Philosophy: Philosophy of Language

Exploration of central problems concerning the nature of language and linguistic representation. PHIL 1400 recommended. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy.

Prerequisite: one course in Philosophy PACE students with permission and override

http://www.uvm.edu/~lderosse/courses/lang/

Philosophical reflection since Plato has often turned on theses concerning the language in which philosophical questions and claims are couched. The Twentieth and early Twenty-First centuries have seen a flowering of philosophical thinking about language. This course makes a quick tour through contemporary philosophy of language by examining in detail some of its central documents. We will be dealing with four central questions: * The referential bond: In virtue of what does a particular word or phrase refer to a particular thing? * Information value: In virtue of what does a particular word or phrase carry the information that it does? * Speech acts: What is the nature of the acts we perform when we use language? * Semantics and pragmatics: What is the relation between what a word or phrase means and what we use it to do?

Students are expected to attend all classes, to participate in classroom discussions, and to complete all written assignments. From time to time I may assign quizzes or homework assignments.

Course grades will be determined by summing using the following weights: attendance, quizzes, homework, and participation: 20% midterm: 20% first paper: 15% second paper: 15% final: 30%