Spring 2018PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2017PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Fall 2017PHILOS 541Modern Ethical Theories
Fall 2017PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2015PHILOS 941Seminar-ethics
Spring 2015PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2015PHILOS 999Independent Work
Fall 2014PHILOS 141The Meaning of Life
Fall 2014PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2014PHILOS 999Independent Work
Spring 2014PHILOS 541Modern Ethical Theories
Spring 2014PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2014PHILOS 999Independent Work
Fall 2013ILS 371Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts and Literature
Fall 2013PHILOS 304Topics in Philosophy: Humanities
Fall 2013PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2013PHILOS 941Seminar-ethics
Spring 2013PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2012PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Fall 2012PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2012PHILOS 541Modern Ethical Theories
Spring 2012PHILOS 599Directed Study
Spring 2012PHILOS 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2012PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2012PHILOS 999Independent Work
Fall 2011PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Fall 2011PHILOS 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2011PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2011PHILOS 999Independent Work
Spring 2011PHILOS 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2011PHILOS 692Senior Thesis
Spring 2011PHILOS 941Seminar-ethics
Spring 2011PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2010PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Fall 2010PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2010PHILOS 999Independent Work
Spring 2010PHILOS 541Modern Ethical Theories
Spring 2010PHILOS 799Directed Study
Spring 2010PHILOS 941Seminar-ethics
Spring 2010PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2010PHILOS 999Independent Work
Fall 2009PHILOS 104Special Topics in Philosophy for Freshmen
Fall 2009PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Fall 2009PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2009PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2009PHILOS 999Independent Work
Fall 2008PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2008PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Spring 2008PHILOS 941Seminar-ethics
Spring 2008PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2007PHILOS 104Special Topics in Philosophy for Freshmen
Fall 2007PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues
Spring 2007PHILOS 341Contemporary Moral Issues

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance 
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