Richard Boyd - Cornell University

Professor: Richard Boyd

Department: Philosophy

College: Cornell University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHIL453
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Wonderful person, brilliant philosopher, terrible professor. His lectures were boring to the point of being painful, and so complicated and rambling that if I zoned out for even a second I was lost for over an hour. I didn't do any of the work for his class, wrote a half-assed paper and got an A. The real challenge was giving up my Tuesday nights.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHIL3810
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Dense, long, but very good lectures. If you're well-rested before these evening sessions, and ready to listen actively, you'll get a lot out of this class.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHIL3810
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This was the most useful and interesting class that I have taken so far at Cornell. Professor Boyd has a deep understanding of science and philosophy that is, quite honestly, inspiring. Lectures are dense, and Boyd can be impatient at times, so I would not recommend this class if you are not interested in the philosophical foundations of science.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHIL187
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Boyd is a brilliant philosopher, and one of the most well-rounded academics I have ever encountered (with regards to expertise in multiple fields). The rigor with which he attacked his work was an inspiration to me, personally. Not to mention a learned a lot of valuable philosophy of science in his course.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHIL2280
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

One of the worst professors I've had at Cornell. Takes easy concepts and makes them complicated. Told us that the earth was 1 billion years old then scolds us for not understanding basic evolutionary concepts. Snapped at a student for asking a legitimate question, then wonders why we don't ask more questions. Incredibly disorganized.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHIL2860
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

he is your typical phD student that kept studying the same thing for 60 years and just tells undergraduates about it because they will listen. Problem is that he has so much random material to connect to his point that what's actually important is so hidden and convoluted its ridiculous. A 2 hour lecture can be turned into a 10 word point.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHIL286
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

A brilliant philosopher whose own work is quite significant. The class is manageable once you get the core concepts. Doesn't keep appointments ever. Blew off one appointment FIVE times in a row, kept me waiting an hour each time only to reschedule and repeat same humilation. Best experience: taking a grad seminar when he sat in. Worth hearing.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: STS286
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He rambles on sometimes, but he's very passionate and he has some very interesting ideas (that stem from 1 major concept). If you can grasp one concept, you will get an A in the class. It seemed like the concept was difficult for a lot of people, but it's a pretty simple concept once it clicks.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHIL381
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

You can tell Boyd is passionate about this subject -- maybe a little too passionate. He rambles on and on incoherently, and his lectures are very unorganized. Although this class is pretty easy (no required readings, everything is in the notes), it could benefit from more structure. His explanations of very simple ideas tend to be very confusing.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHIL286
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

his was one of the best classes i've taken at cornell. it changed the way i thought about science completely giving me whole new perspectives. he's an excellent lecturer, very approachable, very much interested in what you have to say.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHIL286
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Boyd is a brilliant teacher when he stays on topic. Often, however, he goes into byzantine conspiracy theories involving "Foo Fighters," the Bermuda Triangle, and the reincarnation of the Pharaoh Ramses II.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHIL
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Great professor, as long as you like parroting back exactly what he tells you, without giving it much thought. Spends most of his lecture time reviewing the same thing over and over and over again.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHIL286
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The material is dense, but Boyd goes over every important point about 20 times and then asks for questions. So even if you skip 3/4 of the classes and don't take notes, if you were awake at all, you should get an A. Plus he lets you do rewrites. Not hard.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHIL381
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's a very good teacher, but I admit, you kind of have to be on his wavelength to do well in the class. He's quite brilliant though and a fairly entertaining lecture if you don't mind his style.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHIL286
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

really nice guy, but the material is ridiculously confusing, and his explanations go round in circles. he assigns far too much reading, and i don't know what is going on in class.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHIL
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Great material, thought provoking discussions.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHIL100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Pretty good professor, though the material was dense.