Problems of Contemporary Philosophy of Language
aaltinors@gsu.edu.tr
Content
Objective
An examination of the nature and structure of language and of contemporary philosophical problems arising in connection with it. Topics covered will include meaning, reference, speech acts and relevant issues of contemporary descriptive linguistics.
Course Content
Conceptions of language from Frege to Chomsky.
Course Learning Outcomes
1.Knowledge on the scope of meaning and reference problem.
2.Information concerning essential conceptions in contemporary philosophy of language.
Teaching and Learning Methods
Face-to-face
References
Jean-Gérard Rossi: Philosophie analytique.
Bertrand Russell, Signification et Vérité.
Gottlob Frege, "Fonction et concept".
Alfred Ayer, Langage, vérité et logique.
Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus logico-philosophicus.
________________, Investigations philosophiques.
John L. Austin, Quand dire, c'est faire.
John R. Searle, Les actes du langage.
___________, Construction de la réalité sociale.
Noam Chomsky, Le Langage et l'esprit.
Weekly Contents
| Week | Weekly Contents |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to contemporary philosophy of language |
| 2 | Rise of the analytical philosophy |
| 3 | Frege: fonction and concept |
| 4 | Russell: definite descriptions |
| 5 | Ayer: logical positivism |
| 6 | Theory of meaning in the early Wittgenstein |
| 7 | The language games in the later Wittgenstein |
| 8 | Austin and the rise of pragmatics |
| 9 | Searle: speech acts |
| 10 | The fonction of language in the construction of social reality in Searle |
| 11 | behaviorist teories of language |
| 12 | The new cartesian theory of language: Chomsky |
| 13 | Nativist thesis of Pinker |
| 14 | final reflections |
Assessment System
| Activities | Number | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution of in-term studies to overall grade | 1 | 50 |
| Contribution of final exam to overall grade | 1 | 50 |
| Total | 2 | 100 |
| Activities | Number | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation | 1 | 50 |
| Total | 1 | 50 |
ECTS
| Activities | Number | Period | Total Workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class Hours | 14 | 3 | 42 |
| Working Hours out of Class | 14 | 3 | 42 |
| Presentation | 1 | 24 | 24 |
| Final Examinations (including preparation) | 1 | 20 | 20 |
| Reports | 1 | 48 | 48 |
| Other | 1 | 24 | 24 |
| Total Workload | 200 | ||
| Total Workload / 25 | 8.00 | ||
| Credits ECTS | 8 | ||