Professor
David Kaplan
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2018 - Professor Kaplan is an impressive and unique person to take a course with. A lot of philosophy classes cover hundreds of years and dozens of thinkers. Kaplan, on the other hand, gives you an appreciation for the insights possible in analyzing a paragraph. The entire class is on one paper important to the Philosophy of Language. The midterm and final are each an 8-10 page paper answering a list of questions. They ask for a little original thought and understanding, so pay attention! If you're here, take Kaplan! (If you can only manage one, take 127C.)
Winter 2018 - Professor Kaplan is an impressive and unique person to take a course with. A lot of philosophy classes cover hundreds of years and dozens of thinkers. Kaplan, on the other hand, gives you an appreciation for the insights possible in analyzing a paragraph. The entire class is on one paper important to the Philosophy of Language. The midterm and final are each an 8-10 page paper answering a list of questions. They ask for a little original thought and understanding, so pay attention! If you're here, take Kaplan! (If you can only manage one, take 127C.)
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2024 - Kaplan is old. He is a genius, is mentioned in the footnotes of the text the class is on, and is super nice, but he is old. Lectures became quite repetitive and at points slow, and we ended up having to rush through some of the later topics. All this being said, you should take Kaplan if you can! He is endlessly knowledgeable, kind, and still quite funny. After each lecture he takes whoever wants to come with him out for coffee at cafe next door, and in these "office hours" you really get to pick his brain about anything and everything. Grading was based on participation, a midterm paper, and a final paper. The papers are essentially just answering 4-5 straightforward prompts, so if you pay any attention in class or discussion (which is mandatory), you'll be fine for an easy A.
Spring 2024 - Kaplan is old. He is a genius, is mentioned in the footnotes of the text the class is on, and is super nice, but he is old. Lectures became quite repetitive and at points slow, and we ended up having to rush through some of the later topics. All this being said, you should take Kaplan if you can! He is endlessly knowledgeable, kind, and still quite funny. After each lecture he takes whoever wants to come with him out for coffee at cafe next door, and in these "office hours" you really get to pick his brain about anything and everything. Grading was based on participation, a midterm paper, and a final paper. The papers are essentially just answering 4-5 straightforward prompts, so if you pay any attention in class or discussion (which is mandatory), you'll be fine for an easy A.
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