Philosophy of Language (353-0-20)

Instructors

Peter van Elswyk

Meeting Info

Parkes Hall 222: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This course will provide an advanced introduction to the semantics and pragmatics of natural language. We will focus on how to properly analyze context-sensitive expressions (e.g. pronouns, descriptions, demonstratives), how a discourse is structured, the varieties of content that a sentence can convey (e.g. at-issue content, presuppositions, expressive content, conventional implicatures), and end the quarter by reading recent work on a topic to be decided upon by the students (e.g. slurs, dogwhistles, metaphor, tense). Our approach will be both interdisciplinary at times by reading important work in linguistics, and historical at times by reading influential philosophical work from early in the 20th century.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students can expect to better understand: the way the meaning of a sentence depends on context, why sentences communicate multiple units of information, how sentences change and are changed by where they occur in a conversation, and possess the skills to analyze other linguistic phenomena with the analytic tools acquired.

Class Materials (Required)

n/a

Class Notes

Final Paper.

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration restricted to Undergraduate students only