Christopher Prodoehl

20-40 pages of readings for each class of academic text, but it's not always dense and genuinely very interesting so don't let it scare you. 2 essays (complete/incomplete) and one final creative project (or an essay if you wish) - a lot of room for choice there!

Anyone looking to add a course to their schedule who has never taken a philosophy course should take this course. This course ended up being my favorite course I took this semester. It isn't a demanding work load, the subject matter is intriguing, and class discussions were always interesting. This course will make you evaluate what you think and the way you think about the world, existence, knowledge, reason, values, and the mind. I would recommend it to anyone who is curious about philosophy and interested in learning about what, and the ways in which, we think. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2022 Course: PHILUN1001_004_2022_3-INTRODUCTIONTOPHILOSOPHY : Introduction to Philosophy- PHILUN1001_004_2022_3 - INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY Instructor: Mariana Noe

The class was as expansive and interesting as I'd hoped it would be. He selects readings that truly offer a wide range of perspectives, so even though we dwell around the same questions about creativity and inspiration, what we have to say about it rarely repeats. I really liked my class and he has a very calm, reassuring presence. It seems that he is also actively thinking about what we're discussing and would quip us with useful insights. He is also very understanding and compassionate about absences (and as with most FYS we can have up to two unexcused absences), but I recommend attending all classes when possible.

There is a reading before each class that is typically 20-30 pages. It is very doable. You can skip a reading once in a while and get away with it, but this class is very much a case of you get out what you put in, so it's not worth it in my opinion. There are two writing assignments that are both three to four double-spaced pages in response to a prompt. They are graded complete/incomplete, and he provides good feedback on your writing. If it isn't considered "complete" at first, you're expected to incorporate the feedback and resubmit, and you can continue working on it until it is. There is also a group project, which is just a powerpoint presentation, and a final creative project, which has a few parts but can literally be any topic or medium you choose as long as it is somehow connected to creativity. Overall this is a chill class with very reasonable grading.

I genuinely enjoyed this class; it's been one of my favorites here so far. The discussions were interesting and the vibes were great. Classes were very much discussion-based, we sat around a table and pretty much talked about anything at least marginally connected to the reading. Chris is a professor in the philosophy department, so the readings were primarily through that lens, but we also talked about creativity in the context of anthropology, psychology, neuroscience, economics, and more. It was very nerdy and fun. We also had a great group of people who all participated a lot, which made discussions really interesting and engaging (Obviously that isn't a guarantee in future years, but it certainly was a bonus). If it got quiet, Chris would prompt us or ask questions, but for the most part did not intervene much. He is a great professor and I hope to take more of his classes in the future. Many of the people in this class are interested or involved in art in some way, but it is by no means a requirement and most wouldn't self-identify as super creative people. If you like a good existential crisis once in a while, like thinking about art/creativity, or are just looking for a First Year Seminar to take, I highly recommend.

2-3 readings per week, each about 20 pages. You can definitely get away with not doing the readings, just don't do it all the time, because we often compare articles during class. Two writing assignments that are 3-4 pages double spaced. These are discussion papers that answer a prompt he provides. You can literally yap and get a pass/complete as long as you stay on topic. One chill group presentation One creative project, which involves a creative project proposal, the project itself, and a reflection. The project can be basically anything you want as long as it relates to creativity.

This class was one of the funnest experiences ever. If you're interested in exploring art and creativity in a philosophical and psychological lens, definitely consider this as your first year seminar. While I think that the group I was in also generally got along and talked together super well, it was really all thanks to Chris. He did a great job at navigating the discussions: whenever we couldn't stop talking, he would let us, but if the conversation was quiet, he would help stimulate it by asking questions. The topic was about creativity; what it is, how we do it, when we see it, why we do it, who is responsible for it etc, so every conversation we had always went in wild and fun directions and tangents. It felt like every discussion triggered some sort of mental spiraling but in the funniest and most intellectually stimulating way possible. This class brushes over philosophy and cognitive science the most, but also anthropology, psychology, and even logic and neuroscience! Participating did not at all feel intimidating and he made everyone feel welcome. The class was overall super chill. In a way, I felt like I learned everything, but also nothing at the same time, but it's almost like that was the point. I promise that it's definitely a good thing that you can truly understand once you take the class.

~1 hours of reading for every class meeting. Like all FYS this is pass/fail so grading is very easy. Two 3-4 page double spaced papers, one group presentation on a reading, and one final creative project (can be a research paper if you want, but not necessary, the project is very flexible). Papers are straight forward and mostly focused on understanding the text and your own subjective opinions on the text. Of course participation is also huge part of grade given its a seminar. Workload's super manageable overall, it's definitely easy to fall behind on readings as you can still participate without having done them. But you get out of the class what you make of it, definitely more rewarding when i actually did the readings or at least skimmed through the whole thing.

Not sure if Professor Prodoehl made this class good or if our class did, probably both. Anyone that voluntarily takes this class is a nerd (me included) so discussions are popping every time and the prof doesn't have to intervene much. He's super chill, very lenient on deadlines, provides good feedback when asked. Classes are almost 100% discussion based on the reading for that class, and the professor adds thought provoking questions when the conversations is slower and does a good job summarizing the conclusions we land on as a class when necessary. He's primarily a philosophy professor and it shows in the course content and his teaching style, but that's appreciated for anyone interested in philosophy so it works out. Definitely recommend if you love yapping about thinking, cognition, philosophy, creativity, etc because that's all we do in this class. It's fun to me and most people in the class but I definitely can see how this would be challenging or boring to others.