3.4
Quality3.6
Difficulty56%
Would Retake104
Reviews56%
Would Retake
104
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
30
4
27
3
22
2
13
1
12
What Students Say
“I love him, my absolute favorite professor here”
PHIL431 - 5.0 rating“Undeniably the best professor in the department”
PHIL4XX - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
95%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.03 avg changeRatings by Course
16155
5.0
(1)PHIL380G
5.0
(1)PHIL480
5.0
(2)PHIL101U
5.0
(1)METAPHYSIC
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
METAPHYSICS
5.0
LOGIC
5.0
121
4.0
16155
4.0
PHIL112
4.0
Reviews (104)
Great guy- funny and extremely intelligent. You won't want to ever miss a class, and he really hates it if you do miss a class (yes, he takes attendance). But, it's worth your time, trust me (almost better than watching the Daily Show). :)
Not such a great class, he takes attendance and then proceeds to tell you that everything you believe in is wrong or immoral.He was way too into himself and took any opportunity to bash institutions and ideas that he doesn't believe in. I would't recommen
Its too bad. He had a lot of potential. But then he would tell you things would be on the final, and they weren't. The most bizzare and random things appeared on the final, and no one was prepared for them.
great lecturer! keeps interest through entire hour and a half but the topics were never from the book. enjoyable,yes. I did learn a lot about life and how science works-but not about methods of reasoning.
I felt like his class was useless and that I would never again use the information I learned. I took it for an M but think that i wouldve rathered suffered through calc than this
He is an awazing teacher who is very interesting and very funny, but his class is hard and hes a tough teacher
I found him to be a very interesting and amusing professor considering the class itself is boring. There is quite a bit of work but I actually felt as if I learned something and it seemed important to him that we understood. He's funny and entertaining.
Great Prof. Tough class. I had it last semester and it was my toughest one but i dont regret taking it. Do yourself a favor take Methods, it'll hurt but it'll do you good. And keep an open mind, don't just follow dogmas blindly
He is an excellent teacher! He told us not to reproduce (too many people in the world already) and many other Dietrichisms. Most of all, he taught us how to think and become scholars in training.
misogynistic.condescending attitude was a big turn-off.
AWESOME CLASS. Honestly, it opened my eyes completely, or rather opened my mind ;)
it's true that he's got his own views on things, but it's not like he shoots anyone else's down. he will tell you the very first day that if you don't get upset or riled about something we talk about, then you're not paying attention. EXCELLENT professor.
AWESOME GUY!!! VERY SMART!!! if you like philosophy, take a class with him
He is amazing! and passionate about what he teaches.
Very condesending and very mean. He doesnt care if your mother died you have to go to class. DONT TAKE THIS CLASS DIETRICH IS THE ONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO THINK!
very fun guy-sets hard attendance policy, but you don't want to skip because of how cool he is. Dirty hippy. Makes the subject so interesting, hard class, but he makes it worth taking
Professor Dietrich is very interesting, very funny, and clearly very intelligent. He's also conveyed some pretty complicated or misunderstood ideas very well. He's very opinionated but the fact that he says what he wants to say gives me some faith in our country's first ammendment rights.
This class is very difficult, but the professor is knowledgable and makes an hour and a half lecture not too painful to bear. I have learned a ton in his class - not necessarily relating to the course material, but still. He makes you contemplate things you never would have before.
this guy is a great teacher
Phil 121 was an excellent class that was well taught. Professor is engaging and knowledgable and the best lecture class for the semester. He goes out of his way to meet with students to answer questions and explain things, same with TAs. Class was challenging but a learned a helluva lot.
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IF YOU'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN SOME MAN'S POLITICAL AGENDA, AS OPPOSED TO THE ACTUAL MATERIAL THAT YOU'RE PAYING TO LEARN AND EVENTUALLY WILL BE TESTED ON -- THEN, HELL YEAH, TAKE THIS CLASS!
A very smart man - class is always interesting, although sometimes difficult to follow. It's not always easy to know what is expected of you, but I found him to be a kind and engaging professor. Certainly an alternative for your M requirement, but don't expect an easy A.
It beats taking calc for the M, but try hard to find an alternative to methods.His lectures are interesting,as long as they dont have to do with reasoning.I learned NOTHING in this class and still got a B after studying,doing the work and going to him for extra help(he doesn't give it and isnt understanding).Calls on ppl randomly.NEVER miss class.
dietrich is the ****ing MAN. take any class with him
Brilliant. Subtle combination of Socrates & George Carlin.
Funny but if your interested in taking a class where the teacher is a pure 100% liberal then take this one. Makes an hour entertaining
Good for methods great alternative to other M's not very clear as to his requirements and evades giving direct answer's to questions. Very entertaining lectures often stray from the material and he is on a one man mission to curb grade inflation so you have to do tons of reading on your own. Very hard to get A here...stay away if don't want 2work
Amazing! Best Prof. He sometimes goes on political rants, but if you are liberal, you will like it.
Prof. D is the man...the class is hard but every lecture is interesting...think about it as going to a comedy jam every lecture.......take it and if you fail you fail with laughs
Really fun class, do not believe what you hear, do the reading and you will be fine, nice prof
Reason to take the class: the course is taught by Lewis Black. Reason not to take: tests are extremely difficult. Reason to take: i've learned more practical knowledge (aside from the bush rants)here then in any other class. If you like taking risks, have some fun and take this one.
Only a boring student will not enjoy this guy. The most satisfying D I ever had!
if you're a republican, prepare to have you're feelings hurt..if you're a liberal he's one of the best and funniest prof. you will ever have. he's a tough grader...NEVER be LATE or ABSENT to his class!!! trust me, he will crush you for that grade wise...!!! would recomend takin it pass/ fail.
I recommend taking the class but make it pass/fail. He is a very hard grader. You do learn. He is not available outside of class. TA's are not helpful. He is very arrogant.
Although I got a D in his class, I highly enjoyed going to lecture. Discussions were boring, but I guess that depends on your TA. Prof is hilarious and sounds like Andy Dick, which makes him even more funny than he already is. He's a far-left athiest liberal, so if you're a Christian republican, he'll probably offend you at some point. Great class!
Very difficult class.
Do *not* take this class, especially for a gen ed. Prof. is an **** who's more interested in having an audience to preach his political opinions to than actually teaching. Has no interest in helping students, and seems to enjoy watching everyone fail. Unless you intuitively understand the subject, studying won't make much of a difference.
I think Eric Dietrich is the best teacher ever. He's a hard grader, but he knows his stuff. He's a bit nuts, but it just makes him even more enjoyable to take a class with. Taking a class with Dietrich shows you what it was like to learn for fun again, and not just to get through a class.
Amusing, but ultimatly useless. He spent more time preaching his own political and religious agenda than he did teaching - in fact, the entire second semester was dedicated to this, until the last week before the test, when he tried to suddenly get back to the book. He lives for shock value and enjoys offending everyone. Not easy, not enjoyable.
horrible teacher, very very insulting if you are at all religious or think America isn't worse than Nazi Germany
Dietrich is a professor you either love or hate. Pros: hilarious (if you aren't a Republican or in any way religious), tries hard to engage students. Cons: difficult grader, very closed to dissenting opinions, teaches topics unrelated to the actual course (history of the universe, evolution, etc.) Take good notes, study hard, and you'll do fine.
Very fun professor. If you are interested in the course and put some effort in, he recognizes it and it shows. If you disagree logically, he listens; if you're just disagreeing, there's very little mercy. You can't take him too seriously in class (he likes to provoke) but in the end he's a great professor who really knows his stuff.
Often shares his own views which many would consider offensive, but is funny enough to get away with it. His antics made an otherwise boring class entertaining. Tests are not easy and require a lot of application of what you learn. TAs are critical for understanding his logic class, attending discussion sections is important.
do not take this class for a math credit, if it is the case you are not a "math person". you will fail. those of us with tiny bladders: don't even think about it, you are not permitted to leave during lecture...seriously. take any other class with him, i hear he is great otherwise. sort of a "hardass" but whatever. very intelligent.
Liberal tyraids are daily. Irrelevant digressions are common (most recent was on his discovering "capris"). One of the few professors that can bring out some passion for learning in students BECAUSE he is so bombastic. Take his class, accept his style, it's rewarding. Oh-- and he's only hot relative to Goodman, Knapp blows him away.
Professor's strict attendance policy makes a course with very easy subject matter alot more difficult. You lose 20 points off your accumulated points for going to the restroom, coming in late, and missing class entirely. Dietrich is very interesting and humorous, but I'd try to take Logic with another professor just because of the grading policy
Do NOT take this class if you're just looking for your math credit. I'm not joking. If you do take this class, get ready for unprovoked tirades and strange rants. Be prepared for class(!) because he randomly calls on students.
Turned my most dreaded class into my favorite. He's the type that makes teaching seem effortless because he's so experienced. Definitely has a strong liberal agenda, but loves any opinionated challengers (but you better know what you're talking about before you take him on). Despite all the math, there is a good amount of interesting philosophy.
Prof. D is is a good speaker and shares with you great ideas. I learned a lot from this class and It really did make me question things around me. However, don't take this class if you think it will help your GPA or will be an easy Gen. Ed. because quite frankly it will kill your GPA if your not a genius or have a large amount of luck on your side.
First off, don't take this class because its a M gened credit without any math. He knows what hes talking about but doesn't translate it well in lecture. Also, he is not helpful at all and doesn't show up to office hours. Half of the material in lecture is useless and simply distracts everyone from the important material on the tests.
Deitrich's a smart man. Downfall is hes extremely combative and insecure. No respect for his students-forgets we're adults, humans!Constantly embarasses and berates students/faculty. Harsh rules echo his lack of ability to maintain natural order.Pompous, arrogant, quasi-nihilistic, seems to think hes famous. Dresses like a confused montana rancher.
Don't take 101 for an easy gen ed, it won't help your gpa at all. Every lateness to class counts as an absence, (even 5 minutes) and for each absense/lateness you lose half a letter grade. The in class quizzes do not test your knowledge of the subject, they just ask you to remember trivial details about the book. He's arrogant and disrespectful
One of the best professors on campus. Also, one of the most confrontational, cynical, arrogant people on campus. But that's what makes him great. If you want to open your mind and can take being questioned about your beliefs - this class is for you. Clever,intelligent professor who will make you work hard and is very amusing.
He would be a great professor if he wasn't so arrogant and closed-minded. Taking his class (and not dropping it in time) was one of my worst mistakes of my life. Don't take classes with him unless you're EXTREMELY interested in the subject.
His attendance policy is ridiculous; DO NOT miss class if you take a class with Dietrich. His style is very combative but he knows what he's talking about and if you're interested in the material you're absolutely going to love him. If you're not, you're going to hate him. It's just a matter of whether his style clicks or not for you.
I love him, my absolute favorite professor here. If you're one of those highly intellectual lost souls wandering the earth like a modern day Socrates like myself, I strongly recommend you take a class with him. If you're sensitive about your beliefs and unwilling to open your mind, don't. Simple as that. DIETRICH4LIFE
He would be one of the best professors on campus if he stuck to the topic of what he was teaching - he has a great grip on philosophical arguments through history and can convey them very well. Unfortunately he never misses a chance to plug his own research, even when irrelevant, which grows tiring very quickly. But he is a good professor.
I wasnt sure what to expect bc id heard he was quite the character. and he is - in my opinion in a good way. This class is not for the weak of mind bc he's excellent at getting to the foundations of your beliefs and shattering them.. really opened my mind into how strange our world really is and ive taken plenty of philosophy classes before.
Amazing professor. I would stay at Binghamton just to continue taking his classes. He's funny, smart, and open to all questions. He's very sure of his own beliefs and this throws people off a bit, but he's very helpful and it's important to him that all his students understand everything. If you don't take a class with him, you are missing out!
Dietrich is a brilliant man, but an insecure and arrogant ass. He relishes every moment that you are under his control in lecture. Petty grade deductions and irrelevant attacks on student's beliefs give him an intoxicating sense of power. It is amusing until you become the target. He is consistently unclear and unhelpful. Avoid at all costs.
Dietrich is the epitome of what a professor should be. He makes the class fun, engaging, and interesting. His language and teaching style is a breath of fresh air in this politically correct age where "getting offended" is equivalent to a crime. If you can't handle this you'll be in for shock when you get in the real world.
If I died today then only my father would surpass Dietrich as the most influential figure on my thinking. He is everything a professor should be and the smartest guy I've ever met. He WILL challenge any complacent beliefs that you hold if they are philosophically interesting and he will almost certainly have a profound effect on how you think.
Taken 7 classes with him. Basically he will change your life for the better. Also will get you to look at the work in a whole new light.
Dietrich can be a really hard professor. He's clearly a genuine grasp of his material and he's not afraid to go into material far beyond the understanding of his students if given any room. This makes him tough. However, hang on for the ride and you will find his lectures to be engaging both in material and delivery. Work, and you will be rewarded.
Easily one of the, if not the best professor I have ever had. He is truly brilliant. I've taken two classes with him so far, and both courses, albeit challenging, were a wonderful experience. He will broaden your mind and challenge your beliefs. He may seem rude or what not at first, but stick with him and you will learn so, so much. Thumbs up!
I don't think I've ever met a professor who cares as much about his students as this man. He will do whatever it takes to much sure that you understand the material. He might seem confrontational or close-minded at first, but he is legitimately willing to entertain any opinion as long as it's defended reasonably. All around great professor.
He is a brilliant mind that tries to degrade his students. He yells at people who dissagree with him and will not try to hear their sides. There is a pop-quiz everyweek, they start off easy then get tougher. Avoid if at all possible; the entire gist of his class is that 1. Neuroscience is bs and 2. Religion is anti-science
Five phrases you'll never hear: "Does anyone else wish to respond to that comment?" "That's an interesting thought. You may be right." "Please, I'd love to get some questions or thoughts on anything I've said so far." "It's your responsibility to catch me if I say something illogical." "Speak up. You don't always have to sound smart."
Quizzes are not too difficult, and he designs them to be that way. You have one every week based on one or two papers. A final paper usually at the end. Not a terribly difficult grader. The most important professor I've ever had. You ought to take a class with him.
I only met him in my penultimate semester, but one class with him then was enough to make me drop my second major just to take more classes with him in my last semester. He might seem combative, but he's willing to hear you out on ANY position as long as you're ready to defend it. Super smart guy all around and also incredibly nice.
Very erratic professor, assigns an unrealistic amount of homework to be due in discussion section the next morning, and is very unclear. This class is NOT an easy math fulfillment and there is no partial credit on proofs, which means that it is very easy to get a zero on tests or quizzes. Highly regret taking this class
Dietrich's lectures and subsequently exams might be a bit more abstract than necessary, but you won't find another Professor as adept at the subject matter who is willing to explain it as clear has he does. Be sure to understand the nittier-grittier details of the subject and keep up with the pace of the lectures and you'll do fine.
Dietrich is really brilliant. He's an awesome guy and clearly a talented teacher. Logic is tough subject matter though. He doesn't make it any easier though, because he (obviously) likes to get into metaphysics and metalogic, and doesn't stick to the text book at all. If you have to take logic be glad for him though. He's really funny.
He's a funny dude and the class is pretty interesting. However the quizzes are bs because there is no partial credit and the tas don't know how to grade. Not an easy a.
Dietrich is very clear and concise with his lectures. Attendance is mandatory but homework is never checked and the weekly quizzes were extremely easy. I found the exams to be very easy too, but Dietrich even gave an extra credit assignment because the class average was low.
incredible class. the logic class he teaches is tough, but all his upper level philosophy classes are relatively easy and very fun
He understands that philosophy may not be the most interesting class to much of the class and therefore makes it as engaging as possible. Attendance is taken every class as there are assigned seats. There are quizzes every week on the readings due for that week, but if you do the reading you'll be fine. Tests are pretty easy if you study.
Class is relatively interesting but not an easy A for a gen ed. There is a lot of reading and quizzes on reading every week which ruined my GPA even though I always did the required work. Study guides provided for EB Exam and midterm but not final. Overall, a lot of content is required to be memorized and understood by end of course.
Professor Dietrich delves very deeply into the subject matter of this course when promoting discussion about consciousness. Expect the same type of weekly quizzes that Professor Dietrich assigns in PHIL 122(Logic), which can be easy if you read thoroughly. Take advantage of science journal homework, it is lenient for his standards of grading.
He seems like a cool guy with a good sense of humor. He clearly has a deep love and extensive knowledge for what he teaches, and isn't afraid to be opinionated.
Beware. The lectures seem to be pointless and you get tested on the stuff in readings but attendance is a large part of the grade. He pushes his personal beliefs onto students and doesn't allow students to reason with him. He only accepts his answer even if it goes against the textbook answers. Avoid at all cost. He puts every student down.
Notice those who have taken Phil121 gave the poorest grading; there is a reason for this. Dietrich is amazingly smart, interesting and eccentric. However, when it comes to teaching reason, he is not very good. For example, I went to his office hours and he told me this course was against mother nature. This course is naturally hard. Good luck.
Undeniably the best professor in the department.
Best professor at Binghamton. Take the class.
I took this class to fulfill my math course and it was the biggest regret of my life. The lectures are so difficult to follow since he teaches it as though you already know the basis of the information. The readings are only half the time useful for the quizzes and the midterm was painfully difficult. Half my class withdrew after. Worst class ever.
I took it to fulfill my math credit, but honestly just take calc or stats. There are very short quizzes every week that were super hard... the midterm was difficult and final wasn't as bad, but I studied for hours. However, I learned how to study and really work hard, so although it was painfully hard, I learned a lot through it. TA helped so much.
The weekly quizzes would often only have 3 questions, so getting one question wrong would ruin your grade. They were based off of the readings for the week, but the readings would sometimes be changed or not clarified. Attendance was strictly managed and mandatory. He's funny, and you'll learn a lot, but be sure to pay attention and do the readings
We had two textbooks. The larger one, written by Klenk, is easy, while the smaller one, written by Papineau, is difficult. Attendance is mandatory. Prof. Dietrich cares greatly about what he teaches, and has a special sense of humor. Quizzes are given every week, but you can get full marks on them as long as you read the materials.
Phil122 is a math course, and for those who have a facility for, and experience with abstract mathematics, is not an extraordinarily hard course. However, there is no partial credit, which does make it more difficult than average introductory mathematics courses. For those who are less interested in abstract maths, this course will be very hard.
This guy is the smartest dude in Binghamton. He legit knows everything, and given the chance he'll tell you all about it. He is a tough professor but extremely fair and by far the most thought provocing of all I've encountered in Bing. If you think you can handle him, take any of his classes and enjoy the ride.
Dietrich certainly has his cult of followers. He is humorous and outspoken. That said, he is here to entertain, not teach. He isn't open to reasonable objections, always lectures off topic, makes students the butt of his jokes, and has a ridiculous grading policy. GPA KILLER. Of all philosophy professors, he is NOT the best and most knowledgeable.
Professor D is a hilarious individual. However, he is extremely set in his ways, opinionated, and highly inconsiderate of others beliefs. His Philosophy 101A is an easy A if you do the readings/study for the midterm, but he makes you purchase his book that he wrote which my classmates and I found quite irritating because you wont pass without it.
We learned very little philosophy, most of the time the professor just went on tangents about global warming or about how all religion is dumb and evil. Gives quizzes on the reading every class, easy enough to pass if you do the reading, but very, very boring. The professor basically talks to himself, all class, every class.
why do u assign so much reading for a 4 question quiz!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
I think Dr. Deitrich has his students best interest at heart, but he's not a good professor. He goes off on tangents that are unrelated, often ridicules students who disagree with him, and brags about how bad students do on his tests. He puts a lot of gotcha-questions on his quizzes so pay attention to small details that are unrelated to philosophy
This was an online/in person class because of COVID. Lectures were recorded, quiz sections were live. You only talked with him if you went to his office hours. He doesn't teach the material, half our grade was quizzes on material we didn't have a chance to practice, and his grading policy is bad. He only gives a B+ if you got 89%.
If you want to be constantly patronized and treated like an idiot please take this professor. He is the worst person and teacher I have ever met and does not deserve to teach. He is mentally incapable of teaching and does not know how to answer a single question. I would not wish this man on my worst enemy. SERIOUSLY, do not take his class.
I love Prof. Dietrich, he really knows what he's talking about. I want to stress that it is crucial that you take notes and pay attention in his class - the class is dependent on students reading the textbooks and doing practice on their own. Honestly, its more of a teach yourself class but I still loved it.
This mans life purpose was to spread knowledge and ponder some of lifes deepest questions. His classes are a trip. If you do the study guides youll ace the quizzes. Dietrich classes are not hard and its clear in his teaching he just wants to share knowledge and partake in deep conversations about the material. 10/10 man and prof
Took this class with him last year. Didn't mind the work so much but he was so defensive and combative when students were confused/had questions. Whole class was basically us figuring things out ourselves. Groupme was going constantly throughout year bc we were all so lost. If you asked him a question you'd basically get "I already went over it"
Last semester I was in a seminar w/ a different professor and sat through 2 classes before dropping it because the prof and course both sounded awful. Instead I took a seminar with Dietrich this semester, and no exaggeration it was one of the best decisions of my life. It was stress-free. He's very smart, interesting, and he values student ideas.
I took PHILO 380D, and while I myself didn't participate in the class that much, I could clearly see Dietrich has a passion for what he does. The class was engaged in the content, and that made lectures very engaging and fun. Professor Dietrich made many open ended comments that spurred great discussions throughout the class.
If you are not careful, you will look past the logical inadequacies of his arguments are submit to his charisma. He has asserted that we are apes and therefore, there is no true philosophy and we ought to reject scientific frameworks. He contradicts himself every other class, but he is heavily hilarious. I have never been so aggravated.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
95%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.03 avg changeRatings by Course
16155
5.0
(1)PHIL380G
5.0
(1)PHIL480
5.0
(2)PHIL101U
5.0
(1)METAPHYSIC
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
METAPHYSICS
5.0
LOGIC
5.0
121
4.0
16155
4.0
PHIL112
4.0