POL SCI 10
Introduction to Political Theory
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Exposition and analysis of selected political theorists and concepts from Plato to the present. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2018 - The key to happiness is found in not taking this class. First of all her lectures are all over the place and her slides are some of the most unhelpful I've ever stumbled upon. Going to class is mandatory since she has an unidentified number of pop quizzes throughout the quarter. T.As are TOUGH graders too, they don't give you that long to address a question but expect you to hit EVERY criterion PERFECTLY. I had a terrible time and I guarantee if you take it, you will too. It doesn't even matter whether what we read was interesting or not because she is so all over the place it is really not worth it. Save yourself the stress and save your GPA by not enrolling in this class.
Spring 2018 - The key to happiness is found in not taking this class. First of all her lectures are all over the place and her slides are some of the most unhelpful I've ever stumbled upon. Going to class is mandatory since she has an unidentified number of pop quizzes throughout the quarter. T.As are TOUGH graders too, they don't give you that long to address a question but expect you to hit EVERY criterion PERFECTLY. I had a terrible time and I guarantee if you take it, you will too. It doesn't even matter whether what we read was interesting or not because she is so all over the place it is really not worth it. Save yourself the stress and save your GPA by not enrolling in this class.
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Most Helpful Review
Class taken: Pub Pol 10A To be perfectly honest, this guys personality just bugs the hell out of me. If I'm sticking to the criticism of the class and his teaching, the books are interesting, and the policy memos are graded difficultly but actually teach you a valuable skill. I cannot say the same about the rest of the class. I usually went (just because I had class right before and after) but spent the entire time on bbc or cnn. Because after a half hour explanation of what inflation is, I figured out that everything you need to know can be learned from high school econ and you know, not living in a cave. Stoll's just smug, and assumes a great level of idiocy in his students. Except on the policy memos, where he expects you to be perfect... Don't let it keep you away from the minor though, once you start picking your own classes its good!
Class taken: Pub Pol 10A To be perfectly honest, this guys personality just bugs the hell out of me. If I'm sticking to the criticism of the class and his teaching, the books are interesting, and the policy memos are graded difficultly but actually teach you a valuable skill. I cannot say the same about the rest of the class. I usually went (just because I had class right before and after) but spent the entire time on bbc or cnn. Because after a half hour explanation of what inflation is, I figured out that everything you need to know can be learned from high school econ and you know, not living in a cave. Stoll's just smug, and assumes a great level of idiocy in his students. Except on the policy memos, where he expects you to be perfect... Don't let it keep you away from the minor though, once you start picking your own classes its good!
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2022 - I learned a lot in this class & once you understand the requirements, it's smooth sailing. While Trojan requires that you purchase the course reader, I found that I didn't really need it. Homework each week consisted of digitally annotating the reading 3 times through a program called Perusall, I found myself skimming it for the most part, and I was still able to follow along in class. We had mini-essays due every couple weeks called "interventions" where we challenged a way of thinking. I did poorly on the first one since I analyzed a quote, rather than dismantling the logic behind it, but my TA left helpful comments and I was able to recover my grade. We had one main paper & no final. There was a lot of freedom with our final paper so I used one of my intervention topics and just expanded on it. The course topics were all very abstract, so Trojan was the perfect professor for it. He is very much the teacher to answer your question with a question, or respond to "Can I go to the bathroom?" with "Can you?" However, I kind of loved that as it really forced me to think and analyze words in a way I've never had to before. He was very engaging with what otherwise may have been boring content and utilized the class space in a great way. I would recommend going to office hours which were held in the sculpture garden, as they prepare you for discussion and are actually quite thought-provoking. Overall, great class!
Fall 2022 - I learned a lot in this class & once you understand the requirements, it's smooth sailing. While Trojan requires that you purchase the course reader, I found that I didn't really need it. Homework each week consisted of digitally annotating the reading 3 times through a program called Perusall, I found myself skimming it for the most part, and I was still able to follow along in class. We had mini-essays due every couple weeks called "interventions" where we challenged a way of thinking. I did poorly on the first one since I analyzed a quote, rather than dismantling the logic behind it, but my TA left helpful comments and I was able to recover my grade. We had one main paper & no final. There was a lot of freedom with our final paper so I used one of my intervention topics and just expanded on it. The course topics were all very abstract, so Trojan was the perfect professor for it. He is very much the teacher to answer your question with a question, or respond to "Can I go to the bathroom?" with "Can you?" However, I kind of loved that as it really forced me to think and analyze words in a way I've never had to before. He was very engaging with what otherwise may have been boring content and utilized the class space in a great way. I would recommend going to office hours which were held in the sculpture garden, as they prepare you for discussion and are actually quite thought-provoking. Overall, great class!
Most Helpful Review
Professor Walker is honestly the best professor I have had at UCLA. He is extremely engaging and his love for political philosophy is contagious. You will walk out wanting to be a theory concentration. The class is really easy if you just do the readings, which are not long at all. There are pop quizzes, but he tells you ahead of time when they will be happening. The essays are easy too. Definitely take the class and engage in it. You won't regret it!
Professor Walker is honestly the best professor I have had at UCLA. He is extremely engaging and his love for political philosophy is contagious. You will walk out wanting to be a theory concentration. The class is really easy if you just do the readings, which are not long at all. There are pop quizzes, but he tells you ahead of time when they will be happening. The essays are easy too. Definitely take the class and engage in it. You won't regret it!
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Most Helpful Review
I am a Poli Sci major and took this class after being told amazing things about Wolfenstein by a high-school friend who just graduated from UCLA. After taking PS10 with him, I can see why many students think he is so great. Before I get into the class/prof, I will cut to the chase about the GRADE since that is what you are probably most concerned with. I am a freshman who received an A+ in PS 30 and 40 this year. I am praying that I will receive at least an A- in PS 10. The class is by no means easy. I would strongly recommend avoiding PS 10 with Wolfenstein (not sure about the class with other profs) if you plan on taking it only for a GE or to maybe get a "taste" of PS. If you fit into one of those categories, go take PS 40 with Schwartz and cruise by with an A+ without trying at all. Like I said, I came into this class knowing it was not going to be easy, and it wasn't. However, even if my GPA suffers because of taking 10 with Wolfenstein, I do not regret my decision. I can say that in my first year at UCLA, I learned the most in Wolfenstein's class and I actually grew as a person. As seen in other reviews, his lectures will inspire you. I know so many people in the class who never attended class because he posted lecture notes with all the relevant facts. But in honesty, if this topic interests you, every lecture will be entertaining. I cannot remember the last time I was so engaged in a class. It is important to note that taking 10 with Wolfenstein is misleading since the class is "PS 10: Intro to Political Theory." My best friend at UCLA took Philosophy 6 this quarter (Intro to Political Philosophy) and I will say that PS 10 is way more of a philosophy course. If you are looking for a PS class that will analyze the structures of government and reasons for their existence, PS 10 with Wolfenstein is probably not for you. He takes the works of political theorists (Plato, Marx, Locke, and Nietzsche) to an entirely higher level. In short, this class includes ontological, metaphysical, and epistemological ideas that receive equal weight to issues you would expect to receive more focus, such as the origin of the state, nature of justice, and notions of freedom. I think PS 10 not being what I expected it to be is why I enjoyed it so much. I cannot stress enough that I have not experienced "learning" like this in a formal setting for a very long time. Wolfenstein's lectures provoked many thoughts in me that I actually delved into randomly. If you have any serious interest in trying to get a better understanding of how humans act by nature and such consequences of that nature, I seriously recommend this course. Taking it at the same time as PS 30 gave me an amazing educational experience this quarter (not to sound cheesy). But seriously, ending my spring quarter by trying to tie all these philosophical theories together into one "big picture" made me feel like I am leaving UCLA this summer on a better off note than when I arrived here.
I am a Poli Sci major and took this class after being told amazing things about Wolfenstein by a high-school friend who just graduated from UCLA. After taking PS10 with him, I can see why many students think he is so great. Before I get into the class/prof, I will cut to the chase about the GRADE since that is what you are probably most concerned with. I am a freshman who received an A+ in PS 30 and 40 this year. I am praying that I will receive at least an A- in PS 10. The class is by no means easy. I would strongly recommend avoiding PS 10 with Wolfenstein (not sure about the class with other profs) if you plan on taking it only for a GE or to maybe get a "taste" of PS. If you fit into one of those categories, go take PS 40 with Schwartz and cruise by with an A+ without trying at all. Like I said, I came into this class knowing it was not going to be easy, and it wasn't. However, even if my GPA suffers because of taking 10 with Wolfenstein, I do not regret my decision. I can say that in my first year at UCLA, I learned the most in Wolfenstein's class and I actually grew as a person. As seen in other reviews, his lectures will inspire you. I know so many people in the class who never attended class because he posted lecture notes with all the relevant facts. But in honesty, if this topic interests you, every lecture will be entertaining. I cannot remember the last time I was so engaged in a class. It is important to note that taking 10 with Wolfenstein is misleading since the class is "PS 10: Intro to Political Theory." My best friend at UCLA took Philosophy 6 this quarter (Intro to Political Philosophy) and I will say that PS 10 is way more of a philosophy course. If you are looking for a PS class that will analyze the structures of government and reasons for their existence, PS 10 with Wolfenstein is probably not for you. He takes the works of political theorists (Plato, Marx, Locke, and Nietzsche) to an entirely higher level. In short, this class includes ontological, metaphysical, and epistemological ideas that receive equal weight to issues you would expect to receive more focus, such as the origin of the state, nature of justice, and notions of freedom. I think PS 10 not being what I expected it to be is why I enjoyed it so much. I cannot stress enough that I have not experienced "learning" like this in a formal setting for a very long time. Wolfenstein's lectures provoked many thoughts in me that I actually delved into randomly. If you have any serious interest in trying to get a better understanding of how humans act by nature and such consequences of that nature, I seriously recommend this course. Taking it at the same time as PS 30 gave me an amazing educational experience this quarter (not to sound cheesy). But seriously, ending my spring quarter by trying to tie all these philosophical theories together into one "big picture" made me feel like I am leaving UCLA this summer on a better off note than when I arrived here.
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