PHIL1091 · Philosophy
Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences
Freshmen only This course pursues the enduring and foundational questions of life into the modern world. It considers the new and renewed understandings of faith, reason, justice, nature and the human person that emerge in the works of writers such as Machiavelli, Descartes, Luther, Rousseau, and Nietzsche. Modern perspectives will be appraised in light of the pre-modern perspectives encountered in the first semester of the course, allowing students to consider important contemporary questions in more attentive, reflective and responsible ways.
Course experience
Averages use the original five-point historical evaluation scale.
Organization
4.5 / 5
How well the course was organized
Challenge
4.7 / 5
How intellectually challenging students found it
Attendance
4.7 / 5
How necessary attendance was
Assignments
4.5 / 5
How helpful assignments were
Weekly effort
~5
hours per week
Estimated from the original workload response buckets. Individual sections may differ.
Instructor options
Ratings below reflect only recovered evaluations connected to this course.
Professor of the Practice, Philosophy Department
4.7 / 5
4.5 / 5
Associate Professor of the Practice, Philosophy Department
4.9 / 5
4.8 / 5
Assistant Professor of the Practice, Philosophy Department
4.7 / 5
4.6 / 5
Associate Professor of the Practice, Philosophy Department
4.9 / 5
4.8 / 5
Part Time Faculty, Philosophy Department
4.6 / 5
4.5 / 5
Associate Professor of the Practice, Theology Department
4.1 / 5
4.0 / 5
Part Time Faculty, Philosophy Department
4.7 / 5
4.6 / 5
Part Time Faculty, Theology Department
3.9 / 5
3.8 / 5
Professor of the Practice, Philosophy Department
4.6 / 5
4.5 / 5
Associate Professor of the Practice, Theology Department
4.9 / 5
4.8 / 5
Part Time Faculty, Philosophy Department
4.0 / 5
4.0 / 5
Associate Professor, Philosophy Department
4.8 / 5
4.8 / 5
Professor, Albert J. Fitzgibbons Chair, Philosophy Department
4.8 / 5
4.6 / 5
Associate Professor, Philosophy Department
3.4 / 5
3.5 / 5
4 evaluations for this course
4.2 / 5
3.7 / 5
Associate Professor of the Practice, Philosophy Department
4.8 / 5
4.5 / 5
Associate Professor, Philosophy Department
4.6 / 5
4.1 / 5
3 evaluations for this course
4.9 / 5
4.7 / 5
Joseph Chair in Catholic Spirituality, Theology Department
3.7 / 5
3.3 / 5
Professor of the Practice, Philosophy Department
5.0 / 5
4.7 / 5
Associate Professor, Theology Department
4.1 / 5
4.2 / 5
Part Time Faculty, Philosophy Department
3.7 / 5
3.8 / 5
Part Time Faculty, Philosophy Department
4.2 / 5
4.0 / 5
Assistant Professor, Theology Department
4.6 / 5
4.4 / 5
Professor, Philosophy Department
4.7 / 5
4.5 / 5
Assistant Professor, Philosophy Department
4.8 / 5
4.7 / 5
Assistant Professor, Philosophy Department
3.9 / 5
3.6 / 5
Student perspective
Recovered and new anonymous comments are shown as written and may reflect different course formats.
Dec 11, 2025 · Historical comment
The American-Intellectual incarnate. A man that George Washington would be proud to call an American: A man that God would be proud to call one of his children. Discussion focused, he lets students talk and learn from everyone in the class. You need to sign up for this class right now.
Dec 3, 2025 · Historical comment
goat
Nov 18, 2025 · Historical comment
best teacher ever so funny and engaging i love his class so much
Dec 6, 2024 · Historical comment
I loved Professor A. Her lectures are sometimes a little long, but the class is very manageable compared to other persepctives classes. As long as you pay attention and take good notes in class, the takehome tests are very straightforward.
Across time
Section-level results available in the recovered archive.
Spring 2025
16 sectionsSpring 2023
57 sectionsSpring 2022
55 sectionsSpring 2021
17 sectionsSpring 2020
15 sections