Scriven, Tal  

Scriven is an excellent professor. At times, however, his explanations are not always the best. I took a logic class with him, and, if asked why something logically followed from something else, he would sometimes just give the person a look like they had just asked why 2+2=4. On a couple of occasions, the closest he got to an explanation was "...It just is." Granted, that's kind of the nature of logic, but it was just so readily apparent to him that he didn't even know how to explain. It was almost like he didn't realize that some people did not "just see it". Of course, these instances were the exception, not the norm. Overall, a splendid professor, and one I hope to have again.

Professor Scriven is one of the best teachers I've had my first year at Cal Poly. He has a very dry sense of humor and this always kept the class laughing. Logic was a two hour course but every time we had it, he would lecture for an hour and then allow kids to go if they already understood the material. The class consisted of 5 tests and a final, but he allows you to drop your lowest test score before going into finals week. He's great in office hours and overall, a really sensible guy. I communicated with him a lot through e-mail and he always helped me out. I would HIGHLY recommend taking this class over English 145 when it is offered. Logic is much more interesting and you don't have to write essays!

Tal is an awesome guy, and PHIL 126 is definitely the easiest way out of an A3 if you don't like writing. There is no actual writing assignments, just 5 quizzes throughout the quarter, and a final. I think 2 of the 5 quizzes required you to write about a paragraph, and that's the extent of the "writing" part of this class: "Logic and Argumentative Writing" Although it's not actually mathematical, the class works more like a math class than a writing class, where there is a mechanical way to do the problems, and an actually exact answer that you can get. No subjective opinion based grading here. Tal is also a really reasonable guy, but he is not a pushover. He doesn't have much of a tolerance for kids' stupidity, but at the same time is very open to clarifying anything you don't understand. You won't need to read the book at all, everything is gone over in class, however you will need the book because you have to work problems out of it for homework. The homework is ungraded, but you're going to want to do it, because if you learn the homework, you'll ace the quizzes. He doesn't put any tricks on their, he just wants to know if you understand the main ideas. I just wrote a lot, but Tal is awesome and I'm so glad I got this class instead of any other A3!!!!!

This class was open to all majors during the winter quarter and was mostly Phil students. Being a Business major having this class cover my A3 GE requirement was a great window into Logic. The class was extremely fair (logic teacher!) and I'll never regret putting the time into getting a grasp into this study. It can be difficult to get a handle of it at first but hes more than willing to help you out during office hours and tends to give out answers if you head in there and show some effort

The only UM reason UM I wouldnt UM give Tal UM an A UM is because of UM HIS FUCKING UMS. holy shitting macaroni SO many times in lecture I would try to sleep and I just couldnt because of the fucking UMS. Like ok. so his regular speaking volume lets say is 20 decibels. His ums are probably about 140 db. try to say um as LOUDLY as you can inside of a tank and multiply it by 2. thats what Im talking about. otherwise hes pretty cool. his athiest jokes and his jokes about the south made me lol pretty hard. id say you could take him but bring ear plugs

Incredible philosophy professor. Read Plato, Mill, Marx and Neitzche. Learned new ways of thinking and he communicates lectures very well. Only downside is that we did not write any papers.

great at answering questions - makes material easy to understand -use the notes outline as a guide and take your own notes durring lecture - multiple choice tests - no essays

Easily one of the best professors in all of Cal Poly, Scriven went above and beyond my expectations of a Philosophy lecturer. He made the class extremely enjoyable; having a talent like that is a true rarety, and my only regret is that I couldn't take more classes from him. Scriven discusses the essence of both ancient and modern philosophy in a way everyone can understand. I found the part on the ancient greeks and the philosophy of their culture particularly interesting; it's almost like watching a documentary on your favorite subject. Scriven is extremely responsive and honest to questions you ask, both in lecture and in office hours. His tests require considerable amounts of writing, but they weren't hard--so long as you prepared in advance. I honestly did no reading in Scriven's class. His lecture was so good, I retained nearly everything he said without needing to read the texts (which, if you try to read them, tend to be tough to understand anyway). Take Scriven if you can. He's well worth it.

Scriven's close to retiring, so get him if you can to knock out your C2. Your grade is solely determined by 3 exams (no essays yeet), the lowest one gets dropped, and the third exam is all questions from the first two. I would highly recommend writing down all the info you saw on the test immediately after you take the first two exams, it'll help a lot for the third exam. The exams are freakin HARD though. Make sure you write down literally as much as you can everyday, which can be exhausting because he opts to let class out 5-10 mins early instead of giving you a break in the middle. Luckily he's a very very good lecturer, and he relates these pretty dated texts into modern examples and concepts that I found super interesting. Getting the bigger picture of the content itself (Plato, Mill, Marx, and Nietzsche) isn't hard, but he will test you on smaller details, comparisons between philosophers, and his own examples. His grade curve is very generous (anything above a 90% is an A, and above an 80% is an A-) so all in all, I'd highly recommend this class if you can get it. oh yeah, and he's also a badass, but you already knew that.

I was scared of philosophy, but Dr. Scriven was awesome. The class was one day a week for 4 hours and still it was my favorite class! He's THAT good. If you can get him, take him. He is very interesting and makes the concepts easy to understand as well as interesting. His office hours were always packed (15 people in his office!). He has a loud commanding voice and presents concepts clearly on the board. Pay attention to his notes, read the SparkNotes and maybe skim the works and you'll be fine. The tests were half multiple choice and half essay, but I think in the normal section his tests are straight multiple choice. His grading system is quite strange, but I think I had an 87 or so in the class and ended up with an A. One slight warning, he does talk about sexual stuff in a humourous way quite a bit, so if that offends you, you many not want to take him; if not, you'll find him hilarious.

Scriven has the most interesting lectures of any professor you will ever have. He tells awesome stories and is never boring. He will go to any length to answer a student's question completely to help you understand the subject. The final was optional which was very convenient. "Any questions about allllll that."

Scriven is an awsome prof. He may look like he was just released from prison, but this guy knows his stuff. After you get used to his dangerous appearence and powerful voice, he's easy to talk to. He takes any honest question seriously, and he is one of the few professors who kept me alert and listening for 1

Scriven is among the very best of the best. enthralling lectures and a very cool guy. I never missed a class (and i usually miss ALOT of class). rocked my world!!!

This is a great professor. Although your brain usually feels numb when you walk out of his class, he knows how to relate very tough material and make it understandable. Don't bother reading either book, you can't understand them without your clas notes anyway. His tests are really hard, but he curves them so much that it doesn't really matter. I got a C+ and a B- and ended up with an A- in the class. Definitely take Scriven for this class if you want to learn a lot and still get a high grade.

I can honestly say that Tal Scriven is one of the best teachers Ive had at Cal Poly. I would recommend anyone to take his class. He is very fair and always willing to help his students out. He has a wonderful ability to relate the material to students interests. He completely explains the material so there are no surprises on the tests and his curve is more then fair. More then anything, its a pretty enjoyable class. Hes the only teacher whos had the ability to keep me awake and coherent through a 2 hour class because hes damn funny and just really interesting to listen to. Overall hes a cool guy and its a cool class, this coming from someone who typically does terrible in philosophy classes. Oh, and the whole prison thing makes him pretty damn intriguing.

I took this class as a freshman, and even now, as a senior with the benefit of experiencing many teachers, I can say that Tal Scriven is a among the best of the best. After the class I became a philosophy major, and I have taken many philosophy classes. Tal has stood out amongst all of the professors I have experienced. I also admire Tal's discipline in not using his position as a way to get across his political or philosophical views. In Tal's class, instead of being propagandized, you are taught. I strongly recommend this class and professor, and urge those intimidated by how difficult the course may at first seem to stick with it.

Amazing prof. He does look like someone you'd meet at a biker bar, but his vast knowledge of a wide variety of subjects will surprise you. I took him for the 4 hour, once a week, lecture, and he kept me awake for every class (and I sleep like no other). He's very good at putting things in relatable terms, and (for the 4-hour lecture at least) there were only two midterms and an optional final. The best teacher I've had yet and HIGHLY recommended.

Scriven is one of the best damn teachers at our school... I sat in a daze during his lectures because he is so freakin' captivating. I had a 4 hour lecture with him and looked forward to it every week... it was more like attending a theatrical event than going to school. Yes, he looks a lot like the principal from Back to the Future... maybe a little like an escaped convict... but this guy is amazing. I recommend him to everyone I run into who hasn't yet taken Philosophy. Rock on Scriv-dog!

Dr. Scriven is totally awesome. You don't ever have to worry about not being able to understand the material. His only flaw is that he sometimes oversimplifies what your learning. Which most would consider a plus not a flaw right? He is HELLA intelligent and that makes him so damn attractive. Dr Scriven gets a 'better than a five star hotel' thumbs up in my book.

Dr. Scriven or Tal...is awesome for the following reason: Have you ever had a teacher whose only objective in class is to push his views and beliefs on you, whether that be political or not? You leave the class with only the knowledge of what the teacher considers 'right' But with Tal, you learn the material/facts not his opinions. It's what all college classes should be like. I respect him for that. I give Dr. Scriven a high five, down low, not too slow handshake.

Professor Scriven is hands down the best teacher at Cal Poly. He presents hard material in a clear and easy to understand manner. He will lecture for nearly two hours straight but the time will fly by. You must attend class to get a good grade because the test questions are almost based solely from his lectures. However, very few people ever missed class (even though attendance was optional) because his lectures are hilarious and he was never boring. If you are going to take a philosophy class look no further than Tal.

Tal is one of the most entertaining professors I've had. I honestly enjoyed going to the 2 hour lectures at night. Unfortunatelly his tests are pretty rough. For me at least. I thought I was a sharp guy, but I'm not doing well at all. If you can somehow figure out what he's going to ask, you'll do fine, because he asks the same questions several times in different ways on each test, but for me, they weren't what I expected. I've missed one lecture this quarter, read Cliff's Notes and Spark Notes on all 3 books (we skipped Marx), and I'm shooting for a D.

Tal is so outstanding. Words cannot express how good of a professor he is. By far, he has been the best professor I have ever had. There are two kinds of classes you can take in college. 1. Ones that you will remember and 2. Ones that you will forget. 40 years from now, this is one class I will never forget...and one professor that will always rank up high, if not #1 on my list. Thanks Tal for such an eye-opening quarter. You are truly an amazing professor..."Any questions about alllllll that?" ---Yes, CAN YOU TEACH OTHER PROFESSORS TO BE LIKE YOU?

Well what more is there to say about Tal --- HE ROCKS. This class is thought provoking and by no means boring. Tal is a very intelligent man, but just remember that he seems way more in intimidating than he really is. He wants everyone to do well and has an insane grading curve (an A is an 85 or above, A- is an 80-85, etc.) He grades SO HARD but just remember the curve. Nobody in my class really read the books he assigned because his lecture outlines are so thorough. Take a class with Scriven for sure, and don't worry, he won't rip you a new one unless you deserve it HAHA :) I LOVED THIS CLASS.

Scriven is great! I recomend him to anyone who hasn't taken philosophy. I went into the class thinking it would be boring, but Scriven proved me wrong! He is a great teacher and keeps your attention for the entire 2 hour lecture. Be sure to go to office hours the day before the test to understand the essay questions. And just pay attention in class and you will do fine on the tests.

Tal is a brilliant man at his work. He knows his stuff and can lecture for 2 hours staight without even taking a breath! Amazing lecturer, clear and organized. He really has a passion and intellect for philosophy. I went to every lecture and it was never boring. It's best to go to each one too because he explains everything in depth from the reading, otherwise I wouldn't have a clue what was going on. I like him because he treated us (students) like adults, rather than demeaning us like some professors do, and shows great respect to his students. He is fair and has very interesting stories!! Take him, you won't regret it!

Professor Scriven is a model professor. He's respectful to all students, knows everything about anything he's talking about (and if he doesn't, he let's you know), and as much as I hate philosophy, I have to say that I enjoyed having PHIL 231 with Professor Scriven. I didn't ready one page of any required reading, but make sure you study study study the lecture outlines, go to every every every class, and take notes for everything he writes on the board.

TAL WILL NOT "RIP YOU A NEW ONE" even though I received a B+ in the class, I definitely have to give Tal an A. He is awesome. In the past, teachers that look like Scriven have been known to scare the crap out of me. But Tal is quite approachable and open to questions. He presents material that does not reflect his own views or ideologies...I'm still not sure if in a state of protest he'd grab the first tree he sees and hug it or if he'd grab the first semi-automatic... Anywho, go to all the lectures (which are rarely boring), copy down everything from the board, and buy the two dollar course outline...tests are straightforward sans trick questions. Tal is fair, knowledgable, practical, humorous, basically one of the best Profs I've ever had. So take Tal if you can...plus, there's no homework, no group work, no quizzes...just you, the Tal, and the chalk (which he often gets all over his jackets)..

Tal liked the sound of his own voice a little too damn much. But he had a sick grading scale, you take 3 tests and your grade is based on the best two. I got a D- on the first test so I actually studied for the second, aced it and got a C on the final to end up with a B+ in the class. This is the perfect class for an easy GE, Tal is annoying but hell it helped my GPA

I don't know what the last Douche is talking about, but Tal is one of the best teachers I've ever had. I took Phil 231 and Phil 340 with him. As long as you go to class you'll have no problem doing well in these classes. He can argue any side of a topic and has no problem answering questions. On top of that, it's worth going every time to hear the random stories and quotes Tal has to go along with the course material, such as: Captain Nemo of the Terds, The Library Butt Sniffer, the Cal Poly Ag Pig F$%#@r and many more. Great class, great prof, don't let the last Douche's opinion scare you away from this class, you'd only be cheating yourself.

Wow. Scriven was everything I anticipated. He knows how students think. Though intimidating, he's very nice and easy to talk to. He does not express his own personal views when lecturing; instead, he focuses on representing the philosphers fairly. He throws in plenty of laughs for his students. As long as you study and read the material, you will do you. He also curves. I studied fairly enough for the first midterm and got a 75%. The second one i didn't have time to study for and got a D-. But for the final i studied the outline over and over and ended up receiving the best grade on the final. Make sure you go to every class, it's for your benefit. Plus, the way he teaches made me want to learn these more about human social order. Tal is great. I have nothing but respect for him.

This was a really fun class, I did enjoy the lectures. The tests are worded wierd, and they are slightly confussing. He does do alot of questions with none of the above, or "more then one of the above" it does make the test a little more challanging. But the class was well worth it. I would recommend going to class everyday, he is fun to listion to. I only missed on lec, because i fell asleep outside, other then that i went to every class and i think that helped me get the grade i got.

Lectures were very clear, entertaining, and best of all he was UNBIASED. Philosophy material can get very opinionated; however, he just presented the material for what it was worth and told the best fucking stories/examples. We had no papers to write, just three tests, but one test was optional, so most people like me didn

Well, even though I got a decent grade in this class, I wouldn't say that it was one of my better experiences. Tal's a decent guy and all, good lecturer even, but I think there are better professors out there. I had Walker for 331, and found it a more enjoyable experience. But Tal's a better choice than some of the other philosophy jokers out there.

Tal is the most amazing professor i have ever had the privlage of learning from, and you do learn! he doesn't take any crap or let you waste his time if you are just there because you have to be, he presents the material flawlessly and probably because hes such an interesting character, makes it incredibly entertaining. two or three multiple choice tests with material coming straight from the lectures takes the stress of passing the class off so you really can just focus on learning the subjects for their own intrinsic value. if Phil ain't your bag you can pretty much come to class about half of the time and never touch the books and still pass, but in doing so you miss out on a great experience, the value of which is extra ordinary. the grade is just a side note compaired to all that you can get out of this class. Tal is such a great professor giving him an A+ hardly does him justice, I will definitely be taking any class i can get with him as the prof

Scriven was great. Took him my first quarter at Cal Poly. His lectures were very interesting. He only tells you what you need to know and his examples definitly help you understand what his point is. I didn't read any of the books for the class. If you go to lecture everyday, get his notes and study a couple of hours before the exams you will do fine. I would definitly recocomend going to his office hours to check out how you did on the exams and to look at the questions, he uses some of the old ones on the final. There are three exams in the class. He only counts the two highest for your grade, meaning you don't even have to show up for one of them! Overall, great professor, interesting lectures and not a heavly workload. Take Scriven if you can!

Awesome teacher, take him if you have the chance.

Completely unapproachable. He acts like students are a burden to him. I'm not even sure why he's a teacher because he doesn't really seem to enjoy it. He can be really mean, especially when he picks on the students, and calls them stupid to their faces. I mean, I know nobody's here to be coddled, but this guy's just an ass. He mentions his PhD a lot and ... blah blah blah blah. The class is a real snoozer. He DOES look like a motorcycle deviant - or Mr. Clean. You decide. The first day of class, I thought he was a neat guy, but it all went downhill from there. By the end of the quarter, I DREADED coming. I would rather have had a root canal. His booming voice gets to be too much after a couple obnoxious minutes in class, which is why most people leave as soon as they realize they made the mistake of actually showing up to class. This is why he takes roll at the beginning AND END of class. Paranoid much? During the quarter, we had a Tuesday holiday, so a lot of people had gone back home and were going to miss Monday's class lecture. He knew this. It turned out that about 20% of the material on the final was from that Monday's lecture. He'll try and tell you he didn't, but he did. All in all, stay away from this guy. Try to take the class from someone else because Tal is not worth the effort.

I think his lectures are very interesting and he does a great job at presenting the material in the Republic and On Liberty (Two of the greatest works in Philosophy I believe). Grades are based on two exams and the multiple choice part is pretty easy. He also gives you the questions he could put on the test for the essay portion. Basically, go to class and take good notes as that is more than half the battle. People who cant stand his lectures are retarded coz he is one of the best lecturers I have had so far at Poly. And, yes taking philosophy is a bitch for all us non-philosohy majors, but taking scriven gives you an opportunity to truely learn something about it and might even get you more interested in it.

If you like to think, take Scriven.

pretty funny and friendly guy, kind of intimidating at times. lectures are boring but really help understand his outlines that you buy. 3 tests and he drops the lowest grade. first and second test not cumalitive but third test is (the final) so if you do well on 1 and 2, then you dont have to take 3. a lot of short philosphical books to read but you dont really need to cuz theyre on sparknotes and stuff. good way to get philosophy out of the way.

I found my self thinking of Mt Baldy when I was in Scrivens class "on top of old Baldy" as the song goes. What a Bozo this guy is! My father is a Phil Prof at Yale, we talked often about this class. He just chalked it up too Scriven having "Daddy" issues. Not a bad class, but do use Sun classes in class the glare off his dome is blinding!

i took this class credit/no credit because i thought i would do miserably in it, like most philosophy horror stories turn out. big mistake. i ended up getting an a- and loving philosophy. tal made it incredibly fascinating, and despite his intimidating first impression, he's really funny and presents the material without too much bias. he's an awesome teacher who teaches an awesome class that's not that hard to do well in.

Tal is the Bomb Diggity. Very interesting class. Very amusing. Go in during office hours and look over your midterms tho if you didnt do well on them, cuz the final is pretty much all midterm quesions; something i didnt do!, and therefore got a C. But really, he's amazing; i'm not even mad..

If you love to think objectively, take Scriven. Medium Difficulty for a class, just 2 midterms and a final, and if you do good on the 2 midterms you don't have to take a final. Great guy, obviously knows his stuff, and clearly teaches you the material.

Tal Scriven is a funny teacher to start with. He Clearly presents the material needed to pass the class. If people dont get a C in his class it is not because of him. Study for 3 tests and anybody should be golden in passing.

I would pay money to have this man come to my house and just rant about shit that pisses him off. His rants on the movies Godzilla and Speed were top-notch. I almost cried I was laughing so hard. He gets legitimately when he rants. Bottom line: Screw philosophy, if you've ever wanted Lewis Black as a teacher, sign up.

this guy is awesome. tests are fairly easy if you study just a little. i never bought the texts and still did well. i would recommend him to any/everyone. he is great

Upon first seeing Scriven, I was a little scared - ex-parole officer with the looks of a biker. But getting past that, it's impossible to go wrong by taking his class. Lecture consists of him talking (very objectively - no personal opinion injected, unless asked for it), and any questions are taken at the end of each chunk of material. Tests are straight from lecture, and he is extremely open to helping you during office hours (a few hours Monday through Thursday, so he's available even if you have a crazy class schedule). I went in a few times to review the essay questions (which he gives in advance), and he took all questions I had, whether or not he went over them in class or not. He's also very available via email, and often communicates this way. Overall, I can't recommend him highly enough. If you have the chance, don't even consider other PHIL teachers. I was really not looking forward to this GE class, but it ended up being about 20 times more interesting than I imagined.

Upon first seeing Scriven, I was a little scared - ex-parole officer with the looks of a biker. But getting past that, it's impossible to go wrong by taking his class. Lecture consists of him talking (very objectively - no personal opinion injected, unless asked for it), and any questions are taken at the end of each chunk of material. Tests are straight from lecture, and he is extremely open to helping you during office hours (a few hours Monday through Thursday, so he's available even if you have a crazy class schedule). I went in a few times to review the essay questions (which he gives in advance), and he took all questions I had, whether or not he went over them in class or not. He's also very available via email, and often communicates this way. Overall, I can't recommend him highly enough. If you have the chance, don't even consider other PHIL teachers. I was really not looking forward to this GE class, but it ended up being about 20 times more interesting than I imagined.

Well, you need to actually do the reading and study if you want to do well. I didn't so that explains my grade. But when it comes down it, he's a cool guy, entertaining, pretty hilarious, a knowledgeable professor, and all of the rest of it...

I had Tal in a huge lecture this quarter which I dont think he normally teaches. However, he was a really cool guy and presented the material in an objective manner. I never did the reading or paid attention in class and bombed the first midterm. For the second I still didnt read but actually paid attention in lecture and got an A.I also spark noted the shit out of the books... Basically, go to class, pay attention, write down anything you find important and everything he writes on the board, and enjoy this awesome professor...I highly recommend him!

Tal was awesome. If you are trying to get this GE out of the way, take him. The lectures were actually interesting, although occasionally were kind of slow because they were 2 hour lectures at night. His tests are simple, the first 2 are required (first on is 6th week, 2nd is 10th week...I know.) then he gives you the option to take the Final to replace one of those 2 grades. He curves to 75 median which can suck if you're a high achiever. Review your tests because the questions are pretty much the same on the final.

Smelled like a Brewery most of the time. Watch the drinking the night before dude? Not a "bad" class but not "great" either. A little pompous for my taste, but I'm an older student and find his style irritating. Younger students from what I have read find him "cool" and "interesting." Get some years on you folks and you will see right through this phony.

This class is very interesting but if you’re just looking for an easy class to fulfill you’re GE requirement, this isn’t necessarily an easy A. You have to study the lecture notes but he gives you a clear outline so you should be fine.

The hardest class I have taken at Cal Poly. I\'ve never had to work so hard for a class which made my B that much more rewarding. He is overall a great teacher it\'s just a hard subject. Luckily he realizes this and drops your lowest midterm out of three. He was very helpful in office hours and I wish I went and asked him questions more often. Very boring material but read the books and keep up with the lecture and it will pay off in the end.

Tal Scriven is a boring teacher. I\'m not going to dance around that fact. The course I had with him was 2 hours twice a week. He usually gave us a 5 minute break between each hour and on 2 occasions I had to leave during the break because I was falling asleep. He doesn\'t take attendance, but as he made clear in the beginning of the class it is pretty important to attend his lectures. His tests are based almost solely on his lecture notes. Take good notes! I didn\'t and it hit my grade pretty hard. I wouldn\'t recommend this teacher, but if you have to take him, take awesome notes (write down everything he puts on the board) and maybe grab an energy drink before class.

Tal was one of my favorite teachers at Poly so far. The class was a big lecture and very straightforward, two midterms and a final with the lowest grade dropped. Definitely go to class. We read Plato's Republic, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty, and Marx's Communist Manifesto. They are all tough reads, but Tal is a fantastic lecturer. He's also very helpful and friendly in office hours.

Great teacher. Looks like a guy who escaped from prison. Do work on the midterms and you don't have to take the final.

So the class is 2 midterms and if you don't like your grade, you can replace one with a final. His grading scale makes things easier. But the tests are really hard because all the answers seem like they could be true for the most part. He says the tests aren't meant to fool you, clearly he hasn't taken his own exam. Most of the class periods are very boring, but sometimes he goes off on funny stories, few and far between though. If you skip class, get the notes. If you don't your screwed. Nice guy, just hard tests.

Great lecturer! Take Tal Scriven, this class will change your life!! This guy knows how to party.

Tal is the best philosophy professor. He's short, sweet and to the point with his material and presents it in an often humorous manner. Definitely go to lecture because everything you need to know for the midterms and final is said in class. You won't even have to read the books! And go to office hours if you're struggling. He's very helpful and cares a lot. Tal is AWESOME!

While Tal is a great professor, the way the class is conducted is total bullshit. Maybe its the education system as a whole, or maybe its the only way to structure a class with so many people... either way philosophy really upset me. When he teaches the class and presents material, it is very hard not to enjoy listening. It's like grandpas stories about the war. I laughed, felt upset and just had so many emotions with his lectures. So when the first midterm came I was pissed as hell to see a bunch of shitty multiple choice questions asking what plato said on line 4 and socrates response to thrasymachus after 5pm while he was wearing his pink socks. How the fuck does this gauge how well I know philosophy Tal? The way he presents his material is not like a math class where you know you have to pay attention to particulars. In fact, if you ONLY pay attention to the particular anal facts, the class becomes 2 hours of sifting through a crazy old mans rant, and that is NOT what it should be. For fucks sake there isnt a single grade other than the midterms which are scanned in. This guy does no grading whatsoever. Its a shame because he seems so smart when he lectures.

Tal is one of the best lecturerers at Cal Poly. He makes the material as interesting as he possibly can and only makes us take a couple of midterms with an optional final. Overall the class was not too hard or time consuming. I studied a few days before each test and did really well. He curves the tests and lowers the range for A's ad B's so if you get an 85 that's an A minus. As long as you put a little time into stdying, you should do well. The person below me obviously doesn't know how to study. If you are good at history and stuff like that, don't take it credit no credit because it doesn't take much work and it's easy to pull off an A!

This class was in the Ag lecture hall. And Scriven basically goes through his entire lecture outline in lecture. What's on the outlines will be in your midterms. To do well in class, take notes and remember all the examples and stories he tells you. He even tests you on the stories he shares. It's pretty hard to stay awake in the class, so what I did was record his lecture, and listened to the recordings a few days before the midterms. I think it's best to record the lectures, simply because when he talks, he talks so fast that I can't process everything he says, and put them down in my notebook. Oh yeah, use a computer to take your notes too. Much faster and more legible than handwriting notes. The class is graded off of 2 tests. Pretty easy for a C2.

Professor Scriven is great at lecturing and conveying the material. His tests are straightforward from material he covers. However, his grading scheme is probably the strangest I've come across. Not bad, just different. For our class, there were two midterms and a final. The lowest is completely dropped, with no makeups allowed. He curves the entire class to 75%. So, if the class average is 70, everyone gets 5% bonus. If the average is 80, as it was on the first midterm, everyone's score is dropped 5%. Overall, 231 was a very interesting course for me. Definitely try to get him for this in the future.

I like Scriven. This class is really interesting, and despite what other people have said on here, it's not hard to stay awake. The topics that you talk about relate to everyday life so that's cool. How to do well in this class: go to class and take good notes and make sure you understand the concepts that are on the outline, which he will cover more in depth in class. After I took the first midterm and got a B on it, I went into office hours to see which ones I got wrong. DO THIS! DO THIS! DO THIS! The questions on the final are EXACTLY the same ones that he uses for the 2 midterms. You can't review the 2nd midterm in office hours, so remember what questions you struggled with and figure them out for the test. It's not too difficult to do well in this class if you study a decent amount for the midterms and finals. You will probably enjoy yourself and learn a lot too! Cool class. #imsophilisophicalnowtoo

Tal is THE homie. He is such a baller. He's so knowledgeable and he's so SO good at lecturing. He's really good at talking and translating the material to the students. 80% and up is an A. 70% and up is a B. 60% and up is a C, and so on... You can go over your first midterm in his office hours. DO THIS I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH! 2 50 question midterms, 1 50 question final (25 questions from each midterm) and he drops the lowest grade. Good and funny guy.

He spends way too much time trying to sound smart during lecture. I feel like he wants to seem well-read by speaking in what sounds like one long drawn out sentence to prove some never-ending train of though..... or something like that

Tal is a great professor for PHIL 231. He does a very good job breaking down the complexities of Nietzche and the underlying principles of The Republic. His midterms are actually on the more difficult side as he does ask some specific questions so try to do your best. I feel like Cornell Notes for this class would be best, but who does those? He gives you the option to opt out of the final if you do well on the 2 midterms. The final is CUMULATIVE while the midterms are not, so it's best to do well on the midterms so you don't have to take the final. All in all, he's a pretty cool guy with lots of interesting stories.

Scriven is a great professor. His lectures are interesting and easy to follow, he makes lots of sexual jokes and references to keep his students engaged and related to the material (which is kind of weird, but honestly hilarious and worth sharing). I initially went into this course taking it credit, no credit but after the first lecture I asked if he thought it was a good idea. I am an English major so he said no due to my interests and the fact that your entire grade is based off of two exam scores. You take 2 midterms, one in the middle of the quarter, one during dead week, and then a final exam. The catch is that no matter what, one of these exams is dropped. So if you do well the first two exams, you do not need to attend the final. This unfortunately didn't workout for me because I bombed the exam during dead week, but I pulled through for the final and ended up with a B in the class. He also has an automatic 10% curve, so my 78% was really an 88%, which is extremely comforting. I only read the first book of Plato's Republic and decided to stop reading once he dragged the first book out into 3 lectures (so the reading schedule was off, therefore f*** it, right?). The first midterm is solely on Plato, which makes sense since it's the lengthiest book. The second midterm incorporated Plato, Mill, Marx, and Nietzche (no sh** I failed, 1 philosopher to 4) and only contains material lectured on after the first midterm, the final is cumulative. Scriven's questions are hard, I won't lie, but he definitely throws you some easy bones. He also made it clear in class that the final would not consist of any recycled questions. SO SAVAGE because every question was recycled so I would highly recommend going into office hours and reviewing your exam once the scores are posted (which is usually the same day as the exam, pretty cool). Honestly just go to class, listen, sit towards the front and take notes and you're golden pony boy. Scriven is a great professor and a nice introduction to philosophy.

Professor Scriven made lectures worth attending, as the information and style with which he presents the information is very fascinating and thought-provoking. Lecture was with 140 or so students, but Tal was fully audible from the back of the room. There are 2 Midterms and a Final, and you get to keep the top two scores. If you like the grade you have after the 2 Midterms, you aren't required to take the Final. The major issue with this class is simply being able to register for it. The waitlist tends to get up in the 50 student range based on this professor's kickass reputation.

Take this class if you want an easy GE with minimal work. The only graded material is 2 exams and a final, he only takes the best two, so if you are happy after the second exam you don't need to take the final. He does a great job of explaining the material and posts powerpoints, so you can get a good grade without reading the books. His lectures were more interesting than I was expecting. If you want a fun side game, make a bet on how many times he says "porn" or "pornography" in lecture with an over/under of 20. I was honestly impressed by his ability to work it into 7 different lectures.

Prof Scriven was an excellent teacher. His lectures always kept me on the edge of my seat and interested in what he would say next. He does a fantastic job presenting the material from a unbiased point of view which is crucial for a true understanding of what we were supposed to learn. Attend class, pay attention, and take good notes and you won't even have to study for his exams. Very nice guy and helpful if you have questions. Take this professor if you get the opportunity!

Without a doubt, Tal Scriven is one of the finest professors to ever teach at Cal Poly. His devotion to his students extends well beyond that of several professors combined. His lectures are thoughful and thought-provacative, and his tests are straightforward and clear. Of course, Tal Scriven's classes are not the easiest in the world; however, if you take his courses you will be amazed at how much you actually enjoy learning. Most important, however, is Dr. Scriven's undying respect for his students: He treats every question seriously and every student equally. Finally, Tal Scrivens ingenious teaching style is something that no words can do justice to; my suggestion is to take one of his classes and see for yourself.

A fascinating teacher who obviously enjoys teaching his subject. Very rerely do I run across a teacher who can talk constantly for an hour and a half without me nodding off. I would definitely recommend taking any course you can taught by Scriven.

I found this professor to be a nice guy and smart. I like saying his name. His hat is funny.

What the hell kind of class is this?? The course catalogue should be more specific with its description. Don't get me wrong, Scriven's a nice guy and he knows his stuff, but this class is far beyond the normal difficulty of a GED class. If you're not interested in Philosophy at all, I highly recommend that you don't take PHIL 340...it will rip you a new one!

I agree with the last guy, what the hell kind of a class is this. This guy is cool until you get the test. The material in class is easy to understand but the test is really picky, short ans tests when you don't know what he's looking for are difficult. I guess you have to be a phil major or something!! This class is much too difficult to take for a GE.. don't recomend it.. unless you want him to rip you an new one!!

Best teacher I've had. He made environmental Ethics interesting and presented arguments well. He really knows what he is talking about and kept me interested in the material.

Tal is the best there is. I've been in school a long time, and noone else comes close. You would be doing yourself a disservice by taking any other professor. Use a priority just to get this guy. PHIL 340 is an extremely interesting class. Just as with PHIL 231, Tal does an excellent job of presenting every side of every issue with no personal biases mixed into the lecture. One warning, though...if you're some jerkoff business major who thinks you're gonna sit in the back of the room joking around with your frat brothers, Tal will "rip you a new one" in class in front of everyone...so do us all a favor and don't take this class.

Scriven is a really good teacher. He comes off as being not too personal, but after the first couple classes you get used to him and I liked him a lot. I hated my other GE PHIL class so i wasn't enthuised about taking this, but I enjoyed almost all the topics. The first couple weeks of info. is more boring then then it gets better.

Alright, Prof. Scriven is a very interesting teacher for this course, Environmental Ethics, and a pretty good guy on top of that, basically unless you are a complete fucking idiot you cannot get worse than a C in this class, I'll explain. Ok he curves every test and grade so that the TOP 60% of the class gets A's and B's, so come on, a B at least should be easy. On top of that do not buy the book, it is completely unneccesary, he is very clear in lecture and puts on the test exactly what he went over in class, plus for $3 you can get the lecture notes from the bookstore. The tests are mostly compare and contrast the different phils. This is a great way to complete your upper division elective, so take this class, you won't regret it, it is also some pretty interesting material as well.

Do not underestimate the first test!!! Take good notes or you are basically hosed.

Brilliant. Wonderful. Entertaining. Inciteful. Intense. AMAZING.

I really liked this prof. Sure his lectures get long and somewhat confusing but whose doesn't. The thing I liked most is that he made sure to talk in detail about most topics and he never seemed like he was pushing his beliefs on the students. Pretty funny guy and he also only makes you take 2/3 tests. So if you are happy with your grade before the final you dont have to take it. I recommend him even if you are taking this as a GE.

What can I say? Rude, mean, condescending, hateful, biased, jerk, tool, pompousass, snob, unhelpful, etc.

Tal is a great guy. His classes are entertaining, funny, and insightful. I really enjoyed some of his lectures. The class is based off of 2 tests. You can take the final to replace your lowest midterm score. The tests are pretty HARD so study well. They aren't horrible, but you definitely need to study your notes as he picks some questions that seemed to me a little too detail oriented. Make sure to know the relationships between the authors of the writings and make sure to know the stance and position of each author. The readings were all on the net, no book! However, the readings are long and it becomes a pain to read all of them on the net. They are a little tough to get through sometimes. This class is very reading oriented, you must do the readings if you are going to do well in the class. I found the class to be pretty interesting and worth taking. His grading is a little strict sometimes, so if need be take the extra test to better your grade. The tests are all multiple choice, but don't let that fool you. Multiple choice his way can be difficult so review your notes and the readings well!

This class was not at all what the description said it would be...i have never studied so much for a GE and I still got a C. The tests were way too tricky. He expects you to remember details that he doesn't emphasize as being important, but then there will be 6 questions on that topic on the test. Seriously don't take this class, but if you have to take it pass/fail.

In 1986, a professor asked Tal to come up with an argument so sharp, you could shave with it. Tal held up a mirror and gave one of the greatest arguments of all time on why his beard should fall off. Seconds later, his beard did fall off. Tragically, his hair overheard and before he could say, "Wait, the assumptions we made about facial hair are not necessarily generalizable" his hair jumped off his scalp and slid under the door, never to be seen again. Since then, he has limited his exceptionally clear reasoning and understandable logic to students, having learned his lesson about lecturing inanimate objects.

Tal is one of the most respectful, intelligent, kind and caring individuals I have met out of my professors at Cal Poly. His lectures are extremely interesting and funny. I found myself skipping most of my classes except this one. He does not have a superiority complex like most doctorates, and even jokes that he should not be called "Dr." because he doesn't save lives! If you have any problem understanding the material he will do anything he can to help you understand it. I would use a priority to take this guy in a class. Although, I am not gonna lie the first day I sat up front, and I thought if I asked a dumb question he would beat me up, due to his bald head, earring, and general look of being a part of a motorcycle gang. This guy restored my faith in Cal Poly professors! hes the man

When you first walk into this class, Tal will tell you about his grading scale which seems AWESOME (50-60% of the class gets As, 85=A-...) but don't think that this will be an easy A. Although there are 3 tests total (only 2 of which you have to take) and no papers or assignments, this is NOT an easy class. Tal is really cool and definitely looks like Mr. Clean but his lectures are EXTREMELY dry. He literally talks at you for 2 hours straight with no break. The material you learn about it ssuper interesting but the way it's presented is not. The tests are 50 questions, multiple choice but they test you more on your test-taking abilities rather than what you actually learned from the class. While an A or B is definitely possibly in this class with a little studying, don't go into thinking that it'll be easy and you won't have to put any effort into it. Also, do the readings AFTER you learn about them in class and they will be a lot more helpful.

I can't believe I am saying this, but I actually enjoyed this class. I find myself using this class' information in everyday life, especially when I am talking to environmental wackos. I can ask them why they do what they do and get them to think. Really cool stuff in this class. I disagree with almost every view Tal has, but he is not one of those professors who forces their views on you. If you do disagree in class, make sure you can back it up, otherwise you will feel stupid after his comebacks. Study for all of the essay questions really well and write as much as you can during lecture, there is a ton of information. The reading is kind of important as well, so skim it beforehand. Go to his office hours to help you on the essays.

Can't tell if Scriven is a great professor, or if he's just designed a good class (Environmental Ethics). His lectures are clearly organized, he lays out everything you are supposed to know. The readings are interesting and short. There isn't any homework, just 2 midterms and if you do well enough then you don't have to take the final. Then we also have a debate, which is a little weird, but my team and I managed to organize it basically in 2 days and got an A- so that's okay too. Overall the material for this course is important and interesting, and it's pretty easy to get an A!

Tal is an interesting guy. He comes off an very intimidating at first but cracks a lot of good jokes that loosens everyone up. The material is not what you would think to expect in an environmental ethics class. If you are here to take him to learn something about environmental conflicts or debate over global warming, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. I was unfortunately deceived, as we learned about different philosophers and their differing views for the first 8 weeks before we went over any data. Tal gives you a lot of interesting points to dwell upon, but if you tend to zone out you end up missing bits of information that will be very important to learn later. He provides you his powerpoint and outlines, but they are hit or miss. Some of the points on them are very broad or vague, so they are not reliable to use when needing to study for prepare for essay questions on exams.

I had to choose from a slim picking for area C4 GE. I figured this class would fit my interests the best, and the polyratings for the teacher where relatively hi. I just completed my last class at poly, and these ratings are dead on! Tal has a great teaching style, great curve, and is an entertaining lecturer. I would definitly recommend tal to anyone looking to take the GE requirement classes. I wish I would have taken him for Phil 230/231. Great guy, great teacher. and the remark below....he ripped on some guy doing I don't know what....embarrassed his ass in front of everyone! Go Tal!