Wonderful teacher, fun class

The best! Excellent teacher and very fun class if you allow yourself to get into the subject.

He's way too critical, he imposes his own views onto your grade, where's the ethics in that?

Great teacher. I disagree with people saying he imposes his views on others. I think that he merely asks that you make logical arguements for your beliefs, which some people have difficulty doing.

I had him for Ethics of War and Peace, and Intro to Philosophy. In my 315 class he was brilliant, he forced you to re-examine your belief, but not in an imposing way as some have state. And you need to attend class, isn't that what you are *paying* for&#

I couldn't figure him out at first, but he turned into a wonderful professor

One of the easiest course I've had at UM-D. If you show up to almost every class, you get extra credit at the end of the course. Uses power point slides a lot. Easy quiz almost every session with possiblility to get over 100% on each one.

Nice teacher, boring subject matter. He's very approachable, easy to work with. More than willing to help. You know exactly what's expected of you. Over all a good class, minus the boring subject content.

He engages the entire class in what we're learning and is always willing to help. Makes the material, even the occasional boring parts, interesting and easier to absorb, but does expect real effort from you. 50%+ of class time is dedicated to great class discussion. Couldn't ask more of a professor.

A great prof. This was a very interesting class, but you must be willing to put in some effort to do well. He is very willing to discuss any questions you may have.

Very interesting class, and a awesome teacher. I had him for Phil 240 also, and learned a lot. Interesting lectures,tons of readings, but it's worth it in the end. Participation is a must, so don't be afraid to say what's on your mind.

Slides are this class's saving grace. Print them out, follow along, u'll do fine. The Prof. is very nice, does his best to try and get the class involved in discussions. Is available outside of class and by email if u need help. Exams aren't all that difficult if u've atleast skimmed the essays.

Use the slides, they are very helpful. Interesting discussions although the tests are difficult if you do not read and master the material. His grading makes it easy to get a B but hard to earn an A in the course.

Not sure why he's rated so bad. I barely did any work outside of class - studied 1 hr before exams, did the essays how he said to, and paid attention to interesting discussions. The slides DEFINITELY help! Try to get interested in the material - raising your hand helps your grade. I got an A+ on the final and an A+ in the class :)

Had for 2 classes. He is scattered & does demand participation. However that participation will get you a good grade. Gives plenty of chances to make up poor grades w/ extra credit & participation points. Not hard grader (rather light for Phil). Enthusiastic & cares about his subject. Recomended for Phil majors only. Can be boring & does spit.

I love Prof. Baumgarten!!! His class was one of the best I've ever taken. He makes the material interesting and patiently entertains all sorts of stupid questions. His grading is fair and his enthusiasm infectious. I would definitely take him again.

Baumgarten is a great professor. He made the material interesting and was very fair.

Prof is very helpful and caring. Class is difficult if you arn't already interested. Lot of reading. Tests are sort of hard.

Baumgarten teaches the class effectively and interestingly. And he is very helpful if you visit him during office hours.

Dr. Baumgarten by far is one of the greatest teachers that I have had the pleasure of having. He's a little tough with his grading and he knows this so he gives generous curves on tests. There are three papers and three tests. He hands out extra credit and allows you to make up your own extra credit. He's very passionate and loves what he does M.B.

Very scatterd buit if you keep up on the readings and follow the power point notes you willl do fine. No paper just two essay based tests& final. Asks detailed questions but it is all in the limited readings and online notes. Also lets you create a cheat sheet for tests. Just cram as much as you can on a 5x8 in of paper both sides small typed font.

This teacher is the best I've ever had. He is very helpful and fair in grading. All you need is just to attend his lectures all the time, and read stuff he gives, and you will get an A, believe me. Do not pay attention what bad things others are telling about him. He is a nice person with deep knowedge in his sphere. Highly recommend him!

DO NOT MISS ANY CLASSES and read what he assigns. Almost every other day there is a pop quiz on the reading so if you miss one, it can mess up your whole grade (25% of grade is quizzes). Start the paper early and have him read a rough draft. It will really help you. It is an interesting class, put in the work and you will do well. Don't be late!

Pretty easy class. U just have to listen to 10 or so audio tapes that are about 50 minutes long each and then take the test. Test is multiple choice with a 3-4 sentence essay question. Only complaint is that since the tests are so short, 2 or 3 questions can make a difference in your overall grade. I got an A- and 2 more ?'s right & I'd have the A

he's pretty scatter brained, and gets off topic easily (tests were frequently post-poned). overall the class was pretty easy, just make sure you do the readings on time, there is a lot of quizes.

I'm a junior (3.8) and he's one of the best professors I've had so far. If he seems to get off track sometimes it's because these are discussion classes and he is just going with the flow. It helps to have an interest in the subject.

Prof. Baumgarten is an effective teacher and you will leave his class with a new perspective on life and a new way of thinking. He really TEACHES relevant topics and discussion is very interesting. I emphasize the importance of Participation!!!!! Participating bumped my grade from an A to an A+ !!!! So, one word to get an A: Participate.

He is a very nice guy. He grades tough on papers and his tests require lots of studying. Its not a hard class but you have to put forth the effort.

His philosophy class is a must. He's a great teacher!

Fantastic teacher. This man truly cares about his students progress in the class. It is a must to attend class and read the course pack. But, a student who is prepared to do the assigned reading should not have a difficult time earning a good grade. His lectures are clear and he DOES NOT show signs of bias. He presents both sides of an argument.

I just took the course this summer. If you like to READ and have a photo memory for the smallest detail then no problem. Being at every class gets you a c- in participation unless you raise your hand every day. Would find a different prof. Very knowledgable, but he doesn't really teach it that well. You can only get so much out of class debate

Professor Baumgarten is one of the most dedicated professors at UM-D! He is really passionate about Philosophy and cares about his students. This class is challenging but its worth it.

Easy A and don't even need to read the "required readings".

He was an awesome professor.. very helpful, very clear. Pop quizzes and 3 tests... tests are pretty easy and quizzes are based solely on the reading.. notes are allowed on quizzes! Would take him again if i needed another phil class

Easy teacher.. he's a little weird though (not particularly in a bad way). Pop quizzes that you can use your notes on, no book required.. you will always know you grade because everything is posted on cTools. extra credit ops... easiest class I've taken so far. Just pay attention (and attend class) and you will do fine.

I enjoyed this course! It requires a bit of analytical and theoretical thinking some of the readings can be difficult but we are in a higher learning environment. I suggest you keep your literature as it ties into other HPS courses. Very interesting topics and he was available to me outside of class. Got an A-

This guy marches to the beat of his own drum. Just show up, do the readings, and answer a few times here and there and he is happy. Does not make you a buy a book!

Gained a new way of thinking about the world.

medical ethics. read all assigned readings, quizzes every class. only 3 absences to get full participation points. i don't know why anyone couldn't get an a quizzes are out of 2 points and he offers tons of EC. two short papers. likes to talk a lot but an A is possible for anyone

This is my 400 upper level class, and all I can say is wow this was to easy to be an upper level class. I don't know why he has a 2.7 on easiness, the class average was a 90%. Gives so much extra credit which makes not getting A impossible.

If you attend class and do the readings you'll get a good grade. No book, 2 reaction statements a couple tests and regular pop quizes. Easy to get an A if you put effort. He's a great professor, he likes it when you engage in a conversation with him

I absolutely loved this class! He is very good at presenting both sides of an argument and he tries to get the whole class involved in discussion. The tests and papers are super easy and the readings are fairly short and interesting. You can expect a quiz on the readings at least every other class but they're easy. Great class, take it!

Very easy professor if you follow requirements. No textbook required, readings provided online. Dr. B can sometimes give confusing explanations. He lets you use your notes for quizzes, where you basically copy the thesis statement. Tons of EC opportunities. Very interesting class.

Ppl exaggerate. This class is a matter of you understanding theories. Know the difference btw consequentialism and non-con. If you remember ethics it's a breeze. Quizzes weekly usually about what the central thesis of the reading was. EC opportunities. Extra points for participation. Tests are not unbearable. MC with essay based

Great professor. I don't understand why he has such poor ratings. I skipped the prerequisite course and managed to get an A+ in the class. Tons of EC opportunities, so an A isn't that difficult to get. Just show up to class, read all the documents, and show a little bit of effort.

I took a philosophy class from Dr. Baumgarten nearly 20 years ago, as a freshman. I was a biology major, and philosophy was an extremely challenging topic for me. Out of all of my college classes, this one impacted me the most, as it solidified my desire to pursue animal rights and welfare in my career, and helped me become a vegetarian.