Philosophy of Language

Catalog description

Words and sentences in English and other languages are meaningful. So, it seems that words and sentences have meanings. But what are meanings ? Are meanings entities of some sort ? Are they physical objects ? Mental objects ? Abstract objects ? What are the meanings of such words as Barack Obama, dog, red, run, and, and the? How are meaning, reference, truth, thought, and communication related ? And how do words and sentences get their meanings and referents ? We will begin this course by considering several theories about the nature of meaning and reference. We will then consider the use of language in communication and other speech acts. We will end with applications of philosophy of language to law, ethics, and metaphor. Pre-requisite: One prior course in philosophy, preferably in analytic.