PHIL 3029 - Philosophy of Language
Career: | Undergraduate |
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Units: | 3 |
Term: | 3810 |
Campus: | North Terrace |
Contact: | Up to 3 hours per week |
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange: | Yes |
Available for Non-Award Study: | Yes |
Pre-Requisite: | At least 6 units of Level II undergraduate study |
Incompatible: | PHIL 2043, PHIL 2015, PHIL 3015 |
Assessment: | Short Essay (25%), Research Essay (55%), Small Group Discovery tasks (20%) |
Syllabus: |
Language is one of the most distinctive and pervasive features of human life. But its theoretical foundations are still a matter of great controversy. These controversies often lie dormant in ordinary life, only coming to the fore we try to understand precisely how some piece of language works. (This happens a lot in philosophy, where the examination of arguments involves teasing out the precise meaning of the sentences involved.) The nature of meaning has been of interest to philosophers since Plato, but the development of precise theories of meaning really accelerated in the twentieth century, with contributions from philosophers, logicians, and linguists. This course reflects the interdisciplinary history of the subject, though drawing primarily on linguistics and philosophy. We will look at a number of foundational issues about the nature of meaning. We will investigate the meanings of interesting classes of English expressions, such as: proper names (‘Alice’), kind terms (‘gold’), descriptions (‘the most diligent student’), indexicals and demonstratives (‘here’, ‘there’), and modal auxiliaries (‘must’). We will look at the meaning of complex sentences, as well as whether there are any aspects what is communicated by a sentence beyond what it literally means. Finally, we turn to the question of language and thought – does the language we speak constrain the thoughts we can think and the beliefs we can have? |
Course Fees
Study Abroad student tuition fees are available here
Only some Postgraduate Coursework programs are available as Commonwealth Supported. Please check your program for specific fee information.
The fees displayed below for international students are for students commencing a program in 2024 only. International students who commenced a program in 2023 or prior can find their fee here.
EFTSL | |||
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0.125 |
Course Outline
A Course Outline which includes Learning Outcomes, Learning Resources, Learning & Teaching for this course may be accessed here
Critical Dates
Term | Last Day to Add Online | Census Date | Last Day to WNF | Last Day to WF |
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3810 | Mon 12/03/2018 | Sat 31/03/2018 | Fri 04/05/2018 | Fri 08/06/2018 |
Class Details
Enrolment Class: Lecture | |||||||
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Class Nbr | Section | Size | Available | Dates | Days | Time | Location |
10207 | LE01 | 50 | 22 | 1 Mar - 29 Mar | Thursday | 2pm - 4pm | Barr Smith South, 1063, Teaching Room |
19 Apr - 31 May | Thursday | 2pm - 4pm | Barr Smith South, 1063, Teaching Room | ||||
19005 | LEC0 | 20 | 19 | This class does not have any timetabled face-to-face sessions. Please check MyUni or contact your Course Coordinator for details. | |||
Related Class: Workshop | |||||||
Class Nbr | Section | Size | Available | Dates | Days | Time | Location |
10208 | WR01 | 50 | 21 | 8 Mar - 29 Mar | Thursday | 12pm - 1pm | Barr Smith South, 2060, Teaching Room |
26 Apr - 31 May | Thursday | 12pm - 1pm | Barr Smith South, 2060, Teaching Room |