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).

outstanding passionate teacher

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.

He's a very good lecturer who can make boring subjects entertaining. One weird thing is that he doesn't allow any electronics in class at all, but it's not really a problem when you get used to it. I was generally fine with not doing the readings and just attending lectures. Generally doesn't force anyone to talk, no required lecture attendance.

Russ is the epitome of a 5/5 philosophy professor. He is the most intelligent man I have ever met. He is very effective in communicating and facilitating conversations around difficult philosophical topics. He can sometimes be a bit snarky and condescending, but once you get used to his teaching style, this class is incredible.

Amazing professor and lecturer. Took his Intro to Ethics class (241) and really enjoyed it. Exams consisted of 3 essays, but he gives you the questions 5 days before the due date. He doesn't allow technology in class, but I really enjoyed the lectures. There is no textbook. He explains complex topics extremely clearly. Overall, great professor.

Super good dude, lectures just pretty boring/long - doesn't allow any technology in class. Other than that, class is graded on 3 essays (cake) and a quiz about every other week (layup).

Pretty solid guy. His lectures are a bit boring and long but he does a lovely job explaining the concepts. My class had pop quizzes given by the TAs that were pretty hard because it covered many pages of readings. The exams were essay format and we were given about 4 or 5 days to complete them. VERY REASONABLE.

Super nice guy, really easy to talk to. He definitely gives you a lot of reading but if you skip one it won't kill you. He is a really engaging speaker too, makes sure we know what he's talking about. I would take another class with him for sure.

Amazing professor, genuinely cares about his students and his grading is very fair. Not easy but you will get a lot out of his classes, well worth taking.

Really easy class. He provides you the readings on pdf. If you read them and attend lecture you should be fine. Class composed of three exams and some pop quizzes normally given during discussion. Provides you with the same exact exam questions one week before so if you complete them & memorize them you can easily get an A.

Readings for every class. He does not use a power point, and just lectures. His lectures are super interesting. He is an awesome guy and definitely one of my favorite professors. He made the content super interesting. Exams were sort of tough because you have to make sure you explain thoroughly, but otherwise not too bad. Highly recommend.

Russ is one of the more brilliant professors I've had. While I'm no philosophy major, he's amazingly coherent and has great examples to support the readings. Lecture really clarified these readings, so I would never recommend to skip. Also, he did not appear to have a large influence in grading.

This class is only an easy A if you really prepare for exams and quizzes. The material is actually interesting. The readings can get a bit lengthy and boring, but Russ' lectures make the readings come alive and you actually understand what is being said.

Office hours were a little awkward. Our class discussions sometimes dragged along since they were based on the readings, which weren't always super interesting. The papers were kind of hard to write because the readings that I found most interesting made their points well, and I felt like I couldn't refute them. Grade based on 3 3-4 page papers.

Professor is nice but class is boring and pointless. He never lets out early or cancels class even though the same thing is being taught day after day, over and over. Readings are assigned for each class and are basically all the same to the point where they run together. Grade based solely on 3 papers.

Very friendly prof, you can tell he has a passion for philosophy. Make sure you come prepared with a question on the reading though, because he will randomly call on people in lecture!

GO TO LECTURES. He gives all the main points from your readings, which can be very confusing, and lays them out so they're easier to understand. It helps so much on the quizzes and tests, because you have at least the basics of what he wants, and the quizzes and tests are all critical analysis, so they can be hard.

Really cool professor! I only took 341 to fulfill my ethics requirement for the business school, but it ended up being one of my favorite classes ever. Russ does a great job explaining the articles and helps you to formulate your own opinions on these controversial subjects and be able to defend them in logical manner.Great guy and great class!

Amazing professor. Provides great insight into the readings with interesting philosophical examples. Pretty sure he only teaches in the fall though FYI. Try to study for quizzes right away so that you can drop the last 3 instead of dropping the first 3 like I had to.

Very good prof. Three exams, all essay prompts are given a week in advance. Go to lecture because he will outline each reading into master arguments and you just put those into the essay prompts and a little of your own thought. If you don't go to lecture, doing the exams would be difficult. Eight easy quizzes, lowest three are dropped.

I took his meaning of life course during the summer session. When I registered I didn't know that this was course offered to the community with more than half of the class over the age of 40. I stopped attending lectures after I received my grade from the first paper. For a philosophy major this class is a joke and a very easy 3 credit A.

Took his meaning of life course offered during the summer session. Personally, I think he's fantastic. I was happy just to sit and listen to him talk, because he's just smart and clever. He slowly gave out little tidbits about his personal life, which were usually pretty funny and sometimes quite personal. Extremely clear presentation of arguments.

Amazing professor! He was always clear about exams and lectures were usually very interesting. You must go to lecture since half of what is on his exams are straight from lecture. If that's not a problem (which it shouldn't be, we are in college) then it should be an easy A.

Incredible professor. Clearly interprets the readings for students. Listens to students' opinions. DIscussions generated from lecture are entertaining. Interesting material whether you are into philosophy or not. Tests are very straightforward and easy but require preparation to do well on. TAKE THIS COURSE!

I took this class over the summer, and it was a very interesting and easy course. I walked out with an AB and had I put forth a tad more effort would have been an A. There are no surprises in his tests, and his lectures are a joy to sit through.

Took this class over the summer, was interesting, and Russ is a knowledgeable and captivating speaker. Tests are okay, lecture extremely important to go to. Learned a lot in this class and would recommend it. Over the summer didn't have homework, just a quiz and two tests, not sure how it is for a semester. Good class, takes some effort to do well

This was very easy. Three 25% essay midterms with 9 questions given before hand and 2 are on exam. The other 25% is quiz grades and there were about 8 quizes and your best 5 scores counted. The professor was also enjoying to listen to. I went to every lecture. I think it was important to have good lecture notes to study for the essay questions.

RSL may be my favorite prof of college. He is engaging, friendly, and he really knows his stuff. Plus, the class is great: 3 essay exams consisting of two questions from 8 that are distributed beforehand. No tricks. The readings are short, relevant, and interesting, so I actually enjoyed doing them. Finally, the TA, Jeff, is a good guy too!

Very friendly and helpful if you come to class. Hard grading, but always willing to help.

This is a good class. 3 non-cumulative exams (including final). Essay questions are distributed beforehand and he chooses 2 to write on during the exam. Overall interesting topics, some a little more boring than others. Good lecturer, funny guy, and great class.

He got me...

so hard.

His class was sort of a joke. His discussions were superficial and philosophically obvious, and he would pretend that he was the originator of an objection. Just academically dishonest, in my view. Of course, the class was easy; he didn't expect much.

I loved his class. I was working third shift when I took it, so I missed a lot of lectures, but the tests were still relatively easy to prepare for. He's a very nice man, very open to student opinions and ideas (even stupid ones), and if you want him to like you try and talk to him about fine wines. Highly recommended.

What an easy class... Didn't change my views. But still interesting. He also makes himself very clear in lecture.

Russ for Us! I'm a junior, and Russ is the man. He is BY FAR my best professor ever.

Not a bad class. Questions for the exam are given ahead of time and if know all of them, guaranteed a very good grade in the class. Prof is very clear while giving his lectures. Pretty low work load for a four credit class.

He is an amazing professor. Definitely take a class w/ him if you can.

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he is AWESOME.....

Russ is an AWESOME professor. He is very helpful and doesn't try to force views down your throat. Presents information in a interesting manner. Likewise, his test questions are given before hand, and he choses from them. If you pay attention in lecture you won't have to do the readings. I love this guy.

Excellent, I was always exhausted when I came into class and within minutes his lecture woke me up and kept me engaged.

Take a seminar with Shafer-Landau. He is engaging and smart. He has his views, but he will never disrespect you even if yours are different. He is also great at patching up a theory before dismantling it, the sign of a great philosopher.

I hate philosophy, but I loved this class. Readings aren't that tough, and TA's do a good job explaining things in discussion. Couldn't believe there is a philosophy professor that believes similarly to what I do... Russ is an objectivist and uses his book to prove his views. Engages class, tries to keep you interested...good prof.

Good Teacher, tries to engage class, but I think it was too early for all the philosophy!

Good guy, good class.

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This guy is fairly commited to his cause, which is ETHICAL OBJECTIVISM. Therefore, if you disagree with this worldview, take this course. If not, you might as well sit at home and watch TV like you're probably already doing.