Besmer is a cool guy! There are 2 quizzes worth 40% of your grade...the homework is worth 20% so do it! The final is worth 40%, review for this, and you'll do fine! Also, he looks at the ground when he talks, funny, funny guy! Certainly a character! Take him for 101, and 201 if you can. Liberal too

He's a nice teacher. Outlines what's going to be on the 2 "quizzes". I'd take him for phil 101.. he's a decent teacher. Semi easy

I just started the class but he seems like a great prof. who would be willing to help out with anything!

AWESOME TEACHER !!!!

Nice guy and lectures are entertaining. 2.5 papers, no tests or quizzes, but the final is worth 40% of ur grade...

A great, funny, really interesting teacher. I do not like philosophy at all, but he was very clear in all his presentations and, if you kept on top of the homework and actually did it, the tests were easy. He's willing to help any time, even the day before a test!

I don't like philosophy at all, but Besmer's class (even though early in the morning) was easy to pay attention to because he is such an energetic teacher. He'll help you with any problems you have, usually no matter what the time. Make sure to do the homework assignments though, or else the tests will be very difficult.

Although the subject isn't that interesting to me, he made class interesting. He's very energentic and funny and so helpful. The homework is easy but he makes up for it on the tests, so watch out!

Very nice teacher. Good at what he does, and has a genuine interest in the subject matter. Very helpful.

I enjoyed this class a lot...not so much for the content, but Besmer is such a great teacher and very entertaining! Would definitely recommend his class! :D

Prof Besmer is really into teaching his subject, he's awesome.

This is my second class with him, and if he offered a 300 level I would take it!! He is a great teacher and makes things easy to relate to and understand, sometimes it can get a bit confusing but overall its all good!

Fair teacher. Likes to teach this class (atleast it seems so). Take him for 201 if you can; he covers alot of different styles/schools of philosophy and its hard to detect any biases. Take him!

Besmer is really good at explaining things. He knows how to convey the lecture so it is fun and easy to understand. He is really nice and funny. His tests can be somewhat challenging because Phil is abstract and therefore it can be hard to decipher between two things. But I plan to take him again for phil 201. Overall a great class

REALLY funny and nice. if you are into philosophy he is the teacher for you. he gets really into it... but you are prob. never ever going to use anything you learn in this class. homework everynight, quizzes are easy, tests are hard.

He is a great guy and I would easily recommend him to anyone. I received an A in the class and even if I didn't I would still recommend him. Funny and is friendly with everyone. You have to take him if you get the chance.

Made Phil of Human nature a lot more interesting it could have been. Very helpful.

Damn, I love this guy! I would recommend Besmer to anyone needing to take a philosophy class. His lectures are interesting and he's really funny. It's a testament to how much I enjoyed it that I was actually really bummed on the few occasions he had to cancel class. Basically, bottom line: TAKE BESMER'S CLASS! :)

He is fantastic! My favorite professor!

Very funny and helpful. Definitely take this guy!

He is a great guy. He brings a lot of insight to the class and although he may be tough at times, he is really understanding and rewards good word. The more you respect him and participate the more fun the class is.

Definitely a great philosophy teacher! A bit more lecture-style rather than socratic, but loves to hear insight about what was read. He assigns quite a bit of reading, but is very helpful in clarifying some of the harder readings. At the end of the semester you apply what you've learned and it's really interesting!! Definitely recommend him.

Great professor. I really enjoyed his course. He is great at offering insight on the subject and more than willing to help answer any questions that come up. Definitely recommend.

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I was very surprised that I enjoyed taking this class. I had no interest but Besmer kept it interesting enough. Would recommend as an easy A as long as you go to class and pay attention.

He knows what he is doing but that does not always transfer over to the class. The material is somewhat "never gonna use this again." If the class has questions he is totally willing and excited to help, but he doesn't know how to understand why you're having trouble. F

Professor Besmer is a really nice guy, who is extremely helpful. He is also very interested in his subject. However, the homework can be annoying because there is homework every night and it is mostly busy work. Other than that, the class is pretty much a breeze!

I loved him. He was a great professor. The class was kind of hard but if you go to class, the tests will be easy and there are only a couple papers that are extremely easy. He is really interested in his subject and really interested to hear what everyone has to say. He lectures a lot but it is never boring if you are engaged.

He seems like an interesting professor, but his online classes are an absolute week destroyer. Posts tons of material that takes sheer time to get through above all each week. These include long audio posts, long videos, long articles, entire book chapters, and his own work. Do not take this class (online) if you want any time left in your week.

This class was definitely worth taking. The assignments were clear, however it was definitely not an extremely easy class. You do have homework every day, however, it usually doesn't take more than 30 minutes to complete.

Besmer is a great teacher! Weekly 1 page papers about the reading each week, but it's easy. Reading assignments should be done so that you can follow along with the lecture. Midterm wasn't too hard, and there's a paper towards the end of the year in addition to the final. Really funny guy, definitely makes class fun and engaging.

This Phil 201 - Human Nature class was really interesting. You read pretty lengthy pieces and then spend all class discussing them. Lectures are pretty interesting and Besmer is hilarious and engaging. You write small papers every week that are graded easily, but the midterm and the final are pretty challenging. Definitely recommend!

At gonzaga you are required to take 3 years of philosophy with "reasoning" as the first. DO NOT take Besmer for this course. He is a brilliant professor, but make the course unecessarily diffucult. You could take the exact same course from a different professor and it would be an easy A.

I loved prof Besmer. He does a really good job of teaching and he is really funny so the material isn't so dry. I am just not a logic person. There is a lot of homework for practice, but honestly all the practice in the world wouldn't help me. I enjoyed the class even though I didn't understand any of it.

You will have a lot of homework, but it all pays off. Reasoning is a hard course if you have never taken anything like it, but if you follow what Besmer assigns you will do well. I really enjoyed taking his class and would recommend.

Because it was a seminar, participation counts (though the grades were a bit ambiguous) as it was almost entirely discussion based with a few writing assignments. There is a lot of reading, and it was interesting. If the readings were difficult he helped prepare us with a lighter reading or power point.

Besmer is a pretty good teacher. In his attempts to clarify the material, he often confuses a little bit more. He assigns homework every night through blackboard, but its really easy. Check your email and always want to come to class prepared. I'm not sure if what I have learned will stick, but I would recommend Besmer for a pretty solid B.

Used current issues to teach lessons which made the class bearable even through learning about arguments can be pretty boring. There was homework almost every night, usually took between 30-45 minutes which was less than what other classes had. Cares that you understand enough but doesn't force you to learn the tedious things.

Great prof! There's an assignment every class (mostly long argument reconstructions), but it'll only make you stronger. He's very kind and interactive, allowing for many questions and much discussion. Every class has a clear/structured agenda, which can be monotonous at times. About 3 quizzes and 3 tests, but he prepares you well. Loved Dr. Besmer

Dr. Besmer is awesome. I had my FYS with him and all we did was talk about AI. Has totally cool perspectives. Every time I left that class I felt as if I had gained a new perspective on a controversial topic. No quizzes. No tests. Few essays but grades purely on content, not grammar.

I had Besmer for PHIL 101 Reasoning and I would say that I genuinely enjoyed his class. If you actually study for the tests, or at least pay attention in class you'll do a decent job on the tests. I had around 3-4 tests total, and they were pretty easy. He does a really good job explaining concepts and helping students understand an argument.

Really good professor who likes what he's teaching. Engages the class and tries not to lecture for the entire class time. Tries to relate material to students and make class interesting. Hw every class. Sometimes long and tedious but helpful in the long run. Grading scale is a mystery so you know the material or you don't. Pretty interesting class.

Besmer is very chill and his class is very free form, regularly lets us out early. There is daily homework but he only grades for "completion" not correctness so its not too bad. also funny and will go on tangents if coaxed into them.

Took Besmer my freshman year. His passion for the subject is evident. Appropriate amount of hw for a 100 level class. Very friendly, and he remembers his students when they are friendly back. Junior year and he still remembers me. One of my first ever classes at GU, and it affirmed that I was in the right place.

Dr. Besmer is awesome! Took him for Honors PHIL 101 and he made it really interesting. Lots of in-class discussion and analysis of organic arguments, daily homework (but only graded for completion and it's helpful for exams), and a midterm, a few quizzes (sometimes optional!) and a final. Take him for Phil 101 if you can!!!!

Although attendance Isn't 'necessary' it's incredibly important to go so I say it is mandatory. He's a funny professor just by being who he is, and I would definitely take him again. He very clearly states how he grades things and although he gives a lot of busy homework you have to print out, it doesn't take terribly long to do.

Dr. Besmer is very kind. His lectures are engaging and he's very open-minded. My only critique is with how much he complained about technology, the class should be called Philosophy Against Technology rather than Philosophy of Technology. Other than that, I would 100% recommend taking him, as he is a very easy grader.

Besmer made this class interesting and easy to follow. Though there were daily homework assignments and quite a bit of busy work, each helped me grasp the material better. He also gives you points back if you prove you were thinking about it correctly. He's engaging and has a good sense of humor which helps make the content less boring as well.

Very caring and understanding professor. Wants to help students understand. Moves pretty quickly through material and gives daily homework. Good humor.

Prof. Besmer was the reason I showed up to class most time. He was hilarious, his dry humor made the whole class laugh a lot. However, his course is sort of heavy, so get ready to read a lot of handouts. Some of the material didnt make sense and my class never really ended up understanding it but he curved the final grade so that was nice.

Super funny dude and a fun class. Definitely was pretty hard and handed out daily homework but he really cares for his students and is there to help you when you need it. Definitely would take Besmer again.

Dr. Besmer is an amazing prof and you can really tell he has a passion for teaching philosophy. The daily homework is alot, but it really helps you understand the content. Grade is based on midterm, final, and cumulative homework grade. Definitely do extra credit when offered. Even though it's more work than the average PHIL 101, it's worth it fs.

Philosophy of tech was pretty easy, very minimal workload until the end of the year with a 13 page paper and a presentation. However, as long as you choose a topic your actually passionate about for the final paper, you'll be fine. Very funny guy but it took some time for him to grow on me.

Kirk is the goat, extremely dry funny humor. Daily homework about 30 min a night however you go over it in class. Pretend each homework assignment is a mini quiz because everything on the HW will end up on the final (except symbolic logic). Your entire grade is the midterm, the final, and the homework. Make sure you're well rested for both exams.

Nice, funny professor and conveys material pretty straightforward. As long as you read the textbook (which is very easy to read) and do the practice problems, you will do well. Homework almost every class, but usually doesn't take more than 30-45 minutes.

Professor Besmer is great at what he teaches but the daily 30 minute to an hour homework was lot I feel for a core class. Although, every thing on the homework was seen on the midterm and final exams so treat the homework assignments as mini quizzes and you will be successful. Your grade is dependent on the homeowrk, midterm, and finals exam.

Super easy class, as long as you understand the concepts he teaches. Homework is pass-fail, but the midterm and finals are where most of your grade is gonna come from.

I was dreading philosophy but I actually really liked it. He is really helpful in showing shortcuts on how to understand more complex topics that were at first confusing. There is homework for basically every class but it's not difficult and does not take long to complete. Don't get the textbook, we used it like twice and its not necessary at all.