Steve Nathanson is a Philosophy professor at Northeastern University rated 3.3/5 by 26 students, with 4.0/5 difficulty (TRACE + RateMyProfessors + Reddit, updated July 2026).
Steve Nathanson professor reviews and ratings: 3.3/5 from 26 student reviews at Northeastern. TRACE + RateMyProfessor + Reddit.
I can't even begin to express my frustration with this class. Brought my grade down. Professor doesn't want to hear anything other than what he thinks. All other opinions dismissed or else "no, you're wrong." Office hours were useless. Lectures go off on tangents and never relate to the course. Don't reccommendHONR1209 2014-04-16 14:58:20 +0000 UTC
Nathanson is a great guy! He is always willing to help. His classes are graded mostly from papers, and he tells you exactly what he is expecting from those papers. If you are good at putting into writing exactly what he says on his lectures, you'll be fine!HONR1204 2013-04-30 00:09:16 +0000 UTC
He is beyond "a bit opinionated". He seems reasonable, but he has his own ideas and I doubt he can even imagine that his opinions are wrong. It is true that those who agree with him are rewared; the others taken down. The readings for this course were great. The classes varied: Some good discussions; other discussions cut off too soon.HNRS1204 2012-05-04 12:07:47 +0000 UTC
Nathanson is well-prepared, organized and a nice person. He is not a dynamic teacher, but a good one. His grading is tough but his comments are fair. One complaint: he doesn't always understand some of the best student questions and comments. I'm not sure why. He's very smart and understands different theories. Still, he needs to be more flexible.PHL2304 2009-12-14 23:14:28 +0000 UTC
He did a decent job teaching this course, not great tho. He obviously knows a lot about the subject, but it seems that he has a strict agenda for each class and doesn't seem to like answering questions that don't directly follow along with what he plans on talking about. I don't highly recommend this class, but take it if you must.PHIL2304 2009-12-14 18:40:29 +0000 UTC
He is a tough grader, as others have said, but he intends only to improve your writing, which is commendable. My problem with the professor is how he approaches philosophy like a math equation, and lectures as such. There is NO valuable discussion in the course, just mindless rambling. The same topics will be endlessly recounted in a sterile mannerPHLU102 2008-11-03 11:07:42 +0000 UTC
Do Not Take. One of the hardest graders I have ever had. Boring . Zero discussion straight lecturePHL102 2008-04-22 11:11:16 +0000 UTC
Professor Nathanson is a great professor, & a great guy. I will agree his papers are hard a, but if you go to class you will be fine. He wants you to ask for help, & he helps you to the best of his ability. I highly suggest taking the class, and don't give up. The book is NECESSARY, it gives you examples of what he expects. Good issues though!PHLU205 2008-03-02 05:55:17 +0000 UTC
I'm surprised that students find Prof Nathanson a difficult grader. He tells you EXACTLY what he expects you to do on his papers! He is not an entertaining lecturer, but his presentations are very clear and well-prepared. It mystifies me that some students find him boring. My one reservation is that he does not always understand in-class questions.PHLU140 2007-06-29 15:05:24 +0000 UTC
expectations are way to high. Extremly boring and intimidating. Only papers, no exams but very hard grader. Classes make you want to die.PHL435 2006-04-19 16:42:20 +0000 UTC
SO boring! I could not keep my eyes open for more than 5 minutes. All he does is talk and rarely leaves room for class discussion. I mean if you wanna sit there and listen to him talk about Socrates for an hour go for it.PHLU101HONORS 2005-12-07 15:24:57 +0000 UTC
Excellent at letting the class guide itself with very little if any intervention except to keep some students on track. Expectations are high, but if your willing to put forth a good deal of effort, you can get quite a bit out of this class in return. Brushed over pacifism, but still an excellent look at the other side of the coin.PHLWARPEACE 2005-08-01 16:02:45 +0000 UTC
Nathanson is very kind. Put the effort to know our names. Quickly answered emails. Class subject was very interesting. Always open, asked for questions and moderated class discussion well. Tough grader, but not overly so. Challenging but if you put in the work you'll get the grade. Very nice guy.MORALPHILOSOPH 2005-04-07 11:52:56 +0000 UTC
Firstly, he deserted talks on pacifism as ludicrous the 1st day. Then he used his magical voice to put even a chainsmoking, coffee drinker into a coma in 2 mins. Sharp enough a guy, I guess, but a ****. Claimed to me he has never seen anyone sleep as much in class in his life (and he is REAL old!)WARPEACE 2004-12-11 10:57:56 +0000 UTC
he is so helpful and so nice. He goes out of his way to make sure you understand the material if you're feeling lost. Just a genuinly good guy.PHL 2004-11-28 23:26:08 +0000 UTC
Steve Nathanson has an average rating of 3.3/5 from 26 student reviews.
Steve Nathanson's classes have a difficulty rating of 4.0/5 based on student reviews.
Data updated July 2026.