John Searle - University of California Berkeley

Professor: John Searle
Department: Philosophy
College: University of California Berkeley
Rating # 1
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL132
  • Grade Received: A-
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
What can be said? He's the legend and lives up to his reputation. His lectures are beyond interesting, and never get dull. I liked his humor and he makes a complicated subject interesting. Getting into this class is very difficult however.
Rating # 2
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL132MIND
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.5
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
He lives up to his reputation, period. Searle is one of those professors that makes it worth being a philosophy major. His lectures are funny and entertaining. The essays are tough, but go to the GSI for guidance. I would take this professor again.
Rating # 3
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL132
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.5
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
If you're hesitant on taking Searle, because you've heard that he's a bad lecturer or an egomaniac. You may be right on the ego part, but his lectures are on point and hilarious at the same time. Really enjoyed coming to class. Only three papers (3 pg. max) and one easy final. Kind of challenging, but if you do the reading -- it should be easy.
Rating # 4
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL138
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Excellent class: A lot of time explaining other, sometimes competing philosophies. This is good, because he breaks their arguments down. A lot of time explaining history, this is good, because it's from a formal source. There was advice on how to make money in real estate. Read all of his books, I didn't use his study guide: A- on final
Rating # 5
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL132
  • Grade Received: C
  • Overall Rating: 2.5
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Do NOT underestimate this course. I took it for a grade and received very good marks on all of my papers. The grade is based on three papers and a final exam. The papers are worth 20% of your grade and the final is worth 40%. I bombed the final and barely passed the course. Searle's lectures are long and complicated, and the GSI's are a mixed bag.
Rating # 6
Overview:
  • Course: 132
  • Grade Received: A+
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
I'm Philos major, and I'm not sure if Searle is teaching me philosophy or preaching me his philosophy. Searle uses all his books, of which after reading one it'll be pointless to read a second. That being said, Searle is very clear, original, and engaging lecturer. But make sure to think critically of things he tells you.
Rating # 7
Overview:
  • Course: 101
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
John Searle is one of the best lecturers and philosophers of our time. He has quit a history with the University and has been there for students from day one. He is brilliant and a MUST for anyone with a passion for the liberal arts at UCB. Really, the living Socrates of our time.
Rating # 8
Overview:
  • Course: PHILOS132
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
One of the best classes I've taken at Cal. Searle may be dismissive of competing theories but he always gives his reasons and in general tries to provide a fair overview of the field. I'm not a philosophy major, but found his books very readable (unlike many other philosophical writings) and quite compelling. 3 papers (+ one optional) and a final.
Rating # 9
Overview:
  • Course: PHILO132
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.5
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Searle is a really likable professor, and as a non-philosophy major I can say I enjoyed the class. It can get dull at times, but he manages to keep it lively enough. Papers and the final were straightforward and graded fairly, and the class as a whole wasn't nearly as tough as I've heard other philo classes can be.
Rating # 10
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL133
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.5
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
The only fun part of the class was when he would get off topic and talk about his dogs. The lectures were dull, the course wasn't particularly well structured, and he's overly dismissive of others' ideas. Overall, nothing to get excited about. Don't bother with his philosophy of language class unless you really, really love linguistics.
Rating # 11
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL138
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Searle has a big name but I was very disappointed about the course. Searle presents his concepts (which are his main lecture topic) quite uncritically and discusses other accounts oversimplified and unfair. Lectures often get repetitive, questions aren't really answered. Be sure to write down his opinions in your papers.
Rating # 12
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL132
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
My attitude towards Searle: I'm glad I've taken him, but would never take another one of his classes. It gets tirelessly annoying listening to him criticize others, esp. when his views have problems, too. I would like to take another phil. of mind class just because his did not properly educate me in the course. Instead, you only get his opinion.
Rating # 13
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL138
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Pretty boring lectures that get repetitive quickly and often get off-topic. Searle re-iterates his own ideas a lot. Discussion depends on GSI; mine was OK. Papers are questionable in how intellectually serious they are, and grading for them is somewhat subjective.
Rating # 14
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL132
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Searle is old, and has quite a history and reputation as a philosopher around the world. His lectures are dry and repetitive though, and the readings (mostly his book) are identical to what he says during lecture. I recommend it for a philosophy major, but not the best class if you are new to philosophy.
Rating # 15
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL133
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
I am not a philosophy major but I took his class thinking I would do a phil minor. The class made me realize how difficult philosophy can be and never finished the minor but the class was a pleasure nonetheless. Searle is endlessly entertaining, charming, funny, brilliant.
Rating # 16
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL132
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 1.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
This was the start of my disillusionment with philosophy. Searle is self-absorbed and not an original/creative thinker. I was really excited about this class (judging by the title), but he let me down.
Rating # 17
Overview:
  • Course: MINDPHIL
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Philos of Mind is his expertise. If you are at Berkeley and a Philos major, it would be a disservice to yourself not to take his class. Reading his work is the most rewarding; he is one of the clearest writers of philos out there. He does not merely teach you philos but also how to do philos.
Rating # 18
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL133
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Searle is entertaining in his own way. :) The lectures aren't very organized, but that's his style. I definitely agree with the comments below -- Take this class for Searle, and Searle only. You don't really go to his lectures to learn much about mainstream philosphy because he's usually criticizing such philosphers.
Rating # 19
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL138
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Very entertaining class. Searle has some interesting ideas and brings very relevant situations and examples into the discussion of material. Paper topics are really interesting There were points in the class where he was embarassed at how little he understood other philosophers in the same field. The final was very straight forward.
Rating # 20
Overview:
  • Course: PHIL138
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
take the class for Searle and for Searle only; do not expect to learn too much of the ideas of other philosophers.
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