syllabus

Phil/Ling 375: Meaning and Mind

Fall 2014

Class meeting time: M W 4:00 – 5:15 PM Instructor: Dr. JeeLoo Liu

Class location: Hum-228 Office location: H-311(I)

Telephone: (657) 278-7560 (email preferred) Office hours: M W 11:00-11:30 am

E-mail: jeelooliu@fullerton.edu M W 2:30—3:30 pm

or by appointment

Required Texts:

1. A.P. Martinich (Ed.) Philosophy of Language (fifth edition) Oxford University Press. 2012. 5^th edition.

2. Saul Kriple. Naming and Necessity. Harvard University Press (New edition), 1980.

Recommened Text:

3. Steven Pinker. The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language. Harper Perennial Modern Classics.

Catalogue Description:

Prerequisites: six units of philosophy, six units of linguistics or three units of each. This course covers philosophical issues about language and mind, including topics such as meaning, reference, truth, speech act and belief. (Same as Ling 375).

Course Description: What is meaning? What is the nature of language? How does one’s speech convey what one means with one’s words? What is the relationship between language and mind? How is linguistic communication possible? This course serves as an introduction to philosophy of language, with the focus on the interplay between meaning and mind. What one thinks or says has a lot to do with one’s understanding of the meaning of words as well as the sociolinguistic conventions governing the usage of such words. We will explore a host of issues related to meaning and mind, such as the nature of language, the meaning of meaning, speech and communication, interpretation and belief report, naming and reference, etc. Students are expected to do all readings thoroughly and write homework assignments. Class participation is strongly emphasized.

Course Objectives

(1) to introduce students to the main topics and theories in 20th century Anglo-American philosophy of language;

(2) to develop a theory of linguistic communication;

(3) to teach students some important philosophical techniques of argumentation; and

(4) to improve each individual student’s ability to read critically and to write clearly and precisely.

Student Learning Goals:

G1.Students will demonstrate general understanding of several key issues in contemporary philosophy of language and possess adequate knowledge of current philosophical discussions on such issues that concerns the connections between the content of our thoughts and the sociolinguistic community that surrounds us.

G2. Students will master the skills to write a philosophy paper that includes critical reasoning, sustained argumentation, and insight. Students will also learn the basics of doing research in philosophy.

G3. Students will demonstrate the ability to organize and present course materials in class. This training can enhance their ability to teach or orally communicate ideas in public.

G4. Students will improve their critical reading skills and be able to analyze and critique difficult analytic philosophical articles on their own.