Super awesome professor. He makes class interesting and easy to understand, since philosophy can sometimes get confusing. He stays unbiased during class discussions, but makes you question yourself a bit. I'd recommend this class to anyone who enjoys reading and in depth conversations.

first of all, ladies, he's really nice to look at. second, he makes the class literally so easy and interesting, and that's saying something, because philosophy is just straight up boring on it's own. definitely take class with him.

Professor Amato is great. This is one of those classes you take because you know its going to be relatively easy but you end up learning the most from it. He does a great job at simplifying some fairly difficult concepts and presents it in a interesting manner. I actually wanted to attend his lectures.

Really easy class, explains everything in class. Only complaint is his sassy attitude. Sometimes if you ask a question or try to engage in a discussion and he has no response his defense mechanism is to mock. Also, doesn't use elearn so you have no clue what your grade is till the end when its too late. Easy A overall.

Really easy and interesting class. Dr. Amato goes over everything you need to know for the quizzes in class, so if you go to class, do some light note taking and read them over before the quizzes you should have no problem getting an A. The final was the only test and it was just all of the quiz questions put together. Highly recommend this class!

As an Engineering major I did not care about philosophy, but this class made me give it some thought. It's a fun class, and weird one too. Give it try, I like it!

Take someone else

It was an okay class. Take notes during lecture and pay attention and you will do well. Not a stressful class.

Makes class fun, but he expects feedback and participation. He's funny, and will give you extra credit if you need it.

Amato's class is amazing. I took this class because it was required originally, but kept up with it because I got sucked in. You need to show up and read the books, but if you do that you're guaranteed to pass. He expects a discussion from the class, and will make you question all aspects of life.

Professor Amato was probably one of my favorite professors. He's really a cultured man, & broadened my mind to different beliefs. After taking his philosophy class, he gave me a good foundation on how to think & it set the stage for me to find my own sense of self & spirituality. I wish I could take more of his classes. & He's Handsome & stylist!

Great professor. Intriguing and thought provoking, quizzes are easy if you take notes on what he emphasizes during his lectures. Don't skip. Also gives extra credit if you you just ask. If you like philosophy youll love this class, if you dont youll still enjoy Amato

Im so glad I took Amato. If you pay attention in class, and make good notes, it is a sureshot A. Its difficult to ace the tests without attending lectures as his quizzes are based off lectures. There were about 5-6 quizzes, the final was just all the quizzes bunched together. Amazing lectures, wanna take philosophy or humanities, he's the man.

All you do is bring your book and discuss the assigned reading. The five quizzes are straight forward but the essays can be quite difficult. If more than half the class is absent there will be a pop quiz, so go to class! Reading is high level and tedious but if you do it you should at least pass.

Dr. Amato is amazing! I love his class in a lot of ways, but really don't see it as an "introduction." A lot of Greek terminology is used without full explanation. In terms of grading, they're short quizzes with confusing questions/answers. The grades definitely may be below your true level of understanding. Overall, great professor and lectures!

Amazing lectures, only homework is reading. The reading itself is interesting but the class can be passed without reading if you attend every lecture and take good notes. The lectures are beautifully worded and seem rehearsed due to his suave composure. He expects participation so doing the reading will get you on his good side (for extra credit).

He gave pretty decent lectures and offers extra credit (an essay). He has about five quizzes throughout the course that are based on his lectures, so pay attention/take notes in class for an easy A. Light reading, but don't flake on it. The final exam is just a compilation of all the quizzes.

There's really no point in skipping- the only things on the quiz are what he goes over in the lectures. There are also two in-class essays. It is a lecture-based class, but he tries to facilitate a meaningful discussion. He gives extra credit, and he's pretty chill. He definitely knows his stuff, so expect to think about the readings.

Amato is sarcastic and witty. Definitley read before class and have opinions that you are willing to share, discuss, and defend. He barely writes on the board and quiz questions are often bits of the lectures verbatum. He focuses on broad concepts but quizzes over details of those concepts. Allows you to use your books on the tests so mark them up!

It's philosophy so the class itself requires you to get several books and read them, you'll have to do a quiz over each book and there are 2 essays which are pretty hard if you are not familiar with the material. The professor goes over the material really well but that won't be enough to pass the essays or quizzes.

Prof Amato was cool. Lectures were interesting. I felt like I learned a lot, but I don't expect to score higher than a C. I went to (most) of the lectures, did the readings, took notes in class, studied for the 5 quizzes/2 in class essays, but I still struggled. As someone else mentioned, take a diff class if you're just there for credit.

If you do all the reading and participate in class you will be fine. Take notes, important points in lectures are always on the quizzes.

If you don't attend his lectures or don't pay attention in class, your chance of getting A is very hard. Otherwise, easy A.

This doesn't feel like an introductory course... if you're not a beginner to the field of philosophy, or if you're bad with the reading & writing subjects, stay away. He is extremely challenging and strict - a cool guy, however. If you're a philosophy/lit major, you'll enjoy his lectures. I had trouble keeping up with this class + engineering :(

Dr. Amato is knowledgeable, but the discussion varies. I've taken his classes a couple of times, and wish that there were just a few less texts, and a little bit of a deeper dive into the ones that remained. I get that he is going for a very general overview, I just think the class would be better served with a little more focus.

When I first took philosophy it was a take-it-or-don't-get-your-degree class but I ended up learning a lot. This class requires you to read several books but if you show up to class and mark the passages he emphasizes in class and just read those you will at least pass the quizzes.

Dr. Amato is hands down the best lecturer at UTD. There's just no comparison, and I wish he taught more classes. Whether or not you are familiar in philosophy, his lectures will blow your mind and make you see the world in a new light that is both challenging and fulfilling. Professors like him are what keeps me thinking in an age of techo-slavery.

Amato is wonderful. He is clearly very knowledgable and is able to answer any question. During the lecture for each philosopher we covered, he completely took on their philosophy and way of thinking making it that much more interesting and easier to understand. Philosophy is an amazing subject and he teaches it very well. Plus he's great to look at

If you are taking his class just for credit and not to learn, don't even try. Dr. Amato is the best professor I have found in my three years at UTD. He challenges you to go beyond your own values, which I believe College is for (not to just get a diploma). After his intro class, I fell in love with philosophy. I would take this class every year!

He's a great teacher if you click with his teaching methods. He doesn't have any power points but does write key terms on the board so make note of that, and talks the entire lecture. Get ready to read and drop a lot of money on the philosophy books because he only accepts physical copies. You'll get at least a B if you keep up honestly.

He's a great professor that focuses on teaching, so the assignments are more like something doesn't want to give out but has to. Take notes in class by literally writing key points from what he is saying. That'll help you on the quiz. Overall, really solid professor, and I enjoyed the class.

Dr. Amato is possibly the best professor I'll have at UTD. Coming into the class, I was dubious of its value to me (I'm a CS student who prefers sciences), but I came out of the second class session knowing it'd be my favorite class all semester. I feel like I've really gained something I'll take with me in my life. Can't recommend him enough.

There's a lot of reading, but even if you walk into the class with absolutely no background in philosophy, Dr. Amato can make you love it. He is amazing at lecturing, and even though attendance is mandatory, I looked forward to going. There are pop quizzes, but he cares more about what you get out of the class rather than in the class.

Dr. Amato is an extremely intelligent and knowledgeable guy. That being said, as a non-major, this was probably one of the easier upper level philosophy classes (since it is open to ATEC students as well). Lecture heavy, but if you like philosophy/find it interesting, you'll probably enjoy it. One major time writing and one group project.

great professor!! he really makes you think in a fun and interesting way. he had some good picks for the books we read as well. he is very chill, in my class we talked about d&d a LOT so if you like that kind of stuff, he's ya man. easy class if you pay attention and read a little bit.

This man, this absolute legend, cares about the impact and necessity of philosophy upon both the individual, as well as greater society. One class with him will change your outlook on philosophy and the world for the best. Show him what you're made of, I dare you. He'll make it worth you efforts. Audentes fortuna juvat, baby.

For Phil of Tech, you basically just read & show up to class to get the A. To actually gain something - read intently, pay attention to his lectures, participate in class discussions because you will soak up so much amazing knowledge. Grades are based on attendance, discussion boards (1 every 2 weeks), 1 paper, & a very open-ended group-project.

Dr. Amato is a professor who takes his work seriously. He requires you to have the paper version of the textbooks so it can get a bit expensive, but if you take the effort to read and listen to his lectures in class, you will do well. He's really down to earth, and really smart. He is very interesting to listen to and I would recommend his class.

Hilarious professor. This is a difficult class, and he makes you work for your grade with hard quizzes. But, if you study and understand the material, you'll get a B or A easily. He's also available for questions after class if you need help with anything.

8 discussion boards, 2 online essays, lots of reading, 4 or 5 online quizzes. Grading essays and discussion boards depends on TA. Lectures consists of explanation of the book chapters.

Dr. Amato is a caring and deeply engaging professor. Please do participate in class, and read... even if you don't understand and it is painstaking... it pays off. Many lectures i've left in a state of happiness from obtaining such inspiring knowledge. He really does choose his texts to makes his students better people, just put the effort in!!

Amazing, would definitely recommend him! No exams but you do have to buy all of the required reading. Aside from that, keep up with bi-weekly quizzes and discussion boards and you'll get an A. Really interesting lectures and always finds ways to keep them engaging despite it being 3-hours long. He will also more than likely dismiss class early.

Dr. Amato is the best choice when it comes to Philosophy. There is a lot of reading to be done in his class so be ready to go looking for the required books. His Quizzes are easy as long as you do the readings and the Discussion Boards are an easy A as long as you meet the minimum text criteria. overall, not the best but also not the worse.

Amazing professor--take his class if you want to get a solid understanding of philosophy. For online class, he publishes video lectures to go along with our TA interactive sessions that help you get an understanding of the readings. The texts can be difficult, but there are more than enough resources to help you out throughout the course.

Attendance is a must in Professor Amato's class. All the quizzes can be passed with just the reading alone but if you want to make an A, GO TO CLASS!!

I took this class in the middle of Covid-19, online classes. Dr. Amato made this online course interesting and enjoyable. I love history and philosophy so this was an interesting and fun class. You have to do the assignments to pass, but if you love to learn and think this class is for you. WATCH HIS YOUTUBE LECTURES!!!

Dr. Amato is an excellent choice if you want to learn Philosophy. His lectures are interesting, and he knows a lot about what he is talking about. This class will inspire you to learn more. After reading I found that his lectures helped me understand things easier. If you read what is required and you participate in class you'll get a good grade.

This professor teaches all you need to know about philosophy for those not well as versed in subject. But you must put in a lot of effort. If you put in effort through discussion boards, quizzes, and an essay that tests your understanding you will do solid in class. Watch lectures and participate in discussion section you will do well.

Professor Amato was very accommodating to the current circumstances. Lectures are pre-recorded and posted to YouTube. Quizzes, discussion boards, and the final essay make up the majority of your grade. Discussion boards are easy as long as you meet the requirements and quizzes aren't too bad if you watch the pre-recorded videos.

Dr. Amato is one of the most interesting professors I've had. His lectures are super interesting and knows exactly what he's talking about. If you attend all the lectures you don't need to do the readings, but you'll honestly look into it on your own out of curiosity. Easy A too

The best gen ed class I took. He was hilarious and actually taught this like it was a course for college students. If you show up, take notes, and read the books, you'll get an easy A :)

You would need 7 books to read. I have never taken a Phil class before and I love his lectures. His TA Eric Sampson is very nice all thought he has 5 TA's. you would do a discussion board about every week and a test for every book. I was the type of student who didn't read the book but took good notes and good A's on all tests. Easy class!

Even though I'm not interested in philosophy I find his lectures interesting. He involves the class during lectures and is very funny. Even though attendance is mandatory and you aren't allowed to use your phones, I would recommend this class since he's funny and a really good professor.

Dr. Amato is very knowledgeable and has good lectures. However, the mandatory attendance policy is ridiculous and unnecessary. Mandatory purchase of 7 books is also ridiculous. However, the class is pretty easy if you put in effort.

Super nice professor whos funny and makes the class bearable. Attendance is mandatory and if you miss more than 5 classes, your final grade in the class gets bumped down a whole letter grade. The number of books you have to purchase is annoying but I didnt purchase them all and still managed to get 100s on the discussion boards and quizzes.

best philosophy professor at utd - clear and easy grading, opportunities for all to speak up and be heard, relaxed class environment

Amazing Professor who cares about his material!

Amato was a great professor! His lectures were very interesting and he explained the texts we would have to read very well. There is a lot of reading for his class and also weekly discussions, but if you watch his lectures it will be easy to understand the concepts. Easy grader and overall easy class.

Exam questions come directly from lectures. I found the recorded lectures on eLearning to be a great review before exams. There are discussion questions each week and are easy but take some time to complete. I did not find Weekly discussion sections to be as helpful for exams. Overall, very interesting class and a good break from heavy courses.

East discussion boards and grades and interesting lectures but lots of quizzes and unnecessary reading for phil of religion. Lots of books you have to buy and he doesn't like when your phone or laptop is out even to take notes.

his class is super easy, I took it as a summer online class for old 5 weeks, he stated that he only condensed the material and did not take any out therefore we got the same material, weekly quizzes(question are right out of the lectures, discussion boards extremely easy, and almost a completion grade if you answer the points TAKE HIM!

I took the 5-week summer course. This class would be hard if you do things in the last minute. I recommend spreading out lecture videos and discussion. The lecture videos are precious! watch them. I did not read his texts. Most questions on the quiz were straightforward, but some were tricky. Good luck!!

Prof Amato is the kind of professor you'll remember for the rest of your life, no joke. Incredibly insightful dude, you can learn a lot from him not only about philosophy but life if you care to learn. Just be respectful, stay off your phone, do the reading and participate. He doesn't expect you to be brilliant, he only expects you to care and try!

Outstanding professor overall, very knowledgeable about the subject at hand, and presents an enjoyable lecture style that promotes students' opinions. Fun discourse from the professor and classroom, and mandatory reading but very little during actual class discussion. Overall very insightful and helpful class and professor. 10/10 would recommend.

Reading every week, but it's interesting. If you don't read, you will have no idea what's happening in class. He posts video lectures in case we want to look at them. Good lecturer but gives busy work.

Pretty decent professor, good lectures. If you want a blowoff look elsewhere, work is toughly graded and overall it was harder than I'd prefer for a core class. Was my lowest grade of the semester and I took much "harder" classes. Bans electronics during lectures which is annoying. Don't buy the books after Plato's Republic, you don't need them.

The class consists of 6 books about different philosophers. The class is fast paced, so make sure you keep up with the readings. I found that the lectures on YouTube were helpful. The class consists of 5 quizzes, 7 discussion boards and a final essay. Overall, the class is pretty time consuming, but if you put in the effort you should do well.

Taken for a core credit. Very passionate and friendly professor. Books not available in UTD store. Lots of reading so try not to take this one if you don't like to do that. Lots of writing as well. Assignments are all online, and time-sensitive (usually 48 hour window). This class will equip you with (better) critical thinking.

Taken for a core, it consists of 5 books, and has discussion boards, quizzes, and a final essay. The TA does all of the gradings but is really weird with the grading. Emailed the TA on why my discussion boards were scoring low and instead of giving an answer the TA just raised all of my grades. Class is interesting and the prof is caring.

Have to attend class or grade gets dropped by a letter after 6 absences. Had discussion boards, quizzes, and a final essay. The TA does all of the grading and grades weirdly. Emailed the TA asking why my grades were low on the discussion boards and instead of providing an answer the TA just went in and increased all of my grades.

Very cool and funny professor. He makes you rethink your beliefs and is inspiring! There might be an easy pop quiz to make sure you're reading. Make sure you read. This class is pretty interesting so it shouldn't be hard to pop open the book. Attend class - class is mandatory as he will drop a letter if you miss 6 classes. I loved this class.

Professor Amato was great! He makes the lectures really interesting so the class itself is very entertaining. However he doesn't allow any tech in class so you have to buy or rent every book, and his TA Zachary Meyers is frightening so don't take his section.

One of the best professors I've had at college so far. Quizzes every week or so but they are easy if you listen carefully in class. TAs are also very helpful, and the final essay is easy too. He is a fun professor and the lectures are really interesting.

He is a very experienced teacher makes learning fun. DON'T take the discussion section of Zach Meyer 1) Take notes for quizzes.2) Rent books(Don't buy) 3) He has lectures on YT "Dr Andy Amato" use those to prep for the exam which is comprehensive. You have to read a lottt so it will take a lot of ur time. The class is pretty hard so pay attention

One of the most informative and eye-opening classes I have ever taken. Dr. Amato is very well-informed and open to hearing students' ideas. The reading is not required, but I recommend you do it because you will get a lot out of it. The more you participate, the more you will enjoy the class. Highly recommend.

- Lots of reading - 5 Short Essays + 1 Final - The professor can articulate pretty well the ideas in class and takes time going back and forth during lectures if anyone asks him a question

Honestly, if you wanted an easy lecture class, don't take this one. You really have to pay attention in class, but if you're not interested then it gets boring real fast. However, Dr.Amato is a good professor who knows what he's talking about and he will happily answer questions during class and office hours.

Professor Amato makes lectures engaging, but the workload is heavy - lots of reading and regular quizzes. Discussions are interesting, and the final essay isn't too bad. unstuck study helped with prep.

This reading class, Society Against the State, changed many of my preconceived notions. The texts are very informative, often presenting critical ideas that challenge many of the worldviews we simply take for granted. Overall, the class itself is not difficult, though make sure to participate in class discussions!

Loved this professor. I'm not big on philosophy (took it for credit) and I think this is important to say because you NEED to put effort into this class. You need to read the stuff you are given to better understand what's being discussed in class. A lot of writing. Don't brush this class under the rug until exams.

To summarize, he definitely knows what he is talking about but I feel as though the way he articulates discussions and lectures can be quite difficult at times. There is a discussion session held by TA's on Friday that could use some improvement. You will definitely need the textbook for this course.

I took this class not only because I needed the art credit, but because I was genuinely interested. Without that interest, I don't think I would have passed. If you're looking for an easy elective A-- this is not your class. Your grade will rely on your understanding of a dense, hard-to-read, otherwise boring book-- get ready to write, A LOT.

Great lectures and great professor. He got me interested in philosophy, having never taking a philosophy course before. All technology was banned in the classroom, even down to saying to take off smart watches

Amato made the course feel more like a memorable 45min stand-up comedy featuring philosophy topics rather than taking a lecture class. There is A TON of reading and several essays but he goes over the important topics in class so if you pay attention you'll do fine. Wild topics always come up during class--you're in for one hell of a semester!

I have never enjoyed a class as much as this, and I don't care about art. Class was so engaging I ended up leaving STEM because I found such a passion for the human element. You'll read a ton and probably absorb half of it, but that's okay — he explains incredibly well. Five in-class papers and a 50% of your grade final; still SO worth it.

While the class may seem intimidating with the readings, short essays, and final, it will have a huge impact on how you approach yourself and the world around you if you read the works and take notes during class. Pay attention--you'll do well AND get a lot out of this course!