best phil prof ive taken at ucsb so far, his moral psych class is very interesting and he is very engaging
Prof Zimmerman was so funny and I really enjoyed his lectures. He explained complex ideas in a way I could understand. BUT your TA really matters! Mine sucked and made me even more confused. Grade is based on 2 papers and one, very long, written final. lAttendance is not mandatory but it you won't do well if you don't go to lecture.
I don't think Zimmerman is a bad professor, just not for me. Most of the class is just him talking through the concepts which for me was hard to keep up with. I got a good grade on the papers but basically had to teach myself the material. I'm sure some people loved him but his style was not for me at all.
The reading materials were difficult and he sometimes couldn't explain them clearly. Obviously, he was using the previous classes' handouts and didn't prepare well.
Only take this class if you're seriously interested in philosophy. The course material was very dense and it was easy to get lost if you weren't paying attention. The handouts helped a lot, but epistemology is a hard topic no matter what. Zimmerman's lectures were fun, but he takes a lot of time to answer questions. 2 papers, and 1 take-home final.
Prof Zimmerman is an excellent lecturer. Unlike the textbook of this course, he never fails to catch my attention during the lectures. He is also open to all kinds of questions. If you are confused, just ask, and he will thoroughly answer your question.
don't take this class if you don't like debate style conversations. very heavy readings (very old papers). 2 papers and a writing final that was 4 essays, 800 words each. lectures were all over the place, not much structure. section attendance is mandatory, TAs provide paper outlines. as an ex-stem student, this class was awful. take another class
All quarter he was a relatively chill, only 2 papers and he was lenient on grading. Then finals came around and he released the longest study guide I have ever seen. His expectation for the final exam was completely unrealistic even though we had 3 hours for the final. Beware.
Go to lecture! Some of the material is hard to grasp but his lectures are engaging, interesting, and so helpful in passing the class. He's a pretty funny guy and will answer your questions to make sure everyone is understanding what's going on. Having a good TA definitely helped me in the class. One of my favorite classes I've taken so far.
Zimmerman is an intellectual powerhouse who holds his students in high regard, expecting they already have a wide range of philosophical knowledge going into the class. He teaches in stream of consciousness, which means the class flows like a long conversation and he forces students to come up with their OWN answers to tough philosophical questions
Lectures are all over the place and not engaging at all. He doesn't make philosophical concepts accessible and this doesn't seem to give a great intro to ethics. He takes questions in lecture but interrupts people a lot. Final exam was brutally long but doable if you work on the study guides (those save lives).
Despite Zimmerman's delicious booty, he is by far one of the most nit-picky, intense, and difficult professors I've ever had. He's incredibly passionate, inspiring, and eclectic. However, if you do not understand the material inside and out, he will RIP you APART. MAKE SURE YOU GO TO HIS office hours to make sure your papers are WHAT HE WANTS.