loved this class! it was incredibly
difficult and made me drop my philosophy major but prof hsu is just so sweet and really great at what he does. i was somehow able to understand wittgenstein’s unintelligibly philosophical investigations because he’s a great lecturer, takes his time with explanations and answers to questions, and is very organized. he is also very patient and understanding, and records his lectures. he does not require participation. it really allows you to learn at your own pace and not feel stressed out while trying to understand an already stressful topic. 11/10 professor, the content was difficult but he made it manageable :)

Wonderful professor.

Throughout the quarter I both understood Wittgenstein and was able to think like him. I think this was Hsu's intention: his lectures provided clarification and enriched understanding while the exams tested my ability to apply this understanding, i.e., could I approach philosophical problems or theories as Wittgenstein might? I found the exam exercises to be both fun and valuable. Hsu is an extremely effective and organized lecture, readily available to help, and a fair grader. I got an A, and felt that this was accurate considering the work I turned in, and put into, the class.

All things considered, Hsu is definitely the best professor I've had thus far.

Ten out of ten. 185 was revolved around Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations; I found Hsu's unique interpretation of the text very interesting and engaging. The reading load was manageable (150-200 pages for the entire quarter), and the assignments were challenging but fun to work with. We had to complete two essays (10 pggs each) and an in-class final; all three assignments were weighted equally.

Hsu is a very clear and organized lecturer. He starts every lecture with a fifteen-minute-or-so summary of the previous lecture, and then proceeds from there logically; Hsu does a good job of tying ideas together and establishing overall themes in the class. Another thing I particularly enjoyed about 185 was its oppenness to student participation.

That said, don't take Hsu's classes if you want easy A's. We were assigned to complete two ten-page essays and an in-class final exam