a great professor!!!

i went to a total of 3 classes and failed all the tests and i still got an a. can you believe that. best g-town class ever

Intelligent, entertaining, and insightful, Pinkard has definately made philosohpy the class I look forward to every week. He wants you to do well and understand the material, not just regurgitate information. And on top of being an excellent professor, Terry's just the man. I want to take more philosophy classes because of his class.

Very good discussions. Yet he's a pain when he answers a question with another question. However, his tests are readily passable, especially if you have a nice study group. Of course you can read the book, your notes, and best of all, talk to your friends during the test. He's very clear and very helpful even in the tests.

Very good professor. Great lecturer and the topics were very interesting as well. He gives 5 tests that are all essays, no midterm or final. You can get an A minus doing a rehash of class notes, but to get an A you need to read the books. Take this guy for an interesting class and a good grade!!!

Ehh he's so so. If you have his TA as your discussion leader (and if the TA was anything like mine), then you will have trouble getting higher grades. Prof Pinkard is an easy grader, but every question you ask him is answered by another question. Class is decent, I loved the material. Sparknoted most of the books and pulled off a B+/A-. Easy class.

Is there a final exam for this course?

Overall, I enjoyed the class. Lectures were interesting, but I found Pinkard to be repetitive at times, and he would often leave out major parts of the reading. With that said, you have an OPTIONAL final paper. Since I had an A average with the four tests in class, I never had to go to class again after Easter Break--pretty sweet.

This guy REALLY wants you to do well. He doubles your highest test grade, and the final paper is optoinal, and as long as you pass your grade goes up a half grade. I only read the books for the last paper, and sparknoted everything else, and did well, but it depends on your TA. Overall, he's fairly engaging in class, take him!

great professor who obviously is brilliant in his field. very passionate about what he does and the class is structured so it is easy to do well-but be forwarned-some of the TAs are REALLY bad-mine graded ridiculously. that aside, take pinkard!

Brilliant. Knows Hegel better than almost anyone in the world, but what makes him exceptional is that he is broad and balanced. He also has stunning knowledge of intellectual history, art history and contemporary art. He makes Hegel exceptionally clear, is very willing to engage students outside of class, and always dresses in very nice suits.

Terry is awesome. While his classes seem like they drag on forever, you'd have to be really dumb to get anything below a B in this class. No midterm, no final, and an optional paper which significantly raises you grade. Just be careful of the TA you get...they grade the papers and if one is a jerk, your grade will differ drastically from other TAs.

Definitely knows his stuff. Strong knowledge in all philosophers studied, lectures very comprehensive. Reading not absolutely required, but helps for writing the two essays which basically define your grade. All about getting a good TA, though.

I enjoyed this class so much! It helped me to look at the world in a new way and gave me theories to observe the political workings of our world. That said, I specifically liked Pinkard's class because it was not work overload and he was REALLY reasonable. one in class (short)paper, 2 outside ones, an optional extra credit final...TAKE PINKARD!

Tremendous professor...take him for PST (TAs are good too)

Pinkard is one of the best professors I have had thus far. He is passionate about the subject and makes the lectures interesting. All his TA's are very well read and fair in their grading as well. Very nice professor who is always willing to help out if you don't understand something. Take Pinkard.

Besides for being the sharpest dressed professor on campus, Pinkard his particularly down to Earth and funny. My mind is blown every week in his class, even though you don't have to attend. Three papers, one of which is optional and one in class test. You get out of this class what you put into it.

Brilliant. Able to deliver 90-minute lectures using almost no notes with the polish and interesting-ness factor of a History Channel program. He also happens to be about the greatest Hegel scholar living. Oh, and the class is a joke. No final, one test, two papers.

A high quality professor. Certainly knows what he is talking about and makes class interesting and not hard at all either. He teaches the material well; well enough that if you go to class, reading on some authors can be optional. TAs do the grading but he chooses very good TAs. The last month of class is pretty much extra credit but is worth it.

take him, take him, take him. Professor Pinkard is an amazing professor who is not only extremely knowledgeable about the material, but also genuinely wants students to understand it and to do well. He is one of those rare professors who's able to brilliantly simplify complex ideas.Manageable workload and fair grading. Awesome TAs.

Brilliant man, lectures always interesting and he genuinely enjoys hearing the opinions of students. If you're not used to writing philosophy papers however, a bit difficult depending on who your TA is. Also, since the beginning 5-10 min of lectures is review, you might fall asleep...

did a good job teaching ethics. lecture wasnt mandatory, recitations were. open book, open note, open person next to you exams. no final, optional paper that raised your grade if you got better than a B- on it. really good teacher, did a good job explaining the material, even though it was boring. take him if you can.

Pinkard's a great teacher for Intro to Ethics. Even though they weren't mandatory, the lectures were extremely clear, and I thought interesting too. You know its a good sign when at least 80% of a class that huge shows up every day when it's not mandatory. Pretty easy grading policy. Definitely take if you can.

Gives generally interesting lectures, although I didn't attend many classes as I could just use the internet on the tests (laxest test policy I've ever seen!) Mandatory weekly discussion sections were a c****, mainly because nobody except like three people would ever talk.

Pinkard is amazing- he's a world renowned scholar and even personally knows some of the featured philosophers. The reading is interesting, but can be kind of tedious. The only assignments are an in-class open-note&book essay test, 2 essays, and an optional final essay. Grading is pretty fair. Definitely take Pinkard if you can

Prof. Pinkard is very interesting and he explains the material really well. It is not necessary to go to every class, but they can be very helpful sometimes for papers. Highly recommended prof.

Very clear and engaging in his lectures, which I mostly enjoyed attending. A good professor, I highly recommend him over Douglass for this class based on what I've heard.

This is one class where getting an A is a breeze. The grading policy is extremely liberal! My TA wasn't that great at explaining stuff, but Prof Pinkard is a great lecturer, witty and intelligent. Only problem is, he tends to repeat material. Also, you'll come out feeling you know quite a bit more after the course, but not quite enough.

Prof Pinkard is very energetic and about as interesting as a philosophy professor can be. The class is pretty easy, and as long as you go to lectures you don't really need to do all the readings. I highly recommend him.

Pinkard is great. He doesn't dumb down the material and will constantly push you to develop your ideas, but he's a very reasonable and generous grader. Go to his office hours if you have any issues-he truly cares about you learning

So, the class was really easy for a 300 level philosophy class. I'm not sure what I learned, though. The class leads discussion, and Pinkard really doesn't explain what we should be getting from the text. However, he's an easy and fair grader, and I definitely know how to read philosophy text now.

Excellent class and excellent professor. I was scared at first, but he is a great lecturer and clear. One in class test and two papers. Plus, NO FINAL. If you have to take philosophy and it isn't you thing, this is the guy to go to. He lectures for about 45 minutes, then opens the floor up for questions.

I cannot recommend Terry Pinkard highly enough- He is such an interesting and engaging lecturer. He lets class out 45 min. in, stating that the human mind cannot pay attention much longer. There is an in-class test and 2 papers. The final is optional. You would be REMISS not to take him.

Pinkard is a world-class professor. He genuinely cares about his students; go talk to him during office hours just because he's amazing. Always go to class. Do all the readings. Participate in lectures. Ask questions. He's an INCREDIBLE lecturer and has seen and done so much throughout his life. Take advantage of it! 1 in-class test, 2 papers. Optional final paper.

Pinkard is a great man and really knows what he is talking about! However, if you didn't like philosophy before taking this class, you certainly won't after. Also, despite his likability, your grade does not rest in his hands at all. TAs, who are selected for you when you schedule, do ALL of the grades. 2 of 3 were good..mine...HORRIBLE

Everything is graded by the TA, the lectures help you understand the difficult jargon of the text book, but you have to read the text for the two papers (+1 optional final paper). There's one in class test that you just need good notes for and need to know how to prove a philosopher "sound."overall, Pinkard is a sweet guy, its the phil thats hard

T. Pinkard is THE BEST philosophy professor I've had. 19th century German philosophy was incredible, I never learnt so much, he's really fun and he genuinely loves students. And honestly? Grading isn't even that tough. Philosophy majors or minors: take him once; you'll take him again.

Prof. Pinkard is the best PST professor at Georgetown. The work is minimal from day to day. Just sit down and listen to his interesting lectures. Be sure to ask questions in lecture, attend recitation and get to know your TA. Only Two papers (a third if you want to boost your grade).

Terry is an amazing professor and a brilliant man. He is not to be missed if you have the slightest interest philosophy, or even if you hate philosophy.

No Comments

Great class. Hard, but I learned a lot.

Terry is probably the coolest person alive. Not a difficult class as long as you attend lectures (and actually pay attention...)

Definitely take him for Intro to ethics. Interesting, engaging lectures. He is clear when explaining and offers examples that allow you to think about it in terms of your own life. He makes you want to come to the lectures even thought they are not really mandatory. Pinkard is great and I would go to his lectures regardless if I was in his class.

Professor Pinkard is great. His lectures are extremely clear and interesting, and he is always very patient and thorough with peoples' questions. Lecture attendance is not mandatory; discussion section attendance is. Grade is in the hands of your TA.

One of the best PST professors at Georgetown. While his lectures may fall on the dry side at times, Professor Pinkard always throws in jokes. The papers for the class are certainly manageable if you pay attention in lecture. The final for the class is optional and only helps your grade. Grade is completely in the hands of your TA.

Pinkard does his best to make a sometimes dull topic interesting, mostly with jokes. He's very knowledgeable and clarifies a lot of concepts during lectures (~100 students). Your TA is very important, as they're the one grading your papers and conducting the discussion sections (~20 students). Optional final only boosts grade. Recommended!

PST with Pinkard was really interesting and not difficult. There is 1 in class writing, 2 out of class papers, and an optional final that can only boost your grade. Also, he counts your best grade twice! Every class he incorporates some jokes to keep everyone's attention. If you go to class and take good notes, that's all you'll need for an A.

Professor Pinkard is THE BEST! The materials are definitely really hard, but he makes it fun and worthwhile. I'll always remember him- if you're a philosophy major take him before you graduate! If you're not a philo major, take it nevertheless and you'll love it.

Political and Social Thought is NOT my thing, but Terry Pinkard made the class interesting. I started out reading the texts, but Pinkard's lectures are so good that I stopped and still got an A in the class. He does a great job of breaking down hard concepts into simpler terms, and he counts your best paper twice to help your grade.

Makes dry (often very dry) material fairly interesting. Attending lecture is optional but you should go. 5 in-class tests, but he allows open book, notes, and Internet. Find people to work with. The class' work itself is not excessively easy, but graded favorably. Optional final paper only helps grade. If you're filling a requirement, take him.

As opposed to the rest of Georgetown's course offerings, this class' policies are designed to work in your favor. 5 in-class tests (open book/computer/phone/mouth), weekly discussion section and an optional final essay that can only boost your grade. Now, do yourself a favor and--Take. This. Class.

No need to buy books. Sparknotes and lecture notes are enough. The grades really depend on your TA.

Good lecturer, a little repetitive sometimes but material sinks in. Only two papers and one open-book test. He counts your best grade twice and there is an optional final paper. No final exam.

Lectures were very clear and really interesting. Great sense of humor and always willing to have conversations after lectures. In the middle of lecture we had a 5-7 minute break, which was great. All around wonderful professor and cannot wait to take another class with him. TA can definitely make or break this class too and mine was amazing!

Attendance is definitely not necessary to pass the class or even to get an A. Grades are pretty much paper based and they don't require much philosophical background. That being said, if you're actually interested in learning philosophy, go to lecture! Pinkard does a great job of picking the best parts of readings and explaining them. Take for PST!

Five tests are in-class essays on Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, and MacIntyre. This constitutes 80% of your grades and 20% discussion. Your grade depends on your TA. Get B+ in the final optional paper, your grade goes up. (B to B+) You can manage sparknoting, but I read. My TA was hard on grading. You are smart enough. You will be fine hahaha

Good lecturer. Your grade and how much you get out of the class will depend on your TA. Only 3-4 papers, counts your highest grade twice and gives an optional final paper to help raise your grade. Lots of reading, but you can do well without doing it, depending on how well you write philosophy papers. Take him for PST.

Your experience in his class is based more on the quality of your TA than on Prof. Pinkard, but all of the TAs are amazing; extremely knowledgable and devoted to their students.

The lectures are a bit long but he is aware of this and takes seven minute breaks at the middle point of the class. Your grading and understanding without the book is determined by how good your TA is but I had a good one so it went well. The course is really made to help many people maintain good grades so I recommend it.

I thought this was a great class especially since it is a required course. It was very easy and the lectures weren't boring. The only homework is to read. After we learn and read about a particular philosopher, we have a one-question test in relation to the specific philosopher. You don't actually need to read to pass.

The most legendary professor of the Georgetown Philosophy department. He is one of the best professors I've had at Georgetown and an expert in German Philosophy, speaks fluent German^. His lectures are extremely interesting and the class flies by as a result. Very fair grader and always wants everyone to do well in the class, incredibly helpful.

Ethics was alright. There are five in class essays which are based upon lecture material so be sure to attend class. However, the TAs grades all of the tests and participation in discussion is worth 20% of the grade. Overall, although you can get by without reading, doing the readings makes the tests much easier. Readings are terrible and boring.

Most fascinating lectures -- always relates it to us college students! The seminar really depends on your TA and I simply had the most caring and organized TA so I lucked out compared to my friends. Extra credit paper at the end is a saving grace! YOU MUST TAKE PINKARD! He's the BEST! Every lecture starts with student announcements ;)

I liked Pinkard as a professor. Test grading is so subjective, but his lectures are generally pretty interesting.

Pinkard is funny and a great lecturer who makes boring material interesting. Your grade depends entirely on your TA. Mine wasn't great and graded harshly, but the rest of the TAs are solid and easy graders. A decent amount of reading, but you honestly do not have to do any of it. 1 in class test (open books), 2 papers and an optional final paper.

Professor Pinkard's lectures are the highlight of this course. His analogies really hit the mark when he tries to relate philosophical ideas to everyday living. Grading is conducted by TAs, but he counts your best paper grade twice, and provides an optional final at the end in which a B+ or higher can raise your grade half a point.

Participation doesn't matter for his lectures, but it does for the recitations. Make sure you either go to the lectures or do the readings so you can participate in the recitations. I made the mistake of skipping most of his lectures. The papers are easy if you do the readings, make sure you read the philosophy paper guidelines on blackboard!!

He is so cute!! His class is also very, very easy. You don't have to go to lecture (but maybe still go so that you can participate in recitation). My TA was an easy grader so it was especially easy. Overall, though, Pinkard's class is boring but very easy and pretty informative if you're paying attention. You only have to read for the papers!

Pinkard is a philosophy genius. His classes will make you think and not just read philosophy texts. He's also caring and will gave you good criticism. His classes aren't too easy but it's worth it. Best philo prof at georgetown.

Really smart, kind and funny guy that loves the subject. Super interesting to talk to after class. That being said, the lectures (not mandatory) are pretty dry, especially if you don't like philosophy or political theory. Your grade and essay topic is dependent on your TA.

Pinkard is an amazing lecturer; makes the philosophy he teaches relatable and understandable. The only real work for the class is the essays, which vary depending on TA. Readings are not really required (until you have to do the essays), and attendance isn't mandatory at lectures but it helps a lot for the essays. Overall a very interesting class

I found Pinkard's lectures engaging, but I feel like most people didn't. None of the reading is required. You also don't need to buy the books; they are all accessible online. My TA (Ward) really made this class a great one. She contextualized what we learned and made the essays significantly less scary.

Gives a lot of dense readings, but you can skim as long as you show up for lectures. Lectures are engaging and informative, plus Professor Pinkard is pretty funny and clearly cares. One open note test, two short-ish papers (best grade counted twice), and an optional paper that can only bring your grade up. Easy to do well if you put in the work.

When it comes to PST, Pinkard is definitely the way to go. Grade consists of one in-class exam, two papers, and one optional paper that can only raise your grade. Lectures are very clear and easy to understand, but you must go to discussion sections to get a good grade. Overall, solid choice

Professor Pinkard is a great ethics professor! He is super sweet and explains things very well. The only thing is that your grade is all up to the TA (they make the tests and put in the grades), so it all depends on the TA you get. There are only a few tests, so it is slightly stressful, but there is an optional final that can bring your grade up.

Seems like a nice, fun guy, but tbh lecture attendance isn't necessary. 6 open-note tests and optional essay. Easy A as long as you go to discussion consistently. I do not feel more ethical after this class, but I'm sure one would if they put in more effort.

Lectures are quite interesting, but attendance is not necessary. Go to discussion with a vague sense of the reading, and you'll be fine. Professor Pinkard is a great guy who explains topics extremely well. He made abstract concepts easily digestible. You are graded on 6 open-note, in-class essays and an optional essay at the end of the semester.

Pinkard is an interesting lecturer and makes difficult concepts a lot easier to understand. There's a lot of exams but they're open note, so it's not too stressful. Reading is also pretty heavy, but you can just skim it if you don't have time; it gets covered in class and in discussion sections. Optional final paper boosts grade by half letter.

Dr. Pinkard introduced us to the field of ethics well. There were many opportunities to critically think. Thus said, if you wish to stand a chance in this class, DO THE READINGS. Your TA will grade the timed essays you write (there are about six), and they are notably rigorous in difficulty and grading criteria.

Prof Pinkard is a really sweet guy who wants you to get an A. Graded on 8-ish in-class essays and your top score is counted 3 times. I just did the reading and skipped lecture mostly but when I did go to lecture he was personable and interesting. You get full points for recit. if you attend all but 2. Highly recommend if phil isn't your thing

Professor Pinker is amazing! Too bad he's retiring at the end of Spring '24 :( The lectures are incredibly engaging and he breaks down complex materials and philosophy with ease. Terry is so funny and his anecdotes making connections with philosophic topics were memorable. He is exactly the type of professor I came to Georgetown for.

Terry made me fall in love (let me be clear that I did not fall in love with Terry himself). The topics were interesting, and Terry does a great job connecting the topics, making them even more interesting, and making them clearer for our feeble minds. Terry is a god, and I bow down to him everyday. His office hours are also really good.

I was doing a Wikirace with my friend and we went from Georgetown to Terry Pinkard and we got to him because he's THE biographer of Hegel. Knows a lot and is well respected (glad to take his last class before retirement). He was Pres DeGioia's PhD Defense professor which is cool

Pinkard's lectures are engaging, though some may find them dry. The workload is manageable - a few papers and exams. While attendance is mandatory, the readings aren't strictly required. I found unstuck study really helpful for essay prep and test review.