Brilliant and terrifying, and he knows it. In fact, he loves it.

smart guy, smart comment, his accent reminds me of the faceless man from hanniba

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Love the course! Wish I was able to keep up with my readings to enjoy it fuller.

looks like richard gere: brilliant.

Looks Less Like Richard Gere and More Like Ben Stein!

very intelligent, but gives a boring lecture due to the suckage of the material

great prof! bravo! take a course with this man!!!!!

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Amazingly brilliant man. Take a course with him!

Orwin is nothing less than a genius...its all about the hour of power!

brilliant, hard to get to know, but genuinely cares about intelligent students

Orwin is an awesome professor.

Orwin is a VERY smart man- probably one of the smartest in the Polsci department. But his lectures are a little bewildering and intense if you've never taken a philosophy course before

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more fun than students should have!! just don't expect an easy time or high marks. he's orwin; he's right,and you're not. seriously, one of the most entertaining and worthwhile profs to ever strut and fret his hour upon the page.

Orwin is a great prof. His lectures are informative and entertaining. I looked forward to every class!! Even though we don't see eye to eye on everything I learned a lot about reading and studying political theory from him.

If you want to learn from the best, he is it. Brilliant, engaging, unapologetic and frank. The experience is intense and unforgetable; his lectures are illumiating, piercing, everything.

he's a great speaker, witty and intelligent and unrelenting.

Great professor that challenges students to their limits and expects them to put in the time. Forces you to study and that is worthwhile. Insightful to the extreme and will congratulate you if you saw something that he did not. Harvard prof and it shows.

I think thst the lectures really complimented the readings. Orwin challenged the students and I think that as a result I got the maximum. He tends to be a bit "grad schooly" however once you have agreat TA and ask questions you should get at lea

his TA's are awesome. especially the head TA..very helpul and considerate. lectures are VERY challenging but interesting. assignments are relativly difficult but the grading system reflects this(in a good way) take pol200 with orwin!!

Effective, sometimes funny, and deep lecturer-- very thorough in his analysis of topics.

Is a good lecturer, gives a really good introduction to political theory but he teaches with a specific agenda, which i guess could be good..or not

Hard as nails, best of luck wrestling an A from him, but, one of the most interesting lecturers on campus. an fantastic teacher and while he is availible for questions, best of luck understanding his answers. He'll engage those who want, and they won't be dissapointed. Fantastic prof.

Lectures amazing; make your brain work. Although he is expounding a thesis he makes this clear & encourages challenges. Problem: essay topics were not as open-minded; everyone writes on the same highly specific topic & he's looking for a specific answer; no room to explore; very restrictive.

You really should do the readings, esp since lectures are partly based on the reading questions. He's humourous, lectures are engaging/insightful, allows for participation/questions. As said, there is only 1 topic for each of the 2 first term essays (1500 words), but my TA was pretty open. TA knew his stuff. Political theory isn't for everyone.

Pretty good professor. He's very intelligent and understanding. Just one thing bugs me..he reads his lectures. I know he said that it's supposed to help him focus but I personally found it hard to follow.

humurous and extremely intelligent, but lectures are hard to follow and understand, especially for ppl who try to copy down notes by hand. overall, amazing lecturer but not a easy course to get good marks

uh... (wow to above). I found him to be a great prof, and though some of his lectures do get off topic he's not that difficult to follow. Overall a good prof. I had a very good TA though. He does a good job, and I've found that you can talk to him outside class with ease. Pretty good guy from my experience.

Class was way too hard for a 2nd year course; and further, was much more difficult than other sections according to TAs, which is really unfair. On the other hand, he's an award winning Prof, a brilliant lecturer, and I felt lucky to work with him because he really pushes his students. I feel more prepared for 3rd year Political Theory.

Absolutely the best class I've taken so far. His lectures are incredibly interesting and engaging. He is dedicated to including his students in every lecture and pays such close attention to what they are thinking and conveying. He makes the material exciting and fun and I looked forward to every class.

very informative teaching style

if you lean in close when you ask him a question you can hear is brain working--the guy is brilliant. has a pretty good sense of humour, and his family anecdotes are hilarious (especially if you've taken a class with donna orwin). so he's occasionally preachy? the assigments don't require you agree with him. i'd take another class with him.

Best prof I've ever had. An inspiration on all of my future learning.

Agreed: the man is brilliant. HOWEVER, the tutorials were a must in the class because he was so experienced in the literature that he failed to demonstrate a clear picture on a consistent basis. Enjoyable? Yes. Brilliant? Yes. Good delivery of information? No. I got an 82 because I attended tutorials that saved me from his eccentricity.

You can tell he is a very intelligent prof by the way he offers his interpretations. The lectures are really difficult to understand if you don't do the readings before class. Overall, I think this class is difficult, but it's very enjoyable.

Orwin is brilliant at his work although he can be hard on those who go against his own interpretations. He does a good job at taking otherwise boring material and presenting them in an organized and more interesting manner. Not an outstanding professor but he gets the job done. ALSO HE LOOKS LIKE RICHARD GERE.

The most brilliant prof i've met at uoft. Does not try to sugar coat anything or dumb it down for anyone. It's trial by fire, (trust, even some of the TAs find his ideas too advanced and a bit "out there") and those with the intellect will grow by leaps and bounds.

Insightful, analytic, thoughtful -- just brilliant! Yes, he's a hard grader, and you must read all the material before each class -- and there's a lot of material! You have to put a lot into it, but you get a lot out of it. He's also very reasonable and fair one-on-one. One of the best professors I've ever had.

Professor Orwin was amazing! A very insightful and "classic University" teaching style. I hope he used some other teaching methods, but overall, i recommend this course if you like political theory (philosophy heavy). Its either you love him or you hate him though.....most people love him!

Very very smart prof. Really nice guy and very helpful.Lectures can be hard to follow, sometimes drifts off topic into pure philosophy discussion, and contains some high level thinking.Show up to lecture alert and ready to think or its easy to fall asleep. If you can follow a lecture through, well worth it.

I took POL200 with him and found it an amazing experience. I would take another class with him again if I can. He has the greatest teaching style I've encountered so far at U of T. Makes you think and question whatever you are reading/studying. People find him hard, because he is very challenging/NOT AN ELITIST/ this guy knows what he's doing.

He's a great prof! He's an engaging speaker, funny, and tries his best to get to know students despite the large class size. He goes for the old school lecture style without visuals though he did play us a song once, which I really liked, it's better than rushing to write from an over crowded power point. His guided study questions were very useful

Give him credit, he tried to engage students in a 500-seat auditorium. You don't need to read the texts to do well. But you will need to listen to his lectures in person, (listening to recordings isn't as good I found). It is also important to get a good TA (i.e. Lindsay), one who can reiterate his main points.

This class is very difficult. Orwin does an excellent job explaining and interpreting the material. He refers directly to his notes so he doesn't miss anything. He cares deeply about the quality of his lectures and will correct himself subsequently if he thinks it's necessary. Provides study ?s to help focus your reading. Tough class, great prof.

This prof is probably one of the best in the dept. His class is difficult but so extremely rewarding it will stay with you for life! Recommend.

Not a hard prof, doesn't give that many work, but class overall was quite boring. No slides, so you have to sit through the lecture of him talking, usually scripted. you have to enjoy the class and the readings to pull through

Professor Orwin is fantastic but I think many people are unprepared for his expectations and teaching style. He expects that everyone has done their readings and comprehended them. If you have not then his lectures will not make sense. He is great at answering questions and always at his office hours and seems to really enjoy being an educator.

I don't care what anyone says, Professor Orwin is brilliant and deserves tenure at Oxford. I'm just glad Oxford doesn't recognize that. UofT should make him a rich man - doubting that I will ever get a lecturer as brilliantly old-school, sardonic, or incisive as he is. He is helpful and empathetic during office hours.

If you want an A in his class you basically have to go above and beyond to show him how much you care about the course material.

Professor Orwin provides fascinating, deep readings - made me love Classical philosophy and political theory more than I thought possible. The assignments are demanding, but the dedicated TAs and lectures make it worthwhile. It is very possible to ace this course, if you work hard for it.

Prof Orwin lectures like he's delivering a sermon (you get very sleepy). If you can get over this, he's a fantastic prof. I took PHL100 and dealt with similar readings, but Prof Orwin interprets it in a very unique way. I didn't bother reading the books because of that. He's pretty clear but because the content is difficult I wish he'd use slides.

Do not skip lectures because they are very analytical and that is what he is looking for in the essays. Do not skip tutorials as they are easy marks with participation. Don't have to do the readings but they are actually interesting. I must've read 3 of the assigned readings. He doesn't move around but is enthusiastic focus on voice not performance

one in a million prof, quite old school, no lecture slides, just straight lecturing. But if you have even an ounce of interest in government and what makes a good person, orwin has the capability to hold you to your seat. The grading is super easy - I finished my final on an essay topic where I hadn't read either book and got B.

Lecture attendance is mandatory, and I don't know why you wouldn't go- his lectures are fantastic. Course content was a bit dense, but getting an understanding of foundational political philosophy texts was worth it. Not really sure why people are complaining about TAs on a page for rating the professor.

Very knowledgeable, intelligent and friendly prof. Enjoyed every single one of his lectures.

Orwin's POL200 was one of the most insightful, rewarding, and indeed enjoyable classes I have taken at UofT. In lecture participation is actually greatly helpful to grasping the course material. If you truly wish to succeed in this course, you MUST: do and understand the readings, go to and participate in tutorial, and do the the weekly questions.

Professor Orwin is an exceptional lecturer. He made me appreciate all books of ancient and modern political theory and created mystery surround the concepts discussed. He answers every question and replies to every email with a lot of care. He does not use powerpoints but that was great. Overall, amazing course, lifechanging professor.

If you want a good old-fashioned sit down in political theory, Orwin is the prof for you. While many claimed his lectures to be boring or dry, I found them to be exceptional. I've truly gained an appreciation for political theory by taking this course. A somewhat difficult but very rewarding course. Exceptional orator.

People writing bad reviews about Orwin are probably used to material being spoon-fed to them. Sure, he's old school, but his lectures are interesting. You actually feel like you're learning something. You just have to pay attention, because he does a lot of deep analysis of the readings. I thoroughly enjoyed his class and the essays were fun.

I think Professor Orwin might be the best political theory professor I've ever had! He is so clear in his instruction, using really amazing metaphors and examples to convey complicated thoughts. Outside of lectures, he is very accomodating and has a clear enthusiasm for his students, I really really appreciate Professor Orwin!

Professor Orwin is a solid choice. While he is quite old school (ie. no slides), and sometimes talks too fast for anyone with a lower IQ than him to understand, he is still great. He is EXTREMELY knowledgeable and experienced with the material, not to mention passionate. Essays and tests are fair, but you HAVE to put in the work. Tons of reading.

Heavy workload, challenging course, and tough grader. But Prof Orwin is EXTREMELY knowledgeable, approachable, and a fair grader. He is a traditional lecturer, so you will have to take good notes. I was worried because I saw students flaming him, but honestly, if you do what is assigned, this is the most intellectually stimulating course I ever had

Great course, great books, great professor.

Political Philosophy was hard. The lectures were fast-paced and I was pretty lost for most of the class. Orwin's explanations are good and he knows a lot, but he is VERY traditional and you must actively write tons of notes during lectures.

although the workload was hard and sometimes difficult to manage, the lectures were great. Prof was super insightful and has years of experience. As long as you go to class and pay attention you should be ok. Also, I highly recommend attending his office hours.

Professor Orwin us an amazing teacher and he cares about what he is doing. To get the most out of this class you have to engage with the readings, listen and take notes during his lectures, and ask questions. Taking this course improved my inquiry skills and made me a more critical thinker.

If you care about political philosophy, take POL200 with Orwin. He's very knowleadgable and if you can deal with 2 hour lectures and are willing to listen, the class is very rewarding. Gives a good intro to political theory with a classical VS. modern theme. Definitely more difficult than the other class lol they got a notes sheet for the final

The lectures can be exhausting as he reads of a script and provides zero visual aids or slides. So attendance is necessary. Notetaking may seem difficult however, if you organize your notes in accordance to the study questions you will do very well. Tutorials are very helpful, take note of your TAs answer and you will do well.

It is a very difficult class and unless you're using your undivided attention you won't do well. He had excellent discussion and his class was riveting. Given that I get distracted easily, I haven't done as well as I would have wanted (only reason I gave him 4/5). Either way, he is extremely knowledgeable, and worth the effort if you're interested.

Essay, essay, and essays. Interesting Straussian advocate, lectures require student participation. Fun content imo, lectures are imperative since he teaches this class 100% through speech. C- average, most people are lazy so they miss tut/lec and suck at timed writing. Do the work on time and you'll get an A. Applies to every class.