Alfred MacKay - Oberlin College

Professor: Alfred MacKay

Department: TBD

College: Oberlin College

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHIL204
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Very unclear, hard to follow. Maybe some really hardcore philosophy people can get into him, but I couldn't.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHIL101
• 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:

He required us to attend 2/3 of the classes. Since 101 was MWF, we could miss 1 day a week with no penalty. Missing that much material probably wouldn't have hurt my grade either, because he repeats everything at least twice. But, I urge you, go to every class! MacKay is funny, direct, and brilliant, he just hides it under quirky mannerisms.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHIL101
• 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:

he made the original works of the most influential philosophers accessible to us, and in his class i learned what philosophy really is.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHIL101
• 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:

...

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHIL101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Although not engaging to those who aren't very interested in philosophy, his lectures along with his drawings are very helpful. It is extremely easy to learn the concepts if you listen. His grading is fair. (Sometimes he will swat like a cat at a string hanging from the ceiling)

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHIL101
• 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:

Considering Academic Philosophy (emphasis on the Academic) isn't really as engaging to many people, he does what he can. In the intro class, he summarizes points because most people probably wont really understand the material at that level.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHIL204
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Easily the most underrated prof. Don't expect him to clown around for your amusement like Mr. Dawson. MacKay lectures are formal and non-interactive (non philosophy lovers need not apply). His sense of humor is dry enough to make your eyes bleed, although some lesser intellects take it for senility.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHILMODERN
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I liked him, but his lectures were a bit too repetative. Sorta tough grader on papers, but easy on tests

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHIL204
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are extremely unengaging - repetitive, and often seem to be more talking to himself than to the class, many tangents that delight him but no one else. If he didn't take attendance I doubt anyone would show up for class.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHIL
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Only thing his lectures are good for is sleeping. At one point I counted eight people asleep out of the 17 who'd come.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHIL220
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Al MacKay is like Mr. Rogers, only better. His accent is insane, his "drawings" are even more so, and he's really, really into H. P. Grice.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHIL135
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Let's not kid ourselves, MacKay is awesome. Of course he's all over the place, he's a philosophy professor. His drawings are amazing, and no one can touch his style. Have you seen those shoes?

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHIL102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

he just summarizes everything, often repeating the same lecture two classes in a row. he makes things clear but also ruins any enjoyment anyone might have cultivated in the subject. i'm gonna keep taking classes with him though because he's really easy.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHIL204
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

he's a funny little old man. i have great respect for him though. he definately knows his****. and he has cool sweaters.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHIL102
• 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:

I enjoyed this class. He may not be the most articulate prof, but I think it just stems from the fact that he knows the material so well. I thought the drawings were (usually) helpful and his shoes aren't THAT great. Grading's pretty fair, too.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHIL102
• 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:

The highlight of this class is not the lecture, but the lecturer's shoes (not to mention the circles and dots he draws on the board to represent philosophical ideas).

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHIL102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Evidently I'm one of the few people to have enjoyed his class. He's a little strange and very old, but quite funny, and if you can understand his tangential lectures, he makes things quite clear.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHIL1200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

This professor likes to draw various shapes on the board to represent various philosophical concepts. If you think that will make any sense to you, you're wrong. Because very little that he says does make any sense.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PHIL102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

classes are purely lecture, but he always goes over everything that was assigned to read and has good shoes.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PHIL220
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

No Comments