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This module will introduce you to topics in contemporary analytic philosophy of language. The central questions we will examine concern the fact that language is meaningful – that words can be used to say something about things in the world. How does this happen? In what ways can language be meaningful? How do different elements of language get their meaning? The aims of this module are to examine these questions by looking at the most prominent philosophical theories of the meaning of names, the meanings of sentences, and the different ways that our words can be meaningful.

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Teaching Delivery

This module will be delivered in two ways. There are weekly one-hour lectures for the whole group. There are then weekly one-hour seminars, divided into smaller groups. One of these seminar groups will be taught by the module leader, the others by one or more PGTAs depending on course size. Each student will therefore attend the weekly lecture and one seminar each week. We expect students to read the essential reading given on the reading list, and to be ready to contribute in the seminars where appropriate.

By the end of the module, you should be able to:

• Understand and explain the theories of language we cover in the module.
• Understand and explain the key arguments given for and against these theories.
• Philosophically evaluate and assess these theories and the key arguments given for and against them; evaluate whether these arguments effectively support or undermine the theories they are targeted at.
• Understand and explain how these theories and arguments, and their evaluation, connect with one another and with broader philosophical issues where appropriate.

Recommended Reading

In preparation for the module, we advise reading the following core texts. These can be found in the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê Library:

• William G. Lycan, 2019, Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction (3rd ed) excluding chapters 6, 8-10, 14-15.

Philosophy Area A