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24.251

Introduction to Philosophy of Language

3-0-9 units. HASS-H · Undergraduate

Examines views on the nature of meaning, reference, and truth, and their bearing on the use of language in communication. No knowledge of logic or linguistics presupposed. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication provided. Enrollment may be limited; preference to Course 24 majors and minors.

Fall 2011

This course explores the nature of meaning and truth, and their bearing on the use of language in communication. No knowledge of logic or linguistics is presupposed.

Readings

  • [Lycan] = Lycan, William G. Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy) . 2nd ed. Routledge, 2008. ISBN: 9780415957526.
    Listed reading
  • [Martinich] = Martinich, Aloysius P., ed. The Philosophy of Language . 5th ed. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780195188301.
    Listed reading
  • LEC #: 1 · TOPICS: Introduction · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • “Introduction.” Chapter 1 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Frege, Gottlob. “On Sense and Nominatum.” Chapter 14 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • “Definite Descriptions.” Chapter 2 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Russell, Bertrand. “On Denoting.” Chapter 15 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • “Proper Names, The Description Theory.” Chapter 3 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Russell, Bertrand. “Descriptions.” Chapter 16 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • “Proper Names, Direct Reference.” Chapter 4 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Kripke, Saul. “Naming and Necessity.” Chapter 21 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • “Traditional Theories of Meaning.” Chapter 5 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Frege, Gottlob. “The Thought: A Logical Inquiry.” Chapter 1 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • “Verificationism.” Chapter 8 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Hempel, Carl G. “Empiricist Criteria of Cognitive Significance.” Chapter 2 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • Quine, W. V. “Two Dogmas of Empiricism.” Chapter 3 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • “Psychological Theories.” Chapter 7 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Grice, H. P. “Meaning.” Chapter 6 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • “Truth-conditional Theories.” Chapters 9 and 10 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Davidson, Donald. “Truth and Meaning.” Chapter 7 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • Lewis, David. “Languages and Language.” Chapter 45 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • “Semantic Pragmatics.” Chapter 11 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Kaplan, David. “Dthat.” Chapter 25 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • Kaplan, David. “On the Logic of Demonstratives.” Chapter 26 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • Perry, John. “The Problem of the Essential Indexical.” Chapter 27 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • LEC #: 12 · TOPICS: The Kripkenstein paradox · READINGS: Kripke, Saul. “On Rules and Private Language.” Chapter 43 in [Martinich].
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 13 · TOPICS: Naturalistic reduction · READINGS: Millikan, Ruth Garrett. “Truth Rules, Hoverflies, and the Kripke-Wittgenstein Paradox.” Chapter 44 in [Martinich].
    Reading assignment
  • “Speech Acts and Illocutionary Force.” Chapter 12 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Austin, J. L. “Performative Utterances.” Chapter 8 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • Searle, John R. “The Structure of Illocutionary Acts.” Chapter 9 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • ———. “A Taxonomy of Illocutionary Acts.” Chapter 10 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • Stalnaker, Robert. “ Presuppositions .” Journal of Philosophical Logic 2, no. 4 (1973): 447–57. ↗
    Listed reading
  • Fintel, Kai von. “Would You Believe It? The King of France is Back! (Presuppositions and Truth-Value Intuitions).” In Descriptions and Beyond . Edited by Marga Reimer and Anne Bezuidenhout. Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 315–41. ISBN: 9780199270521. [Preview with Google Books ] ↗
    Listed reading
  • Stalnaker, Robert. “Assertion.” Chapter 13 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • Yablo, Stephen. “Non-Catastrophic Presupposition Failure.” In Content and Modality: Themes From The Philosophy of Robert Stalnaker . Edited by Judith Thomson and Alex Byrne. Oxford University Press, 2006, pp. 164–90. ISBN: 9780199282807.
    Listed reading
  • “Implicative Relations.” Chapter 13 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Grice, H. P. “Logic and Conversation.” Chapter 11 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • Crimmins, Mark, and John Perry. “ The Prince and the Phone Booth: Reporting Puzzling Beliefs .” The Journal of Philosophy 86, no. 12 (1989): 685–711. ↗
    Listed reading
  • Saul, Jennifer M. “ Substitution and Simple Sentences .” Analysis 57, no. 2 (1997): 102–8. ↗
    Listed reading
  • Braun, David. “ Understanding Belief Reports .” The Philosophical Review 107, no. 4 (1998): 555–95. ↗
    Listed reading
  • Salmon, Nathan. “ How to Become a Millian Heir .” Noûs 23, no. 2 (1989): 211–20. ↗
    Listed reading
  • LEC #: 21 · TOPICS: Attitudes, the pragmatic theory · READINGS: Stalnaker, Robert. “Semantics for Belief.” Chapter 33 in [Martinich].
    Reading assignment
  • “Metaphor.” Chapter 14 in [Lycan].
    Listed reading
  • Davidson, Donald. “What Metaphors Mean.” Chapter 34 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • LEC #: 23 · TOPICS: Making believe · READINGS: Walton, Kendall. “ Metaphor and Prop Oriented Make-Believe .” European Journal of Philosophy 1, no. 1 (1993): 39–57. ↗
    Reading assignment
  • LEC #: 24 · TOPICS: Semantic pretense and attitude ascriptions · READINGS: Crimmins, Mark. “Hesperus and Phosphorous: Sense, Pretense, and Reference.” Chapter 36 in [Martinich].
    Reading assignment
  • Kroon, Frederick. “Descriptivism, Pretense, and the Frege-Russell Problems.” Chapter 37 in [Martinich].
    Listed reading
  • Walton, Kendall. “Existence As Metaphor?” In Empty Names, Fiction, and the Puzzles of Non-existence . Edited by Anthony Everett and Thomas Hofweber. CLSI Publications, 2000, pp. 69–94. ISBN: 9781575862538.
    Listed reading
  • LEC #: 26 · TOPICS: Humpty Dumpty, malaprop, etc. · READINGS: Davidson, Donald. “A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs.” Chapter 40 in [Martinich].
    Reading assignment
  • Lycan, William G. Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy) . 2nd ed. Routledge, 2008. ISBN: 9780415957526.
    Listed reading
  • Martinich, Aloysius P., ed. The Philosophy of Language . 5th ed. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780195188301.
    Listed reading

Prerequisites & course information

Prereq: One philosophy subject U (Fall) 3-0-9 units. HASS-H

Sources