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Awesome prof. Fair grading, and reasonable workload. Highly recommended.

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very good professor overall.

Excellent! Reasonable exams and very helpful. Willingly to help the students!!! You will do good as long as you try! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Very reasonable and fair. Makes the class very interesting. Highly recommanded

Perfect for those of us who hate philosophy. Clearly defines concepts, pulls out the most relevant information, and let's you know exactly what he's looking for.

Super nice guy and very helpful/willing to go the extra step for his students. He's down to earth and realizes we have more than just his class! Classes were interesting, I never missed one of them, all thanks to him as well as the reading material he chose for the course. I'd recommend taking it

Good prof. Very clear explanation of concepts. Quite forgiving with marks.

Great prof. If you are taking PHIL for an elective make sure to get his class. Marks are easy to get if you know the material. Go to class. Take notes. Pay attention and you'll do well. He's not a boring prof.

Reid is an awesome prof. He may seem a bit disorganized at times, but he presents the material so that you will be comfortable going into the test. Nice to not have a final exam too. However, you must go to class to know what he is looking for on the midterms.

Reid is a very nice and helpful professor, but he doesn't seem to care about the material. there is no challange in his classes and all he wants is the material regurgitated back to him. He presents such an over simplification of the issues and the work that has been done in the field that there isn't really any point to taking the class at all.

I took this class during Spring 2007 and it was pretty easy. If you need a Philosophy option, take this course with Reid Buchanan!

Reid is friendly and helpful and just an all around great professor. He is very knowledgeable as well as easy-going and his teaching style is relaxed while informative. I strongly recommend him, especially if you are not familiar with general philisophical concepts.

Very nice guy; very approachable. Open to suggestion -- that is, he isn't one of those profs who thinks his/her views are infallible. His course was not dead easy, but his approach to teaching made it stress-free.

WOW! Amazing prof. the only one I would ever want to go for drinks with! I will only take PHIL with him. Knows his stuff so well, easy going, good marker, nice to talk to. fair grading. Class has input teaches clear, I never wanted to miss class. Friendly and helpful. Real work talks where a blast and the movies..… SWEET!

Good prof! He's approachable and fair. The only negative things to say are that his exams are basically testing if you can repeat what he says in class without necessarily thinking about what it means, and he can be a little disorganized (sending e-mails about readings or schedule changes only days in advance or less). All in all, great guy.

While regurgitation of his presented material is the easiest way to get As in his class, it isn't the only. He's very friendly and takes the time to get to know his students. His notes are organized and his lectures are engaging. I'm looking forward to taking more classes from him.

If you go to his lectures you will ace the exams. He is very relaxed about assignments and marks easily. He knows what he is talking about and his lectures are for the most part engaging. Always helps when asked of. Funny too!

Dr. Reid is an awesome prof. He is very relaxed about exams and assignments, at first you might get a little stressed when you see a 13 page meditation that is almost impossible to understand, but with the help of google and allowed cheat sheets you are on your way to an A!

Reid is a great prof. He is funny, engaging, and helpful. He makes philosophy down-to-earth and appealing. I liked his flexibility and dedication. He is very upfront regarding his expectations. Exams are almost fun; he provides all the tools to succeed, if that's what you want to do.

One of the best Prof's I have had here. He is funny, approachable, super helpful, and makes the material super interesting. He tells you what is going to be on the test, and is super relaxed and easy going.

Great Prof! As long as you go to class to get the notes (chalk-board prof), you will ace the exams. Lets you bring cheat sheet into quizes, wants you to regurgitate his lecture notes for quizes. Enjoyed the class very much, would take more classes with him!

a kind, intelligent, helpful and funny prof. As long as you copy his notes and his actions word for word you will ace the course guaranteed, and the purchase of the textbook was a real waste of money. would take another of his classes again FOR SURE

Great Prof, very clear, gives lots of options on tests which means you only have to know one or two things very well, as opposed to a little bit of everything. Going to take a course with him again next semester! One of my favourite profs so far at U of C!

IF you want to learn about philosophy,look elsewhere. If you want a guy that is laid back and will give you a decent grade for knowing something about philosophy, enough so you can go home and debate with your parents/friends, take this class... This guy is a pathetic philosophy teacher, but to those who will take a grade over learning, enjoy!

I took a bioethics course with him in the summer. Very easy marker... I have taken two phil courses and still feel I know nothing about the subject. Nice laid back guy. I am terrible at writing essays, a eng major, hardly went to class and still got a B+

Nicest prof I've ever had, he's really laid back. He understands how stressful school can be for his students and he clearly cares about them and wants them to do well. Great guy, great course!

Have taken two classes with this prof. Definitely do NOT agree with the person who said he is a dismal philosophy prof. He knows his stuff and ensures student understanding without using the weird ways in which other phil profs seem to teach. Brings it down to earth. Definitely recommend taking any class with him; brilliant guy.

Definitely the best class I took this year because of this prof. Amazing, interesting, lectures were three hours and it flew by. I am now really interested in taking more ethics courses. Tests were easy if you are prepared and you really have no excuse not to be. I give this guy 11/10.

Really nice guy with a fairly laid back approach to teaching. Not hard to get a good grade in the class if you keep up with the reading (which shouldn't be hard to do). Probably not the best class if you're looking for a challenge, but interesting none the less! I would definitely take another one of his classes.

LOVE Reid. He is extremely interesting, his lectures are engaging, he encourages class participation and his marking is fair. His assignments allow a lot of room for thought but enough structure to let you know what to write. He is the most helpful and kind prof I've had in my 3 years at U of C! Great guy.

Hands down one of the best professors I've ever had.

Reid is a good prof with a keen interest on facilitating students learning of the complex material. I enjoyed his class and he taught me how to critically think through moral issues. I don't think this class is an easy A; however, if you put the time in to read the confusing readings and put in effort then you can do well in this course.

as a chem major, i took this class as an option. however, this class is all based on how well u write papers. all we did was write 6 papers and argue our points. very dry material but dr buchanan was really fair with marking. not easy A unless ur really gud wit writing papers...

Great prof, very interesting. he is very clear about what he wants to see in the paper.Very clear explanation of concepts.Very nice prof and fair marker.HIGHLY RECOMMANDED!!!

This prof is the BOMB! He's great and knowledgeable. His tests are incredibly fair and his marking is as well. Highly recommend this course. He's an amazing prof and the course is super interesting.

Easiest class I've taken at U of C. Consists of in class essays (allowed a cheat sheet) and a final term paper. Buchanan is friendly, funny, and a fair marker. Planning to take all of his classes!

Buchanan is friendly, easy-going, and the class is overall very manageable. Allowed cheat sheets for each in-class essay, and the final paper is a breeze. Very fair marker as well. Highly recommend this classs

Buchanan is a great prof - makes me not want to miss class (and not because it's hard, because he makes things interesting!). Makes small jokes within the lecture which keeps things lively. Does not use powerpoints - all chalkboard or whiteboard. However, writes important things out slowly so you can follow along easily. Reccommended.

Buchanan is a great prof, easy to understand, intelligent lectures and a fair mix of reading, lectures and outside material. The marking is completely fair and puts the onus on the students for coming up with intelligent responses to his educational material. If you're new to philosophy or religious studies, this course is a must.

If you take a phil class with either Buchanan/ Framarin, most certainly will fall in love with the material and the prof! Highly recommended !!

Really great prof who knows his stuff really well. Really interesting to listen to him lecture, lectures are quite interactive too. Read the papers before coming to class and it will make a lot more sense!

overall great professor. very interesting course with a fair workload and fair grading. definitely would recommend!

Fantastic Prof. Clearly outlines what will be covered, what the tests will be like, and is really quite interesting. If you're not in philosophy the first test might hit your grade hard but his comments are quite effective and extremely helpful. Would definitely take any class with him again.

Interesting discussions. Somewhat easy marker. Cheat sheet for essays. Take your own notes. Recommended.

Highly recommended. Easy A, and you do not need to be a Philosophy major to do well. Make SURE you go to every class since he does not use powerpoint slides. If you are a good note taker, don't bother buying the textbook. I didn't read any of it and managed to get an A by taking notes. His lectures are very interesting! Cheat sheets in exams.

Amazing Professor. No Registrar exam, midterms are easy and straightforward. Doesn't use powerpoint but attendance not really mandatory as he posts the articles to BB. I'm not very interested in PHIL but Buchanan has been far and away my favourite prof.

Amazing professor. I don't know what everyone is talking about, I learned so much. I'm a finance major, and this is one of my favourite courses in my academic career! He doesn't expect you to reiterate his thoughts, but does expect you to support yours. Highly recommend this course, and I look forward to taking more with this prof!

Very interesting class. The only thing I didn't really like was that we had to buy a text book even though most of the readings were not in the text book. Would recommend taking if you want to learn more about ethics.

You can do the tests without reading the text book. I used the book to supplement my cheat-sheets, but also relied on his notes and did great on all the tests. The lecture was 3 hours and he let us out early! Overall, good professor. I would take a class with him again.

He is most excellent, would definitely recommend! He wants his students to do well.

Buchanan is by far the best phil prof at UofC. I look for him every time I take a phil class. Straight forward with material and helps you understand tough concepts. Allows cheat sheets and gives questions before hand for midterms. No final - in class (10%). Really easy to do well if you read the material, and attend class occasionally. Super chill

Reid is such an easy going prof. You can bring in double sided notes to all tests. No final exam just a paper. Easy marker. Just show up to class read his notes a bit and you'll do great. Reid is the best !

PHIL 331 was very easy. Literally, u can read the textbook and pass but sometimes the readings can get confusing so class is helpful. This prof is so slack and doesn't expect much. Cheat sheets for the tests are allowed which were one simple question essays. No final with only one short term-paper. This is a must class if you can get in.

Reid is a decent lecturer, very approachable, easy-going, and an all-round great guy. His lectures are fun, evaluation methods are fair, and he seems to be genuinely interested in teaching and helping students. You can't go wrong taking a class with this guy. Unless you hate Descartes or arguments regarding God's existence, because he loves both.

Reid is very easy going and easy to understand. His lectures are almost pointless to attend if you read and understand the textbook. However, he is quite unclear on what he expects from you in your papers. Additionally, his feedback is haphazard and sometimes it felt like he didn't even read my papers fully.

Dr. Reid is by far one of the best professors I've had. Although I couldn't make it to all the lectures because of work, I still learned everything I needed to know from the assigned readings he gave. Lectures are long but he keeps you focused and you learn a lot when your there so I definitely recommend going to them. Think I'll get between B+or A

Lectures are interesting and helpful in understanding the readings. Attendance is mandatory as he posts almost nothing on d2l and it's important to hear updates/grading guidelines and study tips.

Great prof, lectures are pretty interesting and they give you the basics of what you need for the tests. Class consists of 2 in-class midterms which are written papers worth 30% each and then one final in-class paper worth 10% and one final term paper worth 30% out of class. Definitely a fair grader. Only bad thing I have to say is no D2L.

Best prof I've ever had at the University. If you want quality education and an experience, this class is for you. Don't expect any surprises, he is straight-forward and lets you bring cheat sheets into his exams.

If you can take a class with him, do it. He explains things in a way that are easy to understand and all he's truly looking for is if you understand the material - if you show that much you'll get a good grade. Doesn't post lectures but they are worth going to just to listen to him talk.

Reid's lectures are quite interesting, although I feel that he doesn't add much to the book's content. His grading criteria is fairly vague, but the class doesn't require a ton of work to get a good mark. Also, he is very approachable.

Reid is an honest, good guy who cares about his students. Occasionally his lectures can be dull and, though I can't say I learned a whole lot from him, he is worth taking as both a philosophy student and those who just need a good grade.

tells u the topics of the test before hand just need to do 1 reading on it and write a paper that pretty much makes up 70% of ur grade rest is on a paper which is the same deal super easy class

Easiest class you will ever take. Reid will give you the topics couple days before the exam, and you can pretty much write your entire paper you want to write for the exam and bring it with you the day of because he lets you bring a cheat sheet. You only want to do the reading that you will be writing on. - Hakuna Matata

he physically doesn't show a whole lot of enthusiasm, but he's well-versed on the subjects he teaches. He's very lax with requirements for the exams and paper, in fact, he wants you to write less so he doesn't have to mark as much. He also lets you have a cheat sheet for the exam. Definitely recommend taking a class with him.

Dr. Buchanan has clear expectations and gives many opportunities for students to succeed in his class. He elaborates on the readings well and allows a detailed cheat sheet for exams, would recommend!

really interesting course. prof only had two midterms and one final paper. no group projects. no hassles. attendance not mandatory but will help as he doesn't have slides online. cheat sheet allowed for exams. would recommend to a friend.

He spends lectures clarifying the readings and explaining them in-depth. For the exams, he gives the exam topics in advance and allows a cheat sheet which makes it easier. Definitely take a class with him if you want a good grade or if you are interested in philosophy courses.

I never got the sense that Reid was the most brilliant professor I ever had. He was never a wealth of knowledge and didn't have answer for everything. But he was down to Earth, taught interesting material and kept it real. Reid is the everyman professor. Lectures were interesting. Grading was somewhat unclear.

Really great prof. Made the transition to online really easy because he posted lectures consistently and was super clear about everything. His lectures were short and relatively interesting. Super easy if you take notes and watch all the videos. Great guy.

This class allowed students to move through lectures at their own pace. You could write your entire exam before it even opened because the exams had very general questions. Lectures were 10-20 minutes long which was so helpful given that it is difficult to sit through long lectures online. Very fair grader and gave amazing and detailed feedback.

I love Reid. I didnt think I was a philosophy person but his grading was so fair that now I think I am! Everything he expects you to know, he covers in lectures. He doesnt gatekeep information!

Reid is an enjoyable lecturer who always welcomes and respects student engagement in class discussions, though sometimes class discussions can become dominated by needless semantics. He grades by two exams and one final paper; I found that he grades a bit harshly for the exams. For the paper it is much easier to properly meet his expectations.

Professor Buchanan was an absolute joy to have taken a class with. He knows the material quite well, and is able to rephrase it excellently. He is kind to his students and engages in discussions, and his jokes are quite good as well. I highly recommend taking his classes.

Dr. Buchanan's online lectures were max 20 mins which I really appreciated, but he also included everything you need to know. Paper topics were broad so you could plan/write your essay beforehand. Grading was fair and he gave great feedback. Even if you aren't great at writing he marks content and ability to back up your points and less on format.

very nice prof, his lectures cover everything you need to know for the tests. you can bring in a cheat sheet for the tests. all the topics covered are fairly interesting. he doesn't have powerpoints or upload any lecture stuff, so you have to attend lectures as he just talks. the lectures are enjoyable. take him if you have the chance to.

Great professor, his lectures were clear and easy to understand and he was great at answering questions. Also very fair marker

Very good lectures but he is a harsh marker. But overall the class is really fun and the topics exciting.

I like the way he set up the course, however I found the marking to be quite harsh. Be VERY detailed and thorough in the essays, and write a lot.

Amazing prof and person. The class was taught by students doing their readings then coming to class and just talking about the concepts with the prof to really understand the different positions and stuff. No final, and only graded on essays that you get the topic of in advance (and can choose your topic). Very friendly, highly recommend!

Such a great class and very engaging. 2 in person written essay exams but you were given the broad topics before hand and could bring in notes to the exam. Final exam was a hand in essay. Loved it because you could chose the topics you were interested in researching (from the class lectures) and could write about those. Very interesting!

Great!

Might come across as a little unorganized. Lectures (usually once a week) have notes and selected quotes, which are then explained and discussed, with ample time for both. Comprehension is enough for an A, and he's not fussy about tone or formatting. Accepts paraphrases. Coherent and congenial; chats with his students before and after class.

He understands this isn't your only course so his workload is tolerable. He is very respectful toward his students. He explains difficult concepts well and is open to student questions. Responds fast to emails. You can bring notes to exams and the final paper was fairly short. I have taken 3 classes with him and got an A- in each. He's great!

was graded by 2 essay exams and 5 discussion posts (participation marks), no final. there is a new reading every 1-2 weeks. readings are interesting and his lecture videos are a good recap of the readings. ignore all the reviews saying he's a harsh marker, he is very fair and provides a lot of feedback on essays, so you know how to improve :)

Amazing professor! Very kind, friendly, and approachable. He is awesome!

AMAZING PROFF!!!!! He is genuinely very kind, and lectures are very engaging! Learned a lot from him and ended up taking more PHIL classes because of him!

Reid's amazing! I've had multiple courses with him and am amazed every time. He's good at what he teaches. Despite 305 being more abstract, I was able to understand and make the most out of it by attending lectures and taking notes. He's lenient as long as you put in the effort and show that you know something.

Reid's great! I loved this course and enjoyed it thoroughly. Participating in lectures helped me understand the content better. We had 2 exams and 1 term paper. The exams were open book, and we could bring in a cheat sheet. He would also give us an idea of what to expect. Do your assigned readings, attend class and take notes, you'll be good to go!

When I did this course, I enjoyed it and had fun with the regular discussions we were to post. The lectures were all recorded and were quite engaging, every topic was interesting and I was able to score well in the course. Good course overall.

Probably one of the few classes I really liked! Such an interesting class with interesting readings. Dr. Buchanan is great and I enjoy his (online, pre-recorded) lectures, PHIL314 is asynchronous online and I was nervous I'd put it in the backburner due to this but I ended up finding myself drawn to it. Would love to have him as a prof again :)

Two 2hr exams with double-sided printed cheat sheet allowed and one final take-home paper. The exams were choose a topic from some options. I found the grading to be fair given the timed aspect and he is very understanding. Attending lectures will help with comprehension of material, but he tends to a little disorganized with page numbers.