PHIL 222 - Philosophy of Language

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

The philosophy of language has come to occupy a central role in philosophy. This course surveys classic and contemporary contributions to the field. It provides an overview of various theories of reference, among them the influential “new theory of reference.” It also examines a number of different accounts of meaning and truth, including deflationary views according to which truth is not a substantive property and meanings should not be reified. The course concludes with an investigation of the use of language, with special attention to the ongoing debate between those who believe the meanings of many of our words are independent of the contexts in which these words are used, and those who disagree. Mr. Winblad.

Prerequisite: one 100-level course in Philosophy.