PHL313 Philosophy of Language
Professor: Craig DeLancey
Office: CC217
Email: delancey@oswego.edu
Past Assignments
28 January and following: Here's your first assignment:
send me a digital head shot, via email to delancey@oswego.edu.
Name the file after yourself. For example, you can name it
"JoeSmith.jpg." If you don't have a digital camera or don't know
anyone who has one, let me know. Thanks! NOTE: I can't know
who the photo is of if you send it from your cellphone without
adding some kind of text message! -- it arrives with an ID like
1313125736
Questions: What is Language? How Does it Fit in Natural World?
28 January: homework! Write, over the weekend, a
single page (typed, please) answering the question, "what do you
believe is the single feature that best distinguishes human
language (as a set of practices that humans do) from other
language-like behaviors in other (non-human) animals?" Just state
the difference, and then defend it as succinctly as you can. The
point is for you to struggle with this, so we have something to
talk about on Monday. Leave Wikipedia out of it. Have fun with
this endeavor: take an hour or two just to think about the
question, or to talk it over with someone.
Reference: Definite Descriptions, Proper Names, Natural Kind Terms
February 1: before class, read Frege's paper, "On Sense and
Nominatum" (M 5th ed pages 217-229). This is a classic paper; do
your best to grasp Frege's main points. If you can spare the
time, before class please read the selection from Locke, "On
Words." In edition 5 of Martinich this is pages 621-625.
February 8: before class, read Russell's "Descriptions" (M
5th ed. pages 239-245).
18 February: optional, read Strawson "On Referring" and
Russell "Mr. Strawson on Referring" (pages 246-264 in our book).
20 February: homework!: for five different names,
give for each name one unique identifying description. You should
pick an identifying description for yourself (that is, it is for
you uniquely identifying of that thing), but with with an eye
towards something that might reasonably be shared with others.
Here are some simplistic examples:
Elvis = the rock singer who made the song "Jailhous Rock"
famous.
George Washington = the first president of the United States
of America.
Plato = author of The Republic.
Use Abraham Lincoln as one of the five different names,
as we discussed in class.
20 February: read Kripke, selection from Naming and
Necessity, pages 290-303 in our book.
29 February: read Putnam, selection from "The Meaning of
'Meaning'", pages 306-313 in our book.
3 March: read Searle, selection from "Proper Names and
Intentionality," pages 326-340 in our book. Note that this paper
provides a good overview and summary of (one perspective upon) on
what we've done so far in this course. It should help you study.
Skip section VI if you like; and skip section V's examples 2 and 3
(which we did not discuss).
12 March: take home exam due. Which theory do you think is
the better theory of reference? The causal-historical or the
description theory? Write a brief paper (6+ page typed pages)
that gives your hypothesis about which is better, explains the
basic debate between the description theory and the causal
historical theory, and in conclusion shows why you think one of
the two theories is better. Your goal is to write in a way that
the intelligent lay person can understand -- explain the basic
terms and concepts. You should give an account of:
- The Russellian version of the descrption theory of names.
- Extension of the Russellian theory to natural kind terms.
- The Searle/cluster revision.
- What problems the description theory solves. (That is,
Frege's two problems, and the two additional problems Russell
addresses.)
- The causal-historical theory in Kripke's version.
- What problems the c-h theory identifies in the
description theory and how it solves them.
- What problems the c-h theory does not solve.
- Searle's response to the c-h theory.
- Your own view on which view is more favorable.
The best way to accomplish these tasks is to use a single clear
example for a proper name and another for a natural kind term, and
explain how each theory will analyze or explain the reference or
meaning of that name and the natural kind term.
Obviously, the task here is to synthesize and to show that you grasp
this material well enough to be able to explain it to others. Write
in complete sentences, in well constructed paragraphs, with clear and
concise arguments. Cite properly. Do not plagiarize. See my
analytic philosophy paper format for advice. Remember that the
University is requiring that in this course, because it satisfies the
writing requirement, I assess your writing also.
Grading Key: I used the following categories to grade
the paper; each was out of five points:
A. Writing quality and clarity
B. Structure of the paper and argument
C. Accurate and clear explanation of Russell's description theory
D. Accurate and clear explanation of Searle's cluster theory
E. Accurate and clear explanation of Kripke's causal-historical theory
F. Explanation of the problems that the description theory aims to solve
G. Explanation of how the description theory solves them
H. Problems posed for description theory by the causal-historical theory defenders
I. Searle's response to the c-h theory
J. your view and the cogency of your defense of it
12, 14 March: read "Truth and Meaning" by Donald Davidson
in our text pages 114-125. Anyone feeling truly ambitious should
read the Frege selection on pages 36-49 and the Tarski selection
pages 85-107 (Davidson builds upon both of these). But I'm only
requiring the Davidson.
Meaning Theories
31 March, 2 April: read Wittgenstein selection (the first pages
of Philosophical Investigations).
Performative Language
4 April: read the Austin selection in your book,
"Performantive Utterances," page 136.
7 April: I'm away, alas, for 7 and 9 April classes. But
I'd like you to keep thinking about meaning theory while I am in
Arizona. Please take the time to do the following short
assignment. Decide which theory of meaning you prefer: a
truth-based theory (either form) or the use theory. State what
each theory (roughly) is. Pick a sentence in English and
suggest why you think either offers the best prospects of revealing
the meaning of that sentence; suggest also why the other theory of
meaning seems less promising to you. You can get together during
the class period on April 7th and discuss this if you want to work
together on thinking through the question.
9 April: please write up the 7 April homework in a short
statement (you should be able to do this with a single page or a
little more -- my goal is just to get you to force yourself to
articulate the difference between the theories, and apply it in
your thoughts). Please hand it in during the class period in the
philosophy department office. If the secretary is not in, slide
it under my office door. You can tell my office because Kirk is
screaming at you, "Where is your paper?"
Here's how I graded this. A. 4 points for having attempted
it. B. 0-2 points for the quality of your explanation of the
theory of meaning you defend. C. 0-2 points for your explanation
of how it might explain the sentence you've chosen. D. 0-2 points
for the explanation of why you think the other theory of meaning
we considered will fair less well.
14 April: read the Searle selection in your book,
"The Structure of Illocutionary Acts," page 146.
Metaphor
16 April: read Davidson's "What Metaphors Mean" in our
text pages 473 and following.
21 April: read the Martinich essay on metaphor.
Realism/Anti-Realism and Language
23 April: Quest day.
28 April: read Kripke's "On Rules and Private Language" in our
text pages 626 and following.
30 April, 2 May: continuing with Kripkenstein paradox.
We'll consider answers which Kripke does not consider. Optional,
read Millikan "Truth Rules" pages 639ff in our Martinich volume.
5 May: read the Whorf selection. Discussion of
the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Several copiers are available online
here
and
here.
7 May: Quine on the indeterminancy of reference. This is a
classic and goes well with the Kripkenstein (in fact, I should have
switched the order with the Whorf). In the Martinich volume,
read the selection from Quine's Word and Object, called there
"Translation and Meaning" (pages 546 and following). Focus on
sections 7 and 8, give sections 9-12 a try, and feel free to skip
sections 13-16.
9 May: review and summary.
Note: given how compressed things are, with me being away a week,
with 3 snow days and one day I was sick, it feels too compressed to fit
in a final paper. I'd like to just have a final which would count as
much as the midterm. Final grades would be based on the sum of points from
all of the tests and homeworks. However, if anyone wants to write a
final paper, I'll gladly work with that person and we can do that; and
then it will count equally to the two exams. Please just let me know.