Columbia College Core · Columbia University
15% is participation. 10% is a class presentation. 15% comes from each of five tests, take-home.
Prof. Schittone is not a serious professor interested in rigorous discussion nor analysis of philosophical thought. You will enter this class exhausted every other day at 8 AM and be walked through a reading at a molasses-esque pace, being asked leading questions for the most pedantic participation points known to man. He will offer you the smallest selection of reading required to prove his "point" in regards to whatever philosopher you may be reading at the time. You are encouraged NOT to offend his views of whatever text you are reading, because whatever rare circumstance he engages the voice of the class in is framed in such a manner that you are, "absolutely, precisely" wrong. The phrase "thought experiment" now makes my head spin. Re: all of the reviews about his lambasting of religion: he says things about religion which at times is impermissible for any level of respect in a college course. You will read single verses of the Bible to prove whatever he feels like. Beyond critique, it does not establish any sense of safety for rebuttal or discourse---AFTER asking us if we are comfortable self identifying with our religions. In the ten percent of classtime I didn't spend taking naps in between blinks, I stared back the most gobsmacked expression because I simply could not comprehend the level of intellectual depth being provided to me in a college-credited course, which I…
You have 4 days to write a 4 part paper, its easy A- and if you only talk about his own views, its easy A :)
The previous reviews are extremely biased. At least a third of people fall asleep or don't even bother showing up to the class. Also, for most topics, I do not think the professor offers knowledgeable, insightful anecdotes, or whatever the other review said. For example, I remember watching a YouTube video on Plato's Republic because I did not have enough time to do the reading, and the points that Professor Schittone made were essentially identical to the ones made by a high school teacher on YouTube… If you are looking for a CC class that has the more traditional experience of reading the text through different interpretations and connecting the themes to our lives, don’t bother with Schittone. Take the reviews seriously when they say that he does not have class discussions. All he does is lecture, and he refuses to accept other ideas that are not his own. Also, if you're religious, don't take the class. Naturally, most professors at this school teach religious texts with a more critical lens, but Schittone abuses his power as a professor in this regard. Considering that the texts we discuss in class are living religions, Schittone is extremely disrespectful, as he will nitpick negative parts of the text and not give students space to discuss and contradict him (or when they do and he can’t defend his stance anymore, he will just move to another subject and refuse to admit t…
Five take-home tests (~1000 words each), one group presentation (20 minutes each), readings were AT MOST 50 pages a class (really light compared to other sections!)
Dr. Schittone is the only person I'd ever take an 8 AM for. Although I wish we discussed some readings more in depth, his lectures were engaging and provided a good overview of each book covered. I personally enjoyed his classes as someone who has no background or interest in pursuing philosophy, but if you're looking to be pushed intellectually and want insightful conversations, this may not be the section for you. and His class was lecture-based, and there were no student-led discussions except during presentations. While there was no mandatory attendance, Dr. Schittone quite literally tallies how many times you raise your hand and gives participation credit off of that. Since you were graded on how much you participated compared to other students, questions asked were often superficial and were simply to get a tally down.
The only redeeming quality about this class was the light workload. 20-30 pages a class and the papers were short and easy. Pretty easy grader (unless you say anything he disagrees with). The easy A/A- is not worth it though.
AVOID THIS CLASS. Joseph is the most boring professor I have ever had (and I took an Erikson class before). He does not care about his students and actively tries to instill his own beliefs into his students. If you have any faith in any religion, he will disparage it and tell you that what you believe is factually wrong. This is THE WORST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER HAD. He honestly shouldn't have a job given his conduct. I hated his class so much.
In terms of CC, this is the lightest workload possible. There are 5, 1000 word tests that make up 80% of your grade. They are assigned roughly every two weeks and you have 5 days to complete each test. The other 20% of your grade is made up of participation which isn't defined by class attendance but how much you talk when you're in class ( you could go to half the classes but still participate and get an A for participation) and a 25 minute presentation on one of the texts (he is very lenient on grading this). The assigned readings are maximum 30 pages from each text that will be discussed during class.
Dr. Schittone isn't your stereotypical CC professor, but I would highly recommend you take his class. He's a highly-knowledgeable and engaging lecturer that truly cares about his students understanding the course material, but if you prefer a student-led class discussion class then don't take Dr. Schittone's CC. His background in Law and a brief stint at the UN allows him to dissect the challenging moral texts (Kant, Hobbes, Locke, etc.) in a way that is easy for any student to digest.