Philosophy of Language

4–5 credits · Undergraduate

Introduction to contemporary analytic philosophy of language, examining some of its central concepts, including reference, meaning, and context. Students explore these concepts, by studying some of the major questions in the field, including: How do expressions esp. names secure their referents? What are the connections and differences between literal meaning and speaker meaning? What is the role of context in language? How philosophy of language impacts other areas in philosophy, by covering such topics as Meaning Externalism (metaphysics), Contextualism about 'know' (epistemology), and Propositional Attitudes (philosophy of mind).