“Taking this course has been very useful in my everyday life. I have learned how to evaluate situations and arguments. I actually enjoy coming to class.”

--Samantha Barretta 

“During class Professor Corlett let students express thoughts and/or concerns regarding arguments very freely and promoted healthy conversation. In this class Corlett is also very bought it to the topics he covers in the philosophy world, he has written pieces regarding many of the issues. He is very animated during class and every one will force you to pay attention and involve yourself for the best experience. It has helped me construct more sound arguments about complex topics.”

--Joel Alexander 

“Over the course of this class, I have become a better logical individual. I find myself destructing any arguments from a logical and ethical standpoint. I try to see the world from a more holistic sense. I now see all of the fallacies in people's arguments which can be detrimental to their credibility. I am not quick to judge anymore because of what I learned in this class. I am so glad to have taken this class because the information is actually applicable to my personal life.”

--Mr. Matthew T. Leong

“Philosophy 110 is definitely the most enjoyable class I've taken this semester, from learning about important topics such as abortion, capital punishment and my rights regarding freedom of speech to professor Corlett's no bulls*** and easy going attitude - it was all great. Also, other than the occasional reading, there is no homework which is definitely a bonus. Would highly recommend professor Corlett and Phil 110 to anybody who's considering it!”

--Emirhan Caner

“What I learned in Philosophy 110:

Of course, Dr C taught us the course material; all about critical thinking and forming arguments and rebuttals. But a lot of people believe that the most important lessons aren't always from the text...One thing that really caught my eye about Dr. Corlett was the fact that he doesn't acknowledge a student the second they raise their hand. Often times, professors will stop talking, mid-sentence, to answer a student's question, causing an interruption that is usually pointless because the professor was just about to explain that point. Dr. Corlett knows what he wants to say and will not stop until he has finished his point, as you will quickly learn during the first topic you study. Definitely an interesting class that I would recommend for a student who is able to push their feelings and personal beliefs aside in order to discuss topics that are often biased or sensitive.”

--Amanda Duren 

“Philosophy 110 has been a very interesting class to say the least; it definitely forces you to think and analyze everything you say and hear a little more. This class was always one to look forward to because it was so unique. It has been one of my favorites at State so far because it was so interesting and just bitchin’.”

--Nathan Toma

“Positives of Philosophy 110: I must say, I learned a lot in this class. Learning both how to state a logical argument in class, and refute another person’s argument were 2 of the main topics in this class, and now I know how to do this in an organized, well-written fashion. This is extremely critical as I continue my push for learning and want to be seen by all as an intellectual who uses reason and logic to support my arguments. Being able to put these arguments in standard logical format was the first step in that. Also, my favorite part of class this semester was discussing real world topics that people debate on an everyday basis! From capital punishment to abortion to even the question of God’s existence, we went over real controversial topics, and were able to do it without arguments becoming nasty and personal, which was amazing to me. This class taught me so much about argumentation and logical fallacies, and how I can use logical argumentation in the real world.

Negatives: Like I said, i do not have many bad things to say. I really enjoyed this class and would totally take it again, or take another class you teach.

Thank you for teaching this course and giving us these opportunities to give feedback! I am always excited to be in your class, which I definitely cannot say for some of my other classes… We all appreciate what you do.”

--Sean McCarthy

“This class as a philosophy course differs from any other philosophy course I hear people discuss when they are studying. Instead of ancient concepts and ideas, this course focuses on modern ideas in today's society and more about the morals of it. ... definitely information that arms you better as a member of society opposed to those who are without the information... you won't regret it.”

--Emily Duprey

“Dr C's philosophy 110 course is one of the most informative, interesting, and real classes I've ever taken and I would recommend it to anyone who has the chance to take it.”

--Paul Anderson

“This class was extremely rewarding for a first year college student, setting the grounds for a successful university experience. Not only was what we discussed in class different from the standard book and homework type learning, it taught us all how to successfully argue against real life, everyday issues. These topics and arguments against them will forever change the way we view certain political issues, and help us decide what we associate with based on full knowledge of either side of an argument. Professor C, thank you for an awesome course. You're the best!”

--Emma Duke

“My thoughts on the course so far is that every lecture is always interesting in that it always applied to current events. I also like how you show your true views towards each topic we discuss in class.”

--James Ho

“This semester I have learned a new take on political correctness. We live in a age where tensions are high, but we are more afraid of offending each other than ever. My generation feels that censoring each other and putting others feelings over facts will make our society better. This is a load of crap. We are not being honest and are tip toeing around the truth. I have always felt kind of weird about political correctness, and this course enlightened me to another view on it. In my opinion, certain topics we should be somewhat sensitive about, but we should be honest and state the facts. We need to value truth over people's feelings.”

--Kylie Lynch

“In this class I learned that the PC argument is logically fallacious, Andrew Jackson was worse than Hitler, and that stupid people always try and reason without using logic. This class has taught me how to use reasoning and critical thinking to determine whether and argument is valid and sound and it has helped me create much better arguments in the process. Thank you Dr. Corlett for being an amazing teacher and I hope it is possible for me to take another one of your classes.”

--Marcus Reed

“Taking this course made me realize that I would rather be angry and know the truth, than be oblivious about the world. I've learned that the politically correct are wrong to deny people the 1st amendment right. We have freedom of expression and you best believe after taking this course I will be practicing this right. Thanks Dr Corlett for not sugar coating the truth and being straightforward.”

--Monica Lopez

“I like how I can actually apply what I learn in this class to my life. I loved the way that the arguments against PC were taught and you completely changed the way I thought about PC. You made really good points about offensiveness that I will remember for a long time.”

--Mitch Batherson

“Out of every little detail you've taught me this semester, I think the greatest life lesson you've shown me is that the world's information must be taken with a grain of salt and a little bit of profanity. You've made me change a lot of my opinions on political and non-political topics this semester already just by revealing the bullshit and stupidity behind them such as political correctness. All in all, I will never be able to forget this class whether that be because you're the wonderful eye opener of a professor or the fact that you've made me really think about what I want to believe in.”

--Tyler Carr

“To say that I enjoyed this class would be a a vast understatement. To say that I simply learned the basics of philosophy would also be doing you and your class an injustice, because I learned so much more than just the elements of argument, reason, and the bullshit that lies in the way of truth. I learned that philosophy is a practice anyone can take part in and apply to their lives and possibly even enjoy, as it isn't simply the study of Socrates, Aristotle, or Descartes. Philosophy is a practice that changes your life, because it opens your eyes to aspects of life that you never before considered, Thank you, Professor Corlett, for introducing Philosophy to me in a way that was enjoyable, creative, and fresh.”

--Brandon Butler

“I have personally found the different methods of how to structure a proper argument and how to identify fallacies people use when creating arguments and "evidence". In understanding arguments, it is best to identify whether they are sound and valid along with what can be considered a necessary of sufficient condition. Then once you understand the person's position, critical thinking is taken into account to provide your answer and analysis of the argument.”

--Brianna Huey

“I’ve learned lots of things in your class, but I wanna take the time to tell you what I’ve enjoyed. The main aspect of your class that I’ve enjoyed the most was your interaction with the class. You really make sure you involve yourself with the students, which I think bring us closer as a class. A major factor of this is how you get students to help others come to a clear argument. You let other students voice their opinions to clear out any obscurities with the argument. This can be seen really throughout the entire semester; the abortion argument clarifications, when a student offers another opinion... so on. I think this also taught me "real life" advice, where not everything is gonna be right the first time around.”

--Sadie Meunier

“There are many things I have learned throughout this semester of Philosophy. Some of the main things I learned the first half of this semester are all the arguments against Politically Correctness. Political Correctness has become a main topic of debate, with the recent election being a key event that brought political correctness into question. By giving the arguments for and against political correctives I now have the tools to create an educated decision on philosophy. I look forward to learning and diving into philosophy more with you this semester, thank you.”

--David Pint

“In this class I learned to have a more open mind. Before the semester I thought that I was already very open-minded, and I prided myself in being able to see all sides of an argument. But this class showed me that I wasn't really considering all the factors and understanding each side clearly. This class has given me much better perspective.”

--Tyler Bao Bao

“Deciding to take PHIL 110 this spring 2017 was indeed a valuable choice. Before this course, I thought there was one meaning to philosophy, the way people think. But I've learned that there are so many categories of philosophy, and this specific course focused on critical thinking, logic, and how to validate arguments. I learned that critical thinking is not black and white, but there is also something that can be created in between to comprise for both sides. Before this course, I had no idea what political correctness was. Now I know that political correctness can sometimes be dangerous due to it creating a distortion of reality, and it does not justify censorship. We Aztec philosophy students are a great example of a call against political correctness because no one else is gonna get this education without this course! Overall, I would take this course again with Dr. C if I had the chance to. I loved that he uses humor to explain different concepts of critical thinking, and the use swear words top it off! Really. It only makes the class much for interesting.”

--Alyssa May Saechao

“What did I learn from Philosophy 110?

The class was very insightful for me. I learned to distinguish between superficial emotions and genuine ones. The class made me realize that even if some information is presented in the kindest way possible, it is still offensive to some since some people find even arguments offensive. I realized why freedom of expression is extremely essential. We may not like promiscuity or foul behavior originating from it, but there is a very narrow gray area between prohibiting certain expressions and critical thinking. It took me a moment to take a step back and realize the reasons for the consequences of the recent elections. It made me question myself or beliefs which made me go hard on myself when analyzing the flaws in my personality. It made me aware of the tremendous differences between the words and actions of some of our politicians. There are times when people told me that even if you place an argument, one must ask him/herself if it is vital to convey? I’ve come to realize that I cannot keep my mouth shut if I hear people making very absurd statements because if the truth doesn’t matter, nothing else does. There are times that I’ve asked myself if it is that important to continue down this lane since I do not have any sense of belonging anymore. Any particular group that I’m in, I cannot help but criticize in case something that they are doing is wrong and against good, moral understanding. As a result, I don’t have any real friends, at least in the United States and this has made me a vagabond in the country. J.S. Mill said, “I would rather be a Socrates dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.” And honestly, as hard as I may try, there is no turning back, since critical thinking is ingrained in my blood stream and I cannot take it out until God finds a way for me. Some people have unappreciated my criticisms (those criticisms were with love and genuine regard to improving them). The free world is not truly free but a cage for critical thinkers. Perhaps, I understand the words of my late teacher in a better way who said, “Abide by the truth, even if your shadow deserts you”- Amin Ihsan Islahi.”

--Abdulwadood M Qazi

“Dr. Corlett, I've learned how to effectively structure and deliver an argument very well from your class. I've also learned many good arguments against PC.”

--Chris Bartlett

“The thing I like most about this course is that you create an environment where students are not afraid to voice their opinions and have those opinions questioned. I also like the way controversial topics are addressed and talked about thoroughly instead of being brushed aside.”

--Sydney Wheeler

“To begin with, I would like to emphasize the application of your honesty during the course, as well as the integration of your own personality into each lecture instead of making it as professional and boring as it is traditionally perceived or expected. Of course, I am not saying that you are not professional, on the contrary, I believe that you are a genuinely cultured, prepared, studied person and worthy of respect on the part of your students. I tell you this because, as you mention it at the beginning of the course, your unorthodox way of teaching is, in my opinion, very efficient since you have found a unique way to keep your students invested in the lecture sometimes even because of your use of humor and personal anecdotes (which also help students engage and interact with others, and further leads to a better environment; thus each student has an opportunity to express themselves openly without fear of others being judgmental, and consequently creates trust). Also, it keeps them interested to know more about what is being discussed in class as it is relevant to our lives, and finally also it's a way for you to express your personal opinion about the topics which transmits your passion for them and makes them even more powerful. This course has opened my eyes even more on the topics discussed in class, for example, the political correctness argument recently discussed was definitely a shock for me, not because of what it meant or how long it's been around since I have been aware of that, but because of the depth in which it was analyzed and to be finally informed of the damage is causing our society. Because of these reasons, and more, I have come to appreciate this philosophy course so much that I have already had healthy discussions about some of these topics with my family and it has been an amazing experience so far just to be more knowledgeable about what is currently going on. Furthermore, I am so excited about what more there is to come and expect from this class, to keep attending lectures and to definitely dedicate the time needed to really explore and understand these issues, (not to mention to pass the class as well). Overall, thank you for bringing us with such important topics to discuss, for your time invested and for being so passionate, it is greatly appreciated.”

--B. Cristina Cruz Alvarez

“My favorite part about this course are the topics that we talk about. I feel that majority of the subjects that are discussed are actually relevant to our culture and society. Also, the way the classroom can carry out a debate over a controversial topic really impresses me. Lastly, the cussing is really funny and is a good way to start my mornings , so overall I'm really enjoying this course.”

--Nico Luciano

“I very much enjoy the against-the-grain approach this course takes on discussion issues. You always provide examples and counter-examples for both the "academic", left, right sides of the argument. I enjoy how cuss words are also just words, which makes it interesting and more accepting.”

--Adam Gee

“Your Philosophy 110 course pertains to our lives, which makes the course very interesting.  I really liked learning about Political Correctness (PC) because I found it to be intriguing due to the fact that we can see it happening all around us everyday.  PC was something I have never paid attention to before taking your class, and now that I am aware of what it is and how PCers are infringing on the First Amendment rights, I cannot help but notice it quite often.  For instance, I laughed when Quizlet told me that I needed to change one of my notecards because it detected “profanity” for writing about Andrew Jackson as an "evil bitch” for the emotive language card.  I also enjoyed learning about the fallacies because now I can use them for assessing arguments in any writing class or even just to apply them to life’s arguments thrown at me.  Your class has taught me a lot about Critical Thinking/Logic that I can take with me for future courses and for life in general.”

--Karli Marino

“This course has been very beneficial to my growth as a student. I learned how to write effectively, efficiently, and quickly over a short period of time. The class covered very interesting topics that relate to our society today. Overall, I would recommend PHIL 110 to any student looking to take a writing class.”

--Nathan Hassid

“I really have enjoyed your class thus far. I know I don’t participate in conversations much, but it is only because I am not one to argue with others about my opinions. For me, this class has really been a place where I can enjoy civilized argument over various important issues. I have always been someone who strongly believes that everything should be resolved with logic rather than with emotion, religious belief, opinion, etc.. Given that, I thoroughly appreciate that when I walk into Phil 110 I know that I am in an environment where logic rules over anything else, and where illogical arguments only exist to be disproved. Thank you.”

--Michael Fontanilla

“The two most important things I have learned so far in this class are:

1. You do not have a legal or moral right not to be offended, but you do have a legal right to be a moron.

2. The abortion argument in standard logical form:

       1. The illicit taking of a human life is morally wrong and ought to be prohibited by law;

       2. Abortion is the illicit taking of a human life;

       3. Therefore, abortion is morally wrong and ought to be prohibited by law.”

--Kaitlyn Wiese

“What I liked about Philosophy 110 is its relevance to the world around me. I liked that the content of the course encourages you to think critically about important matters like political correctness, immigration, drug legality etc. It is relevant knowledge that I could apply to something greater than the walls of my expensive institutionalized education.”

--Victoria Martinez