PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
(PHIL 425, Sec. 1001)
    Reading Assignments

    (Readings from the Stainton anthology, Perspectives in the Philosophy of Language, are listed by article author, title, followed by "PPL" and either chapter number or "pp." followed by page numbers, inside parentheses. Readings from the Kemp textbook are listed by his name and chapter number. Online readings are listed by author and title and labled "online".)

  • For Jan. 24: Read Chapter 5 from Thomas Nagel's What Does It All Mean? (online on WebCampus, via the Modules button on the left). Then read Kemp, "Introduction" (pp. 1-13). For an introduction to or refresher on the basic ideas and notation of symbolic logic, read Alex Miller's "Frege: Semantic Value and Reference" (online on WebCampus, via the Modules button).
  • For Jan. 26: Read Austin, "Performative Utterances" (PPL 11), then read Austin, "Lecture VIII" from How to Do Things with Words (online) and Kemp, Ch. 7 (skip the sections on Presupposition and Metaphor on pp. 128-132). LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For Jan. 31: Re-read Austin, "Lecture VIII" from How to Do Things with Words (online) and pp. 120-4 of Kemp, Ch. 7. Then read Kukla, "Performative Force, Convention, and Discursive Injustice" (online). LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For Feb. 2: Read Grice, "Logic and Conversation" (PPL 13) and re-read pp. 124-8 of Kemp, Ch. 7. LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For Feb. 7: Re-read Grice, "Logic and Conversation" (PPL 13). Then read Grice, "Meaning" (PPL 6). PRERECORDED LECTURE VIDEO.
  • For Feb. 9: Read Kemp, Chapter 1 and Elbourne, "Definitions" and "What are Word Meanings?" (online). LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For Feb. 14: Re-read the material assigned for Feb. 9. Next read Wittgenstein, "Remarks 1-33" from Philosophical Investigations (online). [Optional reading: Remarks 65-87 (online).] Then read pp. 181-185 of Kemp, Chapter 11. LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For Feb. 16: Read Frege, "Ueber Sinn und Bedeutung (On Sense and Reference)" (PPL 2), then read Kemp, Chapter 2. LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For Feb. 21: No class! [Presidents' Day]
  • For Feb. 23: Re-read Frege, "Ueber Sinn und Bedeutung (On Sense and Reference)" (PPL 2) and Kemp, Chapter 2. Then read Frege, "The Thought: A Logical Inquiry" (online). LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For Feb. 28: Read Russell,"On Denoting" (online), then read Kemp, Chapter 3. Also, check out the topics for the First Paper, due Friday 3/11. And check out my Paper Requirements and Policies and my Numbered Writing Comments Sheet. LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For Mar. 2: Read Russell, "Descriptions" (PPL 3). LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For Mar. 7: Re-read both selections by Russell. Also, get started on Kripke, "From Naming and Necessity" (online). LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146. [Note the "schedule flip"!]
  • For Mar. 9: Finish the Kripke and read Kemp, Ch. 5. LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For Mar. 21: Re-read the Kripke and Kemp, Ch. 5. LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For Mar. 23: Read Putnam, "Meaning and Reference" (online) and Kemp, Chapter 6. LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM [NOTE THE "LOCATION" CHANGE!!]
  • For Mar. 28: Re-read the Putnam (and Kemp, Ch. 6). Then read Chomsky, "Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin and Use" (PPL 1). LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For Mar. 30: Re-read the Chomsky, then read Tomasello, "The Social Bases of Language Acquisition" (online). LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For Apr. 4: Re-read the Chomsky and Tomasello's "The Social Bases of Language Acquisition" (online). Then read Ibbotson and Tomasello, "Evidence Rebuts Chomsky's Theory of Language Learning" from Scientific American (online). LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For Apr. 6: Re-read Ibbotson and Tomasello, "Evidence Rebuts Chomsky's Theory of Language Learning" from Scientific American (online). LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For Apr. 11: Read Davidson, "Truth and Meaning" (PPL 4) and Kemp, Ch. 9. LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For Apr. 13: Read Soames, "Truth, Meaning, and Understanding" (online) and Elbourne, "What are Sentence Meanings?" (online). LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For Apr. 18: Re-read Elbourne, "What are Sentence Meanings?" (online). Then read Peregrin, "What is Inferentialism?" (online). Also, check out the topics for the Second Paper, due Sunday 5/1. Re-read my Paper Requirements and Policies and my Numbered Writing Comments Sheet. LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For Apr. 20: Read Brandom, "Objectivity and the Normative Fine Structure of Rationality" (online). LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For Apr. 25: Re-read Peregrin, "What is Inferentialism?" (online) and Brandom, "Objectivity and the Normative Fine Structure of Rationality" (online) LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For Apr. 27: Read Wittgenstein, "From Philosophical Investigations" (PPL 10) and Kemp, Chapter 11 (pp. 185-191) LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For May 1: Second Paper due! Submit it to Turnitin.com via the Assignment link on WebCampus-Canvas.
  • For May 2: Re-read Wittgenstein, "From Philosophical Investigations" (PPL 10). Then read Kripke, "From Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language" (online). LIVE REMOTE MEETING ON ZOOM.
  • For May 4: Re-read the "Kripkenstein". Check out the course Topics List to prep for the Final Exam. LIVE IN-PERSON MEETING IN CBC C146.
  • For May 9: Final Exam at 1pm, online on WebCampus-Canvas.
    Last updated April 27, 2022

    This site is maintained by James A. Woodbridge.

    This document was created on January 17, 2022.