Class Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-2.30pm
Instructor: Gillian Russell
Location: Earth and Planetary Sciences 203
My office: 209 Wilson Hall
Office hours: Thursdays 3-4pm or by appointment
Email: grussell - at - wustl - dot - edu
E-reserves site for this course: http://eres.wustl.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=2432
Course Website: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~grussell/Phil306S08.html
This is an upper-level undergraduate course in the philosophy of language. We will focus on four main topics: (1) descriptions, (2) names and semantic externalism, (3) truth and meaning (4) realism about meaning. Our subject is heavily influenced by work in logic, and to an increasing extent, by the work of theoretical linguists, and as a result previous courses in these areas may help you, though they are not required.
One of the more difficult aspects of the course will be the reading, which consists largely in longish, original articles written as research papers for other philosophers (rather than as introductory texts aimed at students.) I recommend that you take a look at Jim Pryor's article "How to read a philosophy paper" - he gives some good advice on approaching this kind of reading.
Many of the readings for the course can be found in the course reader: Readings in The Philosophy of Language, edited by Peter Ludlow. Some of the assigned readings for the course will not be in this collection, but those will be posted on the e-res site for the course (linked above).
Readings marked with an '(L)' can be found in Ludlow's Readings in the Philosophy of Language. Readings listed under a class are the assigned reading for that class. If you're writing one of the longer papers on a topic you might like to have a look at any additional reading that has been recommended.
Introduction to the subject. No preassigned reading.
The semantic/pragmatic distinction.
Reading: "Logic and Conversation " - H.P. Grice (on e-res)
Frege's philosophy of language.
Reading:"The Thought: A Logical Inquiry " - Gottlob Frege (L)
Frege's puzzle
Reading: "On Sense and Reference" - Gottlob Frege (L)
Additional recommended reading:
"Propositions" by Richard Cartwright
chapter 1 of Understanding Truth by Scott Soames
The Language Instinct by Stephen Pinker
Russell's Theory of Descriptions
Reading: "On Denoting", Betrand Russell, available through J-stor: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0026-4423%28190510%292%3A14%3A56%3C479%3AOD%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
Additional Recommended Reading: "Descriptions" - Bertrand Russell (L), "On What There Is" - W.V.O. Quine
Strawson's Response to Russell
Reading: "On Referring" - Peter Strawson (L)
The Referential/Attributive Distinction:
Reading: "Reference and Definite Descriptions" - Keith Donnellan (L)
Pragmatic approaches to the referential/attributuve distinction:
Reading: "Speaker's Reference and Semantic Reference" - Saul Kripke (L)
"Context and Communication" - Stephen Neale
"Referential and Quantificational Indefinites" - Janet Dean Fodor and Ivan A. Saag
Descriptivism and the Modal Argument:
Optional Recommended Reading: Lecture 1 of Naming and Necessity - Saul Kripke
The Causal Theory of Reference:
Reading: Lecture 2 of Naming and Necessity - Saul Kripke (L)
Responses to the Causal Theory:
Reading: "The Causal Theory of Names" - Gareth Evans (L)
Challenging Frege:
Reading: "Meaning and Reference" - Hilary Putnam (on J-stor: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-362X%2819731108%2970%3A19%3C699%3AMAR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-1)
Verificationism:
Reading: Selected readings from Langauge, Truth and Logic - Alfred J. Ayer (on e-res)
Problems for Verificationism (I):
Reading: "Empiricist Criteria of Cognitive Significance: Problems and Changes" - Carl G. Hempel (on e-res)
Spring Break
Spring Break
Problems for Verificationism (II):
Reading: "Two Dogmas of Empiricism" - W.V.O. Quine (on J-stor: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0031-8108%28195101%2960%3A1%3C20%3AMTIRPT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P)
Tarski on truth:
Reading: "The Semantic Conception of Truth and the Foundations of Semantics" - Alfred Tarski (on J-stor: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0031-8205%28194403%294%3A3%3C341%3ATSCOTA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-F)
"Truth and Meaning" - Donald Davidson (L)
"Theories of Truth as Theories of Meaning" - chapter 12 of volume 2 of Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century by Scott Soames (on e-res)
"Meaning and Synonymy in Natural Language" - Rudolf Carnap (on e-res)
"Direct Reference, Propositional Attitudes, and Semantic Content" - Scott Soames (L)
"Translation and Meaning" - W.V.O. Quine (L)
"Radical Translation" - Donald Davidson (L)
Selections from Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language by Saul Kripke (on e-res)
No class.
Selections from Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language by Saul Kripke (on e-res)
Discussion - no extra reading
Recommended extra readings:
"The Death of Meaning" - Gilbert Harman,
"The Rule-Following Considerations'' - Paul Boghossian,
"Skepticism about Meaning: Indeterminacy, Normativity and the Rule-Following Paradox'' - Scott Soames
Assessment is by way of five papers. The first 3 papers are each worth 10% and will be 400 words maximum. I will be saying a lot more about what I expect from these short papers in class. The second paper will be 5 pages long and contributes 25% to the final grade, and the final paper will be 12 - 15 pages long and worth 45% of your final grade. I will be providing topics for the 4th and 5th papers, but you can also use your own topic. If you'd like to do this I strongly recommend discussing it with me first (you might either come to my office hours, or send me an outline by email.) There is no exam for this course.
I prefer papers to be double-spaced, and for each page to be marked with your name and page numbers. Please clip the pages together with a paper clip rather than a staple. Papers can be turned in by placing them in the appropriate drawer in the "turn in" filing cabinet in the philosophy department by 3.30pm on the day on which they are due. (The office closes at 4pm and we try to discourage students from knocking on the door at 4pm when the staff are trying to go home.)
Any cases of suspected plagiarism, or other problems with academic integrity, will be reported to the Dean in his role as head of the academic integrity committee.
Students taking the course pass/fail will need an overall grade of C- for a pass.