Course syllabus

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The aim of this course is to introduce students to some central areas of contemporary philosophy by focusing on questions about the relationship between language, meaning, and reality.  Topics to be discussed include the following:

  1. Meinongianism and non-existence. 
  2. Frege’s sense/reference distinction, and the rise of analytic philosophy. 
  3. John Stuart Mill’s view of proper names as lacking connotation. 
  4. Russell’s theory of descriptions, and the view that ordinary names are just disguised descriptions.   
  5. Meinong, Frege and Russell on the meaning of existence claims. This part of the course looks critically at the very different ways in which these philosophers solved the puzzle of how we can meaningfully talk about what doesn’t exist.
  6. Descriptivism (the Frege-Russell view that names have a descriptive content) and its critics, especially Keith Donnellan and Saul Kripke.
  7. Kripke on naming and necessity.  This part of the course considers Saul Kripke’s broader philosophical framework, including his account of the necessary a posteriori and contingent a priori.
  8. Putnam attack on the view that ‘meanings are in the head’.  
  9. W. V. O. Quine on the “web of belief” and the indeterminacy of translation and meaning.

 

Lecturer:     Professor Fred Kroon (Course Coordinator)
Room 443, Arts 1; Ph. 87609 [DDI: 923 7609]
f.kroon@auckland.ac.nz 

Office hour:  Thursday 12-1pm 

Lectures:  Tue 11am-1pm    Fale Pasifika room 104 (273-104)
Thursday 11am-12pm           Arts 1, room 217

Class Rep:  Alex Smith, alexbsmith@gmail.com

 

 

Text: P. Martinich and David Sosa [ed.] (2012): Philosophy of Language (6th edition), Oxford: Oxford University Press. (The main articles and chapters used in the course will also be placed on Talis.)

 

Assessment, Assignments, Final Examination

Your assessment will be determined as follows:        

Coursework consists of one 3,000 word essay.  There will also be a 3-hour exam.  Your overall mark will be 40% of your essay mark and 60% of your exam mark.

The Essay due date is 9 May, 2017.    

Where an essay is handed in late without a suitable medical certificate or an extension, the normal penalties will be applied.  In such a case, an essay handed within one week after the due date is penalised by one-third of a letter grade (e.g., from B+ to B, or from B- to C+, etc.).  An essay handed between one and two weeks after the due date is penalized at twice this rate.  No essays will be accepted more than two weeks after the due date. 

 

Useful Works of Reference:

 Michael Devitt and Kim Sterelny (1999): Language and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language (2nd ed.), Oxford: Blackwells.

Bob Hale and Crispin Wright (1997): A Companion to the Philosophy of Language, Oxford: Blackwells.

Ernest Lepore and Barry Smith (2006): The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Language, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

William G. Lycan (2000): Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction, London: Routledge.Alex Miller (2007):

Alex Miller (2007): Philosophy of Language (2nd edition), London: UCL Press.Michael Morris (2007): An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Michael Morris (2007): An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Scott Soames (2003): Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century: Volume 1: The Dawn of Analysis, Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Scott Soames (2009): Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century: Volume 2: The Age of Meaning, Princeton: Princeton University Press.

 

Note also the following more general works of reference:

Audi, Robert (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy.

Blackburn, Simon, The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy.

Craig, William (ed.), The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy

And on the Internet:

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy                http://plato.stanford.edu

The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy    (accessible from LEARN)

The Metaphysics Research Lab                      http://mally.stanford.edu

The internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy           http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/

References for more targeted readings will be included in the notes for the various topics (all to be placed on CANVAS).

 

Expectations of Students

This course requires an average of at least ten hours’ work per week in terms of lecture attendance, tutorial attendance, and reading.  As in the case of most works of philosophy, you should expect to have to re-read assigned articles a number of times before you understand the main point and arguments.  Note that you can’t afford to leave your reading of assigned articles until later in the semester: what is done later in the semester requires an understanding of work covered earlier, and this will be the pattern assumed both in lectures and in tutorials. 

 

Grade descriptors for Philosophy

A+, A, A-  Work of high to exceptionally high quality showing excellent knowledge and understanding of subject matter and appreciation of issues; displays very good understanding of major views and positions from the literature and their interrelations; engages critically with material and presents well formulated arguments based on sustained cogent reasoning and appropriate evidence; represents accurately views of others being criticised or endorsed; relevant literature referenced; high level of critical thinking, independent thinking and originality; excellent communication and presentation skills.

B+, B, B-  Work showing good to strong grasp of subject matter and understanding of major issues though not necessarily of the finer points; displays understanding of the process of argumentation and critical discussion, though may lack depth in development of arguments; reasonable grasp of material in the literature and generally represents views fairly; arguments clearly developed and supported by reasons and evidence; relevant literature referenced; good critical thinking and some evidence of independent thinking; good communication and presentation skills.

C+, C, C-  Work showing a knowledge of subject matter and appreciation of main issues though possibly with some lapses and inadequacies; engaging in argument but may be flawed or unclear; creative ability, originality and critical thinking present but limited; adequate communication and presentation skills.

D+, D  Work lacking breadth and depth.  Work generally has gaps. Frequently work of this grade takes a simple factual approach and understanding and coverage of material is inadequate; lacks critical engagement with material; poor presentation and understanding of literature; at the lower end, indicates a need for considerable effort to achieve improvement; communication and presentation skills are poor. 

D-  Highly unsatisfactory.  Work shows a lack of knowledge about and understanding of the topic.  Inadequate in degree of relevance, sometimes completeness, sometimes both. Communication and presentation skills are weak.

 

 

 

Course summary:

Date Details Due