The Nature of Meaning
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| PHIL2004 | Philosophy | 2 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- PHIL2004
- School
- Philosophy
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
The module may include an initial section on some fundamental ideas in linguistics on language acquisition and animal language for then moving on to an exploration of various theories of reference and meaning, paying particular attention to the classic theories of singular terms (including Frege, Russell, and Kripke). Topics covered may include Davidson’s truth-conditional theory of meaning and the indeterminacy of translation as well. We then turn our attention to pragmatics, and we cover Grice's theory of implicature and Austins theory of speech acts, with references to Searle. In the final part of this module, we may assess various problems in philosophy of language and logic, primarily having to do with the interactions between semantics and pragmatics and the notions of lying and misleading.
Target Students
Second year single honours and joint honours Philosophy students and exchange students. Also available to second year Liberal Arts students who have either done PHIL1012 or PHIL1013; or are doing PHIL1012 or PHIL1013 (co-requisite). Also available to single honours Philosophy and joint honours Music and Philosophy students in their final year taking 20 credits of Level 2 modules.
Co-requisites
Modules you must take in the same academic year, or have taken in a previous year, to enrol in this module:
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Other Activity Information Total contact time 34 hours, plus activities scheduled during Directed Studies week
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: 2000 word essay
- 50% Coursework 2: 2000 word essay
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
The module aims to provide an examination of philosophical thinking about the nature of meaning.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
- Students should have a critical appreciation of the theories of naming put forward by Frege, Russell and Kripke.
- Students should have a critical appreciation of the issues related to study of language, which may include language acquisition, animal language, translation, lying and misleading.
- Students should have a critical appreciation of different positions in pragmatics, and of their role in the solution of the central problems in the
Skills
- Students should be able to reason, philosophically, to a well thought-out position on various topics in the philosophy of language.
- Students should be able to develop their own views, systematically, drawing upon the sources on which the module focuses.
- Students should be able to express themselves clearly and precisely, both in writing and in seminar discussions.
Understanding
- Students should have a critical understanding of the relationship between descriptions and names.
- Students should understand the problems associated with the divide between semantics and pragmatics, as well as the consequences of this for a theory of meaning.
- Students should understand how to approach different issues relating to language and meaning, which may include language acquisition, animal language, translation, lying and misleading.