Great professor. The exams are a bit difficult.

At first, the class was really boring, but after the 1st exam, class seemed to get more interesting. He seems to be really passionate about what he teaches. The textbook is not needed, but you do need to attend every class in order to be successful on the tests.

Challenging class, it is not extremely difficult, but it is conceptually difficult. You will have to pay attention to lectures and engage in the discussion board constantly. Also, the tests ARE very difficult. They consist of 5 multiple choice questions (where 3 of 4 are wrong, but all are true. You must find the one that is more true)2 essay ?s

About 12 'pop' quizzes, all open-note. Bring a laptop to take notes. 2 exams with 3 essays each, final exam has 5 essays. It's difficult for a 100 level class, but it's manageable and highly possible to get an A. Do the study guides. Go to class. Do not miss any notes. Dr. Mac, however, if willing to help you a ton, along with his T.A.

Dr. McElhoes was a great professor and I honestly thought the class was interesting. He is very passionate about the field of Philosophy. Three online tests consisting of 2 essay questions. The tests are a bit challenging, but he does give hints as to what to write. Assigns weekly homework and there are pop quizzes.

My first week was stressful, but once I took each assignment one-at-a-time, it all clicked, and the work became surprisingly satisfying. DrMc is an excellent, and generously-grading, professor--if you put in serious effort. Do yourself two favors: do NOT fall behind on your deadlines, and DO participate. This material is helpful for LSAT prep!

This class is essential for those who want to develop the ability to think critically. Every lecture is engaging, and every quiz/exam score you receive reflects the effort you put into the course.

This is a very hard class considering it's only 300 level. Tests and quizzes are extremely tough, but I think you do get the satisfaction out of it. Concepts are so many and difficult. No memorization, just clear thinking.

I would advise some reading glasses if you are planning on taking this class. You're gonna have a hard time reading his hand writing

His tests are difficult to study for, but they are easy to take because you can explain your thought process. I thought his lectures were helpful in understanding the information, but you MUST be there to get the information, so attendance is important, but not mandatory.

This course was quite tedious. Discussions twice a week and expects replies as well. Quizzes and exams are pretty difficult but lets you retake the quiz once more but not for the exams. Professor does try to help make the content clear just be ready to read a lot and study often

I wrote one of the negative reviews, but now I wish i hadn't. His midterms are very tough, and I really wish we had more time for them. However, he grades fairly generously to make up for lack of time, he gives great lectures that are always worth attending, and is a very nice guy in general. Tough for a 100 class, but he is a very good professor.

While the textbook cost me $4 on Amazon, I never actually touched it. He assigns readings but they don't matter because he just tells us exactly what was in it during the lecture. He writes every single thing on the board, so make sure you copy it and you'll be fine for the exams. You definitely have to study and memorize, though. Not a bad class!

great teacher. go to lectures and you'll have almost everything you need to do well. grades fair, just be very specific with answers. decent feedback

He is an amazing teacher. He talks about deep issues that make you think and question your perspective. He is an easy grader if he sees you are trying and interesting in the material. He is so passionate about what he teaches, you will never space out. He is very inspirational.

Prof Mac was dope. I had 5 classes this semester so I didn't get to dedicate as much time as I wanted to to his, but overall I feel I learned a lot. I did most of the discussions and did well on the tests so I got a B, but if you do the term paper and do well you will probably get an A.

I'm in McElhoes's PHI 314 session A summer class right now, and honestly the best online class I've ever taken. His powerpoints are straightforward yet the content is substantial. He explains otherwise complicated theories in lamens terms and is a fair grader. Super interesting topics in this class, and I'm not even a Science person!

Hard class! But McElhoes is enthusiastic/intelligent. Quick to answer questions, gives good feedback. Essay Exams, but not too hard of a grader. Lots of information!!! Optional term paper, if you do bad on quizzes! Would retake his class, but always focus on his lectures, they are fast paced. For an online class, I felt a good teacher connection.

Tough course, but super manageable, just do readings, and actually form opinions of your own, and you'll do excellent. wants you to try hard, but very helpful, responsive, and patient, cares a lot about your learning. By the end you'll notice you're much better at evaluating arguments and will have actualknowedge about the philosophy of science.

I am happy to say that Dr. McElhoes course has been the most intellectually stimulating classes I have taken over my collegiate studies spanning many universities and majors. The course material is undeniably challenging, equally as rewarding, and presented with a degree of clarity that I have yet to experience otherwise in courses at ASU.

Philosophy classes are challenging, but as far as professors go, he's great. He explains every theory and reading thoroughly during class so it's important to never miss. The textbook wasn't required in PHI105 but it helped to sparknotes for the main ideas. Do your best to understand what he's talking about, his tests are short but detail heavy.

Dr. Mac is a really well spoken interesting professor. His lectures are funny and engaging, and while the content can be hard to wrap your head around sometimes, he does a good job of explaining it. He's always super positive and gives great feedback on assignments.

Come to class ready to take notes because that's all the content you'll need to pass. Sit in the middle and closer, if you can, his writing is meh. He has little pop quizzes (3 questions max) but they're open-notes so they're super easy. His big exams are a lot harder but he puts out a study guide. You'll need a green booklet. Fun class!

I am currently in the PHI314 class with this professor and what the reviewer below me says is false, or totally exaggerated. There are readings/lectures every SECOND day, and a really easy discussion assignment due on the off-days that take me 10 minutes. Each chapter/lecture covers 2 or 3 philosophers max, not 10+. It's hard, but perfectly paced.

I love Dr. Mac. He's so passionate about philosophy, and he was always very welcoming during office hours. He always set his schedule around his students, even doing office hours until 7:00PM before the exam. Wonderful guy, forgiving grader if you showed passion in the material.

Your grade comes from 3 exams and 3 assignments. the exam is an essay, so you have to know the concepts. The assignments are pretty straight forward and easy though. Readings are assigned before every class, but are reviewed and explained during class, so you don't really need to read beforehand. Pretty easy overall.

I took this class an elective. The content is heavy and you will need to read, but he gives you class handouts that have all the lecture material in them, so if you read all of them and do his study guides properly before exams it's an easy A. Professor McElhoes is very helpful, available and understanding, you can see he cares about his students.

Dr. Mc is one of those teachers who cares deeply for his students. The class is really difficult because the the tests are all essay tests, and each test is worth 25% of your grade. I cannot recommend enough to do the study guide, if you don't you will fail this class. But, Dr. Mc is amazing and a great teacher, take him if you can.

This professor was extremely knowledgable and really cared about his students understanding the material. He was always available for help and very reasonable. It was my toughest class to date simply because it's a lot of memorizing arguments and such. If I had to take another philosophy class, I would 100% choose McElhoes.

First, I am not a philosophy major. I am studying mathematics, and entering my senior year. The class was very easy for me. Lots of discussion posts, but very easy. Time management is key. Do all the work, read the textbook, and watch the lecture videos. You will be fine. Understanding the material requires a higher level that I am use to with math

I love Dr. Mac and have taken him in two classes. His classes are easy to pass if you do one thing, take very detailed notes and learn them well. He certainly doesn't assign busy work, but it's always the notes that are tested in the classes. Dr. McElhoes definitely awoke my interest for philosophy and logic!

The course I took was a philosophy course, which can be difficult for some, but he made sure you knew all the material and had the tools to pass the assignments for that week. Constant discussions, 3 quizzes, 3 exams, and an optional essay that could replace your quiz scores. Overall, awesome professor! He is always available and always helpful!

100% incredible prof! He's beyond knowledgeable on philosophy. Dr. Mc is reachable outside of class & gives good feedback! Attendance is mandatory since quizzes, hw, & exam times/dates are released ONLY in class. Be sure to read everything he assigns & ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS. Also, there is an optional term paper too for extra credit.

Best Philosophy class

His discussion comments are actually better indications of the material and what he wants you to take away from the course than the lectures... which I feel need to be expanded upon.

Took this class online during COVID. Few assignments, most of grade from exams. Grading criteria is a little unclear, but you get the idea quickly. Exams are detail oriented but open note, including the notes he gave. Lectures are clear and easy to follow, w/ good/fun explanations. Book was not needed. Cares for students, easy to talk to.

Prof. McElhoes is an awesome guy and makes lecture fun. However, the structure of the class is flawed. PHI103 is a prereq for this class, yet we spent half the course reviewing PHI103, meaning we had to rush through the actual hard/new parts (predicate logic). I'm a phi major with no math background and I had to work hard to manage an A.

The teacher seems like an optimistic fella who is passionate about Philosophy. If you do not ask questions about this class and his grading, you will be confused. Many lectures, two papers, discussion posts, and can be stressful with a fulltime job. The class was extremely hard and left me irritated in the begining. Not bad compared to other 420's.

Prof Mac is really into philosophy. That's obviously a good thing. Super thorough.

Dr Mc is the best. He is very understanding & wants to help! People who say negative about him didnt reach out for help or ask him for assistance. He really does care about you & wants you to get an A. His class if tough but thats 400 level classes - he is kick ass & should be given more praise on here. He has helped me so much & deserves credit!

He's a great teacher, and if you need help, he's there! He's very active in engaging with students. I say he's a tough grader, but he does show mercy. He gives a lot of feedback on written work. The structure of the class was set up so it truly helped you learned the material. It isn't an "easy A" but its doable, as long as you're serious!

Lecture every other weekday with discussions required. Quiz every other week, test on opposite weeks. Professor gives great feedback and responds quick, very understanding and willing to work with you. A lot of work but listen to the lectures and be thorough on the tests and you'll be fine, tests are heavily graded, 3 tests 75% of grade.

There were a few essay exams worth 75% of the grade. This seems to have bothered other reviewers here but I enjoyed that. It should be an automatic A if you follow instructions and act on feedback. The textbook was a very easy/interesting read compared to other upper level PHI courses.

"Dr. Mac" is awesome. The course content is fantastic. Heed his warning the first day of the course when he explicitly states, "this course is not for the faint of heart. It will dominate your life for the next 7.5 weeks". He is not kidding. He gives the information for essay exams in his discussion commentary. Do not fall behind.

I really enjoyed this class. DrMc quickly writes long, elaborate responses to questions and does his best to make sure you understand the material. Some of the material is hard to understand (or to keep mentally organized by the end of the 6 weeks), but DrMc seems to be an easy grader (based on the quartile scores on Canvas). Would take again.

Dr. Mc was excellent. I worked with him outside of class for an honors contract, and he would always ask me if I needed help with anything in class. He wants his students to succeed, and he is also accessible after class. This class was difficult for someone who has never taken a philosophy course before, but nevertheless I loved it.

Lectures are very well-organized, insightful, and rigorous.

Lectures are composed of well-written information, examples, and video portions working through the examples. Assignments are unlocked sequentially as you complete lessons, so time management is important. Dr. Mac was heavily present in class discussions, offering tips and full explanations for any questions students had.

He's a good professor. I'm not a philosophy major, but I'm glad I took one of his classes to fulfill an upper-level requirement. Would take again.

Really nice guy, loves philosophy and his students. You have to pay attention in lectures you don't really have to read textbook. Tiny quizzes (like three questions), two group assignments, one midterm and one non-cumulative final both written response. I've never taken a philosophy class before and really enjoyed it.

Great lecturer, has lots of moments for class participation and questions. Covers a lot of material in the lectures. Concerned with writing clear, targeted responses in the writing assignments. Be prepared to write well and according to the rubric he sets out. Very cool material.

Had a great experience in this course, Dr. McElhoes was engaged and responsive. No complaints.

This was a really fun class. Dr. McElhoes is definitely very passionate about the subject. He gives great feedback on assignments, and encourages participation in class. Sometimes there would be dull moments in lectures, but his lectures are overall great.

The professor knows his stuff and is passionate about the material. Weekly participation via discussion boards is required, and there were 3 quizzes and 3 exams. The course itself wasn't hard, but I found that I am not much of a philosophical thinker which made the work time consuming and a little dull.

Very lecture heavy, easy online quizzes, and the material can be difficult to understand because... philosophy. Your grade is mostly based on three essays that require memorized arguments -- it's not terribly difficult if you put in the effort and time (he also gives a Chat GPT study aid). The book is "required" but not used in quizzes/essays.