Hagen, Charles  

One of the first college classes I've ever taken and it got off to a bad start. The original professor for this course was P. Wishart, but she ended up having a flu and for the first 5 or so weeks the class only met twice. Finally, Hagen takes the class over. He's a very nice guy, or at least he seems so. I've never really talked to him outside of class, save for the 30 sec when I turned in my term paper. Which, incidentally, he gave me a dirty look and complained about how I didn't double space (it was 1.5, I forgot to change it). But I ended up getting an A on it and he made the comment "Very well written." His class is pretty bearable. He seems to pick on the people that he knows and mostly ignores the students that he doesn't. Sucks if you're a philosophy major. He makes jokes, teaches well, and is pretty lenient as far as class work goes. I give him an A all around.

The funniest teacher at Cal Poly. I had him for Phil 126 and Phil 230. To do well in his class, you must keep up with the reading and show up to class. I highly recommended Hagen.

What else is there to say? Fine person, nothing interesting. Class was meh... Blah, blah, blah... Fine person.

He is a great professor and really really knows what he is teaching. He has the books pretty much memorized and knows what page everything is on even. The main complaint about him is that he makes fun of people, but he just has a sarcastic sense of humor. If you are a sensitive person who takes things too personal, don't take this class. As long as you read, participate, and can take a little sarcasm, you will love this class. Someone's comment accused him of being racist/discriminatory and that is NOT true at all. He gives everyone crap, get over it.

This guy is an exceptional teacher as he is able to clearly explain often confusing philosophical works and adapt them to the present day. He enjoys picking on people in class, so do the reading; otherwise, he'll make you look like an ass. His tests are essay and based entirely on his lectures. Attendance and good notes ensure a good grade. Take him!

Dr. Hagen is an exceptional teacher as he is able to clearly explain often confusing philosophical works and adapt them to the present day. He enjoys picking on people in class, so do the reading; otherwise, he'll make you look like an ass. His tests are essay and based entirely on his lectures. Attendance and good notes ensure a good grade. I never liked philosophy before I took this class but Hagen teaches it in a way that helps you understand it. Attendance is a key to getting a good grade. When it comes to talking notes write down every thing that he says. He even gives you sample tests before you take the test, so there are no suprises. The tests and the class was very straight forward and doesn't cover any useless bullshit.

After reading all of these ratings, I have to agree that he enjoys picking on people. But I did notice, however, that he chose ethnic males and all females to pick on - not based on their "lack of knowledge" but on his "superiority complex." So it's not accurate to say that he only rips on you based on your lack of knowledge. These people knew their stuff but they still got ripped by him! He should move back to where he came from.

Hagen is a very cut-and-dry professor. If you're looking for a course that helps you figuratively stretch your mental muscles, don't take this class. If you want to memorize and get on with it, take him. I don't recommend skipping any of his lectures, because the material he presents in class is exactly what he asks on the quizzes and tests. He has a quiz every week and a test after every book. He assigns a tolerable amount of reading, and I don't recommend you let yourself get too behind on it. Even if you aren't caught up in the reading, though, go to class. He'll make snide remarks about your intelligence, but you will be glad you attended when it comes to the tests. The quizzes are fairly easy and real grade-boosters. The tests are difficult--they're made up of two essay questions, and he expects very specific and in-depth discussions of what he mentioned in the lectures.

This guy is not good. If he doesnt like you.. i dont know what to say... Dont take him. It seemed like the harder i tried, the lower my grade got. I was an AP student who had read these books before. For some reason, everything i said that my other professors had said about the books, was wrong. Very odd. avoid him at all costs.

Hagen is pretty damn tight. He is ridiculously intelligent and knows his shit. He's the most logical (or crazy) person I've ever met, which is important because that's what this class is all about, logic. You read shit like Mill and Locke and Plato and he points out the rationality as well as the fallacies in their arguments. I never thought you could logically pick apart arguments and theories like that, so it was kind of an eye-opening class for me. Straight up, he will rail on everyone in this class. He just picks on random people to answer questions, and he will make fun of any answer you give unless its absolutely flawless. If you REALLY say something dumb, he will continually bring it up every class period for the rest of the quarter. This one bitch made a comment about how Platos argument for "breeding the best examples of man" was flawed, because Cindy Crawford's parents were ugly and she still turned out beautiful. He thought this was the funniest thing ever and always gave her shit for it. To be honest, she deserved that shit. What a dumb bitch. Anyways, this class was initially fucking stressful as hell, because I was so freaked out that I was going to make an ass out of myself, or rather, that he would make an ass out of me. But after a few weeks you get over it, and stop giving a fuck, and take it from behind like a man locked down in penitentiary. You never like it, but you take it because those bitches will kill you if you don't. Hagen won't kill you, but you get the gist. Tests and quizzes are fair as long as you show up to class and do the reading. He basically tells you exactly what he wants to you write on the quizzes during class, so pay attention and take good notes. Just be logical in your arguments and you will be fine. No one likes an irrational jackass, which is why we all hate campus crusade and pregnant women. Fucking crazy. Anyways, this class is worth it, even if he rails on you every class period, you will learn a ton from him.

Hagen is a very fair and interesting Professor. If you choose to take PHIL 231 try to take him. No homework, just 3 tests on 3 small books. He gives you study questions that are word for word whats on the test and then allows you to use your book and notes on the tests. The class is all lecure that helps you answer the study questions. It is also good to go to class because 20% of the grade is just attendance.

This guy rules. He makes a dorky jokes in class that help you remember key points. If you pay attention and attend all the lectures, the reading isn't really necessary. Of course, you're obligated to read, because he calls on random people for answers. Chances are that by the end of the quarter he'll know you by name, especially if you sit in the same place. That can be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how much you like him. His tests are fair, and it's easy to get a B. It's a lot harder to get an A, because he expects an exacting dissertation for a top-notch grade. Nevertheless, he's a great lecturer and makes those boring old philosophers somewhat understandable.

Rant ON: Hagen's class was one of the worst classes I have taken at Calpoly. Wait, I think Pol 110 was worse. He manages to take an interesting subject and slam it into the ground. My dislike of his class is based of these criteria a) he takes role everyday and weighs 20% of your grade on it. This practice I find to be annoying. I'm not a philosophy major, I'm an engineer. I have real classes to contend with. Attendance does not equal aptitude. Grade should depend on your exam scores NOT whether or not you sat through a good percentage of his lectures. b) He weighs 5% on class participation. This is another stupid idea because it's based on *HIS* subjective analysis of your "participation." c) he assigns a supplemental packet with sets of questions to answer for each chapter. This in itself is not bad, in fact they helped me understand the material well. But, keep in mind there are ALOT of questions (which equates to a lot of time) and a good percentage are what is universally considered

I didn't really like his teaching style, he loves to ask hard questions, put you on the spot, and make you look like an idiot in front of the whole class. Near the end of the quarter, his lectures seemed to lose direction...but the material isn't exactly easy reading. I put way too much time into this course for a 3 unit GE...all those damn study questions are a bitch. Basically, Hagen's class is hard (to get an A), but if you read the book and can understand some of the concepts, then a passing grade is easy.

Philosophy is extremely hard, but professor Hagen teaches the main ideas and key points that he wants you to know well. I recommend reading the assignments for the next class period, because professor Hagen will call on you, and you will be embarrassed if you haven't read. His essay exams are fair, in that he asks you exactly what he has gone over in class. Regular attendance is a must!!! He goes over everything in class. If you pay attention, and take good notes you will do well.

Try to avoid this teacher. His lectures are boring and his tests are essays and are difficult. Also during class he makes fun of what students are wearing, even though he wears the same clothes everyday. He calls on students durring the class so you have to do the reading, they used to call him hagen the pagen, try to avoid him

Dr. Hagen is a great professor, but his class is definitely demanding. You have to read three books, take two midterms and a final, and there is a quiz every week---all in essay form. It may seem overwhelming at first, but if you do the reading and answer the questions in the study guide, you'll be fine. Just make sure to stay caught up because he always seems to know who didn't read and he WILL call on you to answer questions. Everything that is on his quizzes and tests is covered in the study questions and in lecture, so there are no surprises. Attendance is 20% of your grade as well, so just showing up will help you out. Although he may seem intimidating, Dr. Hagen is a really nice guy and he'll do anything to help you understand the material.

Philosophy is very hard to understand, especially this class cause its the first and only phil class many will take. Dr Hagen does a great job trying to help you understand this material. he randomly asks questions during class, so unless you want him to make you look stupid, DO THE READING. also, the questions he gives really help you to understand the reading. he can help you a lot but you need to read and try to get the stuff on your own also, he wont do all the work for you. so even if you're an engineer and you think you guys dont have to go to class cause you have "real classes" to work on, if you dont go, youre gonna suck.

Prof. Hagen truely follows his material. We read the work of three different philosophers: Plato, Locke, and Mill. He tends to present the information as the author would, often taking the devil's advocate stance. He loves to use the Socratic Method - aka call on random people constantly and put them on the spot, not often letting them completely express themselves and giving very little time for an explained answer. This often leads to incredible embarassment and hard feelings, but after the student realizes that it isn't personal at all and he is simply pointing out weaknesses of arguement, it is incredibly useful. His class is very straightforward - quizzes once a week, two one-hour tests, and a multiple choice final. However, these are all fairly easy if the student attends class and takes notes, because he answers all questions that could possibly end up on the tests explicitly. All in all, his teaching style is different but very effective, depending on what kind of student you are. If you don't understand through reading or lecture all that well, this definitly isn't for you. However, he also has a required study guide which has every last question that may ever appear on tests and he does discuss these in detail, so if you have any questions on the reading or the study guide, they are fulfilled. Fairly enjoyable and interesting class!

So you have to take philosophy, huh? Maximize your happiness by picking Dr. Hagen. Fall asleep reading 3 books, look over his study guide in the morning and you're set for that day's class. His study guide goes well with the reading. Lectures consist of him asking students questions, so finish reading before you fall asleep. Although none of what he says is Platonic "knowledge" per se it kept me awake. The guy only opens his briefcase for attendance (20% of grade) and weekly quizzes, no notes in sight. I assume he's been teaching this for years now, or maybe...

Dr. Hagen is a flat-out genius. The man went to Harvard but never once mentioned it. He only said that he went to school "back east". Not only that, but he also has a great understanding of the subject matter. In fact, he cites passages accurately, plain off memory! As for him calling on people, if you aren't doing the reading he will catch on to you, and ask you questions you have no way of answering -- with some frequency, and as a result you will look like a fool! But, if you have done the reading, and he realizes you are up to par, he will call on you sparingly. Just do the reading and you won't need to concern yourself with looking dumb. The man is incredibly funny as well, so long as you have a marginal IQ and are semi-literate. His references were so obscure and hilarious that he occasionally found himself cracking up, along with the class! He cares about the grades his students get (and realizes some of them do too), and gives the materials to succeed, such as what to hone in on, what you will be tested on, and so forth. But, I still think the Final was a bit tough to prepare for. A lot of instructors try to trick you into failing (instead of teaching and quizzing to reinforce the material) but not in this case. It is informal here: "do the work, show up, and you should be okay." I failed to get an A (!!!) because I did poorly on the Final (must do the study guide and review it in order to do well on the final exam) and slept in (by accident) a couple of times. But, that is my fault. Overall, as long as you do the reading and show up every day you should at least get a B, but an A isn

This guy is amazing. He gets a bad rap for picking on students but he really cares about them and has a great sense of humor. Do the reading, listen to his lectures, and don't be intimidated by him or Plato. There are 2 midterms and a final. Every week there is a quiz and he also counts attendance into your grade. He's really nice man and grades fairly easy on the essay midterms. I defeinltey recommend Chuck because he made philosophy fun.

Dr. Hagen provides students with a reading guide for the daily assignments, and if you are willing to use the questions in the guide during your reading you are virutally guaranteed to command a full understanding of the material. And if you don't "get it," his lectures are concise and clear. Not to mention, the weekly quizzes are an easy way to boost your grades, since they come straight out of the aforementioned reading questions, and represent 20% of your grade. 20% of your grade is attendance and participation, which is fantastic if you actually show up. The other 60% is two essay only exams, which Dr. Hagen grades fairly leniently, and a multiple choice final. It is crucial to study the entire course load for the final.

This professor is great, but this class is a lot of work. You will have to read books on Plato, Locke, and Mill. This reading is quite difficult, but he explains the material in a very understandable and clear way. The study guide he prepares you is very handy in studying for the quizes and tests. He is really funny. His lectures talk about applying the ideas to the extreme limit of modern day life. He will call on you randomly to ensure that you do the reading, but nothing is to be taken personally. Your grade is based on quizes, a Plato test, a Locke test that requires you compare him to Plato, a final, and attendance, each 20% of your grade. He takes attendance everyday, so it will help you if you don't skip class. There is a quiz every week where you write a paragraph or two to answer a study question. The midterms will ask you to write essays to answer two questions. The final is 40 multiple choice questions. Midterms are often tough because writing essays take lots of time. Overall, he an excellent professor with a really good sense of humor.

nice man. very clear presentations. u'll learn a lot. work hard and get A.

Professor Hagen presents the material in an orderly manner. So orderly, in fact, that many students and professors believe he has prerecorded his lectures from 10 years ago, and that he plays them for each new class. Find someone in a previous lecture to know the questions he will ask during class or the jokes he will make (word for word). Staying awake in this 1 hour lecture has been the hardest thing I

Dr. Hagen was awesome. I'll admit, I was afraid of the guy at the beginning of the quarter. However, once I understood that his questions were fair and that it was okay not to know the answer sometimes, I was able to enjoy the class more. If you guys like Ben Stein, you'll love Dr. Hagen. Trust me. The class WAS demanding, but hey, it's college! What do you expect?

Hagen is an awesome teacher. He has an unorthodox style where he calls on his students constantly throughout class but he does it for your benefit.He is an extremely smart man, he went to Harvard, and knows the material extremely well. He can cite pages from Plato by memory. He really cares for his students and it shows. He gives you practice midterms so there is nothing on the tests that will surprise you. He basically even tells you the answers you just have to be able to compose your own essay. He takes attendance and its worth 20 percent of your grade, so just go. His weekly quizzes are easy and he sometimes even leaves the answer on the board. He gives quizzes just to make you try to read and do the study questions.He is funny and extremely methodical. This is a class where you find yourself not being worried worth your grade and you enjoy learning. Take this class if you get the chance

Dr. Hagen is pretty intimidating especially during the first couple of weeks of the quarter. He takes his time learning names, so for most of the quarter he either points at you or stares at you when he's trying to call on you. He also goes down the rows asking questions kind of like a drill sergeant. The questions aren't that difficult some are from the reading. The other questions are usually not based on the reading instead they're everyday examples which require only your opinion. We read 3 books: Plato's Republic, Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government, and Mill's On Liberty. The reading wasn't too demanding. He gave us 2 midterms, a final, and weekly reading quizzes. Each midterm is worth 20%, the reading quizzes are 20%, the final is 20% and attendance/participation is 20% of your grade. The reading quizzes is just 1 question from the study guide. The study guide is really useful because he usually lectures straight from the study guide and the midterms are based on the study guide. The midterms and final have the same format; you'll have a choice from 6 essay questions. You pick 2 of the questions to write on. The first midterm is just on Plato. The second midterm has one section just about Locke, and the second section is made of questions where you compare/contrast Plato and Locke. The final has one section where you compare/contrast Plato and Mill and the other section asks you to compare/contrast Mill and Locke. I felt the tests and quizzes were fair. He usually gives some hints during his lecture on quiz day to what he'll be asking on the quiz. He hates it when you're late. He also responds to emails very quickly even the night before tests and quizzes. He encourages you to discuss your midterms with him if you're having problems. Overall, he hasn't that bad of a professor even though he appears quite intimidating.

Well, ok on grading just make sure you can regurgitate well. Otherwise, reading on your own and forming things in your own words will not be wise. Most people just came to class knowing NOTHING and memorized every word that came out of his mouth(they did well I'm sure). If you can write whatever he says then you'll get your A. Well an intimidating person and loves to degrade people. I guess must have been one of those kids that got picked on when young and now it's time for payback, or maybe just does it to boost his confidence, hmmm who knows. Well class was ok, pretty cool in the beginning but then you get tired of it.

Hagen is a wonderful professor who entertains us with lectures that bring an otherwise boring subject to life. He explains everything like a true pro and relates all aspects of philosophy to the students in real time. Very humorous and funny. Be prepared to be intimidated because he calls on people randomly to discuss and he expects you to have read your stuff. Tests and quizes are essays, so be as descriptive and reasonable as possible. So if you have to take a philosophy class, Hagen is an excellent choise.

ok i hated the material that we had to cover in this class. plato, locke and mill aren't exactly page-turners. pros of prof. hagen: he presents the material clearly. the quizzes, (there is one every thursday) are directly from the material taught in class and are relatively easy. he seems to care about his students a lot. cons: the midterms aren't easy but they aren't impossible. they require A LOT of studying so be prepared. as a professor, he can be very condescending. he calls on people at random which is intimidating. also, if you say the wrong answer he will ridicule you in front of the class. this is very hard to deal with at first but eventually you realize that he's just trying to poke a little fun of his students. so overall, the class is do-able, if you can handle a little sarcasm and some hard midterms.

Hagen was pretty chill. You NEED to go to all lectures in order to do well in the course. Hagen's grading policy is as follows: 20% lecture, 20% quizzes, 20% Plato test, 20% Locke Test, 20% Final Exam. If you go to class, you already have an easy 20%. In addition to the three texts Plato, Locke and, Mill, there is a pink packet of study questions for the whole course. For the Plato test, I read all almost all of the text and did almost all the study questions and got a B on the exam. For the Locke Test, I read 10 pages of Locke and didn't do any study questions and got an A- on the Locke Test. I didn't read a single page of Mill and did no study questions and got a B+ on the final. This is proof that the reading doesn't help at all(the texts are pretty dense and hard to get anything from). Just go to lecture and pay attention and you'll absorb everything you need to know. Hagen also gives out study sheets with practice exams before the midterms and the final. Do all of these and you'll be fine. I went into office hours a couple of times and got help on the exam study sheets. Hagen was very helpful in office hours and really knows his shit. The quizzes are pretty cake. He pulls one of the study questions and uses it as a quiz every week for a total of 8 quizzes. Again, if you go to class, you can just BS your way through the quizzes- a brief glance at your notes before the quiz doesn't hurt either. Hagen is awesome - and he does pick on you in lecture -but nothing you can't BS your way through. The material in this course was also very interesting and Hagen does a good job at enlightening the avg college schmo. He's also a really chill person who cares a great deal about knowledge and education. Great job Chuck

Professor Hagen did a very good job of present the material in class. Yes Philosophy is not the most riveting topic to read about. But I found that if you read, whether you understand it or not, his lectures that follow it definitely help to clear things up. As was mentioned before 20% of your grade is just showing up, so make sure you do that, even if it is at 7:00 am like mine was. It is definitely true that that he will pick on people at random and will ridicule you for the littlest of things, but you need to take it with a grain of salt and realize that he is just poking fun at you. Definitely get the study guide. Even if you don't do the reading, he goes over a lot of the questions in class. That was definitely the downfall of my grade was that I did not read the texts. Even so, with out reading, I was still able to pull out a B. As you can tell by most of everyone who has posted comments about Professor Hagen, they all have either A's or B's. Show up to class, take good notes and study for the midterms quite a bit.

Dr. Hagan was an awesome teacher. Personally, I wasn't looking forward to taking philosophy especially at 7am!! Though, Dr. Hagan made it an enjoyable class and he related the pieces we read to real life to where I could really understand it. He is a brillant teacher and could recite quotes exactly from the book and with the page numbers just from memory. His grading style was good also 20% attendance 20% midterm 20% second midterm 20% quizes and 20% final. If you go to class and at least listen to what he has to say and look over the notes for like 10 minutes you can get an A in attendance and the quizes. The midterms and final are a little more challenging. Though, I don't think its necessary to read the books for the class, as long as you go to class and take notes and memorize your notes you will be fine. The only thing bad was that he calls on you almost everyday but then you get used to you and it isn't so bad because he has a good sense of humor when he does it. Overall i say take him if you can!

Professor Hagen is a good teacher, but not for the weak at heart. He will pick peole out of the class and pick on them at random based on whatever he feels like attacking that day. For the first few weeks of class he will call on you based on whatever you happen to be wearing and he will my sly comments about your outfit in the process. If you give him a chance to make you feel stupid, he will jump at it. Despite all of this, the guy is really rather smart and knows how to tell a good joke. He's definitely up on the current issues. His lectures tell you what you need to know for the tests and quizzes, but you have to pay decent attention. Your grade is 20% attendance, 20% weekly quizzes, and then 20% for each of the three tests. If you plan on coming late, just don't come at all because then you will certainly get picked on. If you want to learn some philosophy and are confidant enough to not be bothered by casual insults Hagen is a good teacher. It isn't hard at all to get a decent grade if you just go to class.

As the other people have said in reviewing this teacher, be ready to be picked on almost everyday in class. Make sure you read all of the readings because you might look kinda stupid you don't know the answer. Awesome teacher and has dry dry humor. He gives credit for attedence and also gives out quizees every thursday so read. 2 midterms and a final and he will give you example exams so it works out pretty well..great professor and i would recommend him to anyone who has to take phil 231.

Awesome teacher who is very knowledgable and most of all fair. 20% on 2 midterms and a final each, as well as 20% on quizzes(fairly easy) and attendance. An Easy B if you don't miss class, take notes, and memorize them for tests, quizzes. I'd take him again for a Phil. class

Its hard to say anything new about Hagen... I'll just agree with what has been said: pretty much a genius, "picks on" students, knows the material from memory verbatim including page numbers, fairly easy grading curve, you need to write down most everything that comes out of his mouth. I really did like the class and like that he learned everyone's names and kept things interesting, and I don't hesitate to recommend him to the confident (read: won't get angry over being teased in front of the whole class) student.

I would recommend this teacher for philosophy!! It is true that he picks on people everyday (He picked on me EVERYDAY) but it is nothing that you cannot handle. If he feels like you can't handle it then he won't pick on you. He makes the readings easier to understand and writes everything you need to know on the board. Let me warn you, the readings are horrible and extremely boring. But what can you expect for philosophy? Hagen makes the best of it for you. Attendence is worth 20%, Quizes(very easy) are worth 20%, Plato Test 20%, Locke Test 20%, and the final is worth 20%. he gives you a sample test before each test and even opened up alternative days to take the final! He really helps to buffer your grade. Just memorize what he says and puts on the board and you will be fine. Stories from my friends about other classes made philosophy seem like it would be impossible. With Hagen it is possible and lectures aren't boring. He puts things in modern terms that you can understand. Definitly take Hagen for philosophy!

Other professors for this class seemed to amke PHIL 231 a nightmare for us non-philosphy students. But his lectures were entertaining and interesting. He picks on people a lot, but he does it in good fun and it helps you become motivated to do the readings. As long as you go to class and pay attention, you cannot excape with less than a B. I slowly learned that it really is just best to memorize your notes, not kind of make up your own conclusions. Definately take him!

Hagen is one of the best teachers I've had at Poly. He is absolutely hilarious and knows philosophy like the back of his hand (he even has the page numbers memorized for the 3 books the course requires). He can explain almost anything in easy to understand terms and encourages/requires student participation. He takes roll so you have to go to class, but even though I had it at 7:00 am M-R, it really isn't so bad. Hagen's tests are very fair and he will help you prepare by giving you past tests and holding discussion sessions. I definitely recommend Hagen and Phil 231.

This guy is such an ASSHOLE! He enjoys stereotyping students and humiliating them in front of everyone with his biases! Watch out, when he gets going on someone his eyes get all glazed over! He's one nutty professor who doesn't present the material very well. In fact, I believe he enjoys confusing everyone. He really needs to work on how he views other people.

this guy made me more interested in philosophy then i ever thought i would be. he has a quiz every week, but as long as you do the reading you will do just fine. go to class and take notes, because it definately will help for the tests. the tests consist of 6 essay questions..you pick 2 of them. they aren't hard if you did the reading..most of the topics are what you discuss in class and the big points in the book. i would definately recommend hagen for phil.

NO COMPLAINTS. okay so basically some people rip on this guy for making fun of students and crap like that but seriously, it was entertaining. and its not like he was even harsh making fun of people. he made fun of me almost every day and honestly im usually one of the most self conscious people ever but he was JUST KIDDING- so it didnt matter. in fact it wasted lecture time which made the 50 minutes go by faster. almost like having a stand up comedian talk about philosophy. i only read one of the three books but went to lecture every day and pulled off a B. no matter what you do- go to lecture. everything he says is whats on the quiz or midterm, not necessarily what you read. i didnt even do one study guide question. and kids: im not even smart or a good bullshitter. the class was JUST that EASY. so dont worry about taking him.

When I enrolled in philosophy 231 I was looking forward to what could have been a stimulating, interesting class. Hagen taught this class in everyway, the opposite of what I had wanted/expected. His teaching style leaves no room for actual thought or analysis. He has probably one of the most dry boring styles I've experienced. Instead of letting you formulate your own ideas he sets strict curriculum for what the authors of the books are trying to say, you never decide. Then to stimulate class conversation picks on people at random to answer the most specific and ridiculous questions of what the material "IS" about, to him anyways. If you don't know the precise answer he'll give you a cold stare like, "are you that stupid." The material wasn't that hard but he made it dreadful to go to class everyday. If you like really formulaic classes that involve much bullshiting and strict attention to detail, you might be ok with this class. If you want to learn anything, have a good inclass conversation, or a stimulating curriculum, STAY AWAY! For me this class was something awful and walking to class in 30mph winds at 7am didnt help either.

Well, Hagen gives you last quarter's test a week before your test. That is pretty much the only good thing about him. He is really into philosophy. But he is soo sarcastic. Sometimes you waste so much time because he is making sarcastic comments or jokes about people who say the wrong answer or come in late. He just doesn't seem to be understanding. He seems nice enough at first but loses patience throughout the quarter. He will really like you if you do really well in philosophy, but if you are just there to fulfill a requirement, take someone else. His tests are all essays and you have to read the whole book, he also gives quizes every week. In other classes, the tests are multiple choice and you only read what you need to. Take your pick.

I love Dr. Hagan. He is the epitome of a good professor. Of course he'll joke around with you from time to time, he'll probably make fun of your shirt or something, but it's all in good fun. he's extremely smart, he's fair, the class is sooo interesting (i did fine, and i'm a bio major). need i say more?

Show up and listen and you will get an A. I did no reading and studied about 5 hours all quarter.

Chuck is a funny guy, really intertaining to anyone with a sense of humor. He demands students to participate, and to some this comes off as harrassment. He is a good teacher and if you go to class and participate you should definitely get an A or B.

chuck is a good teacher and a good guy. he has a sense of humor, but it was hard to make the most of at nine in the morning. if you don't go to class, he'll pick on you the next time you show up so if you skip make sure you know what's going on. there is some class discussion, but you mostly just need to listen to his opinion; if you give yours he'll usually just hack away at it until you can't remember the point you were originally trying to make. if you want an a, just covering the basics should get you by. take notes in class because that's what you'll use on the midterms and finals, which are all essays.

I loved his style... argumentative pontification. He really is a stickler for knowing the material and having your *own* opinion about it. Quoting someone elses analysis will get you nowhere, even worse when he gets a burr to very briskly cross examine. Make notes in the sides of the texts and highlight so you have easy references for discussion and the exams. The tests are very straight forward. Come to class, on time, everytime with the material read to avoid a sharp witted wrathful commentary for weeks afterward. I took advantage of his offer to review drafts of potential exam questions... this was VERY helpful in figuring out how many details are needed to hit the magic A (or B or whatever) mark. He's smart... and this seems to override his openly biased well educated opinions.

He can be a hard professor to get used to. He will crack jokes at other peoples' expense. He can by cynical and demeaning at times. However, he knows his shit. He can nearly quote any page of every book we read. He gives you a study guide, which has EVERY question that may appear on weekly quizes. Weekly quizzes consist of one relatively easy question to answer (short paragraph), and if you take a look at the study guide the night before, you won't be surprised. The midterms and finals all consist of two 25 minute essays (though the final you get all 3 hours). These can be difficult, but the questions are usualy fairly straightforward. He is also a very understanding guy. I slept through half of my first midterm, and as I walked into class with 20 min left, he tells me to come back during his next period, with no impact on my grade. Definitely a good prof.

This was definately not an enjoyable class but it was doable. It was at 8 AM 4 days a week so that could be why. Make sure you do the study questions because one of them will be on the weekly quiz. I did not read at all before class because I did not understand anything until he explained it. I basically studied the main concepts in my notes and did okay on the midterms. He does like to call on people and pick on some in class and that was not too much fun. He can be a little mean but I guess you just have to take it.

Ok - So Professor Hagen is an *incredible* instructor, but only because he really truly knows his sh*t, backwards and forwards. However! He also somehow believes that he is God's gift to education, taking full liberty to bag on you whenever given the slightest chance. Therefore, if you want to do well in this class, and experience the least amount of frustration, you should: 1) READ. Always READ. If not, at least really really study some Sparknotes. The more you understand the material, the more he eases up on you. 2) Stay on his good side, attend class, seem attentive, and what ever you do DON'T fall asleep. It's better that you just leave. 3) Grow a tough skin and quickly. While you can avoid some of his baggery, you can't avoid all of it. Don't let it get to you. I was really annoyed at first by how much of an asshole he can be, but by the end of the quarter the class all lightened up and would laugh at his jokes because you come to realize that he doesn't mean any of it in hostility, he's just very brash. It forces the class to toughen up and take responsibility, which is actually a pretty smart tactic. Otherwise, the class goes pretty smoothly and he's good at explaining topics. If you have an important question, make sure to ask, but be prepared for some flack. Hagen will give you study guides for the exams (previous exam questions) and there is a quiz every week. He's good about tying everything together, and is overall a wonderful professor.

Hagen is a JACKASS to say the least. He rats on every single person in the class and the things he says are so demeaning it is unbelievable. He flat out would call kids "idiots" in front of the entire class. If you for some reason are taking this class you HAVE TO READ - if you dont you are screwed and dont bet on reading spark notes because Hagen has memorized what spark notes says and will call you out if he knows a comment you made is from it. basically DONT TAKE HIM

this guy is hilarious, he bags on so many people, and mostly a few of the sames ones so either make sure your not one of those people or learn to take it haha. it is entertaining, the class itself is very hard. the books are sooo confusing so you have to read it like 3 times to even come close to understanding. good luck

The man is quite well versed in the philosophical topics that he speaks about, almost to an extent that is somewhat unsettling to most students. Get on his good side and ride the wave till the end of the quarter. He doesn't check attendance, but he definitely makes a note of the people who are truant, and this affects your grade at the end (I presume)

Chuck is the best. It is an awesome class. It was easy if you read half the material, as long as you kept your mouth shut if you didn't read, he was great. I loved his sense of humor, but it didn't interfere with class. He presented the material extremely well. BUT if you are in a frat or sorority, don't EVER wear your letters. He will rip on you the rest of the quarter! :)

Here's how to get by: Memorize every definition and argument as he says it in class. Regurgitate those on weekly quizzes and exams. Don't read the books: I did, and realized it wasn't necessary (besides for the first Plato quiz). If you really want to understand the books, i.e. the meaning of every sentence, it would take about 4 to 8 hours a day: I spent this long sometimes, and skimmed when I needed to sleep more than 2 hours at night. While it was interesting (although not quite worth the misery of lost sleep), it never helped on exams. Just go to lecture and spend your time memorizing the arguments and definitions he gives you. Don't make your own deductions or arguments - he'll grade you down: Just regurgitate.

He knows this stuff frontwards and backwards. Pay attention and don't let him catch you off guard. Don't wear letters, I didn't wear mine the entire quarter and definitely was never made fun of like this one chick in our class because she always wore letters.

Great Professor, intelligent man, very reasonable. I must say I was not a fan of Philosophy (in general) before I enrolled in 231. Hagen is a great lecturer, and he presents everything (even the incredibly bland stuff) in an interesting and cooperative way. Keeps the class on its toes w/ his humor! Hey may be a little hard to talk to during class, but he'll spend plenty of time with you to go over material during his office hours. Cal poly should keep him around as long as they can... I've only had one other philosophy teacher.... no comparison.

I had this teacher two years ago and I absolutely dreaded the class. Oddly enough, my entire view on Hagen changed when I took Greek Philosophy last quarter, it was by far my favorite class! The difference? I actually did the reading assignments and thus was prepared when he called on me at random times in class. I realized that the questions he asks in class were really simple if you actually do the reading. Now since I wasn't all tense and worried if he was gonna call on me, I was free to sit back and enjoy the class. His grading really is fair, the grades I got on my essays were probably higher than I should have received. There is a class attendence/participation grade, so you pretty much can get a whole bunch of points just by going to class. The bottom line is... if you're willing to do what you're supposed to (a bit of out of class reading, and coming to class every day) you stand a great chance of getting a good grade.

Take him for 311. I doubt there is any other philosophy prof at Cal Poly better suited for this class. He translated the text from Ancient Greek himself. Damn. He's a good teacher too. You have to pay attention though because he'll call on you, you can count on that.

This prof hasn't failed me and I think I'm getting a B in the class. I was excited to take this class, but now that it's almost over, I am really glad. I had heard good - no great things about Prof Hagen, but his mean spirited comments to some students and his condescending manner, which seems to border on white elitism have just ruined this experience for me. Dr. Hagen tries to pull off his comments in a joking manner, but there is this underlying meanness in his comments on almost every occasion . Yea, I'm not a fud (Ph.d.), but still it was hard to sit still when he'd decide to pick on someone. I didn't think older, more mature professors would be like this and I'm pretty bumbed. His attitude really ruined the class for me and I began to dread going. The class itself is pretty easy. He dumbs down everything b/c he thinks we can't get it. I've had this experience with another professor and I'm really disappointed that this attitude is allowed at Cal Poly.

Very interesting lectures and class. Objectives are clear and up front. Gives back lots of feedback on reports and help prior to the due date. Overall very interesting.

I can easily say he is one of the best teahcers I have had at Cal Poly, if you have the opportunity to take a class with him, do it.

Professor Hagen is one of the best professors at Cal Poly, in my opinion. He really knows his material and presents it to the class in interesting lectures. He also brings fun to the environment by making small jokes and analogies that everyone can relate to. The only downside I can say about him is that sometimes he's a little overly sarcastic and tends to pick on certain people, but not in a mean way. Other than that I loved the class. He emphasizes class participation a lot so I recommend you go to class everyday. Sometimes he'll call on people to answer questions and if you can answer them right, he'll like you even more. Reading the text will help you for your tests too. He likes it when people put their personal interpretations into the essay tests and adding quotes is a major plus. Overall, he's very understanding and as long as you don't stay a stranger to him the whole quarter, you will be on his good side.

I'll keep this brief. Brief readings that are largely narrative on Pre-Socratic philosophers, followed by selections from Socrates/Plato, and Aristotle. Midterm, Final, and a Final Paper. Both the tests are essay format and take quite a while to finish. He gives a study guide, but it's only a sample of what may be on the test so make sure you read. Hagen is dry, mildly insulting, not great with jokes, and overall not that great of a teacher. He is best when breaking down the arguments, but most of the time he goes off on etymology, geography, or something else random. Not an unbearable class, but Hagen reaffirms my negative perspective of the Philosophy Department. Expect to be called on in class.

I was really looking forward to this course. I took it as an elective, and I am regretting every minute of it. It's not a HARD class, in fact it's pretty easy if you just pay attention in class...memorize a couple fragments to put into your essay arguments for the tests. However moderate the workload might seem, dragging my ass to class was the most difficult. It's almost impossible to sit through two hours of this guy completely dumbing down the arguments of the philosophers because he thinks his students do not understand. He makes condescending (subtly) jokes to try to get his students to "relate" to the material but really everyone just grinds their teeth. He went on for ten minutes about surfers one day...If it's required, muscle through it. If it's not, try to take something more fun.

Probably the closest person to legitimately being dubbed "genius" I have ever met. Not only is he amazingly intelligent, he is freaking hilarious. Prior to Medieval Philosophy (which is far from a naturally humorous subject matter), I have never cried from laughter in class - at least not because of the professor anyway. Basically he seems to know everything - from how many miles it is to the nearest off-ramp named after an ancient philosopher to the latest fads in teendome and the media. Oh yeah, he is also a very fair grader, almost too much so. So if your looking for an incredibly smart, funny, approachable, and fair professor who makes otherwise dry material come to life (and who isn't), well... take Professor Hagen.

As someone mentioned, Prof. Hagen is pretty much a genius. He's also a great teacher. Not only did I have a great time taking MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY (I emphasize that because it may be the only time you'll see 'great time' and 'medieval philosophy' in the same sentence), but I learned a lot about the philosophers and the times they lived in, as well as a few interesting bits of trivia that a guy like me finds amusing. Oh, yeah, and I thought it was funny that someone mentioned that he resembles Ben Stein, I realized the same thing a few weeks into the class. But it's a good thing.

Some may say that "Hagen makes the weaker argument defeat the stronger," but, I don't think that is true. :) Seriously though, Hagen is probably a certified genius, very smart man. But on the other side, he is not as gifted in teaching. In my opinion, he has difficulty meeting students where they're at. But, I guess that doens't matter much for those of you who have to take Greek, because he seems to be the only prof. I reccomend keeping up with the reading if you can. Otherwise you are in for an all-nighter or three. Also, there is no guarantee his sample test questions will be the ones on the test. So don't bank on that! study study study.

I have had this teacher 3 times over 5 years. I would say that Hagan is most likely the smartest man I have ever met. I don't think that he liked me very much but would have to say his grading was always fair. His test are somewhat demanding. Don't expect to do well if you fail to come to class and skip reading.

Professor Hagen is one of the greatest professors I've ever had. His lectures were very organized and informative and he knows the material (Medieval Philosophy) so well he rarely looked at his notes. He calls on people at random to answer questions about the readings, thereby forcing people to keep up. He also had the duty of teaching a little Plato and Aristotle since one could not understand the Medievals without basic knowledge of them. Some of had Greek Philosophy in the Fall from a less talented (actually not talented) professor and clarified many misconceptions she left behind. He is an asset to Cal Poly.

"Chuck" is a very interesting person. I like how he teased people in class. His teasing seemed to be condescending at first, but, when you stopped to ponder why he engaged in it, you realize he was being like the commedian Andy Kaufman in that he encouraged students not to take themselves so seriously. He was a generous grader, though I think he was so because he appreciated students who put forethought and diligence into the term paper and exams. I recommend him because of the affection he genuinely has toward young adults, which makes taking his classes a pleasant experience, as well as an educational one.

i have taken Dr. Hagen for three different philosophy courses in the past two years. Each course was highlighted by Hagen's strong command of the the subject he teaches coupled with a classroom presence that seeks to have everyone keep up with the assigned readings and make an attempt to understand the material. All in all, i find his teaching style very tactful and in many ways unique (He asks students at random questions relevant to the readings and lecture in which his wit and fire for the subject are revealed). His greatest attribute as a teacher is his ability to break down often difficult philosophical language into manageable, chewable, and colloquial language. This demonstrates at once his mastery of the material, his ability to articulate the material, and his ability to gauge the understanding of his students. Great teacher, if you can take him, it will be to your advantage. A+. (Written only for those who take their education seriously and want to learn!)