Universität Wien

180208 SE The Nature of Language (2022W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung
VOR-ORT
Moodle

An/Abmeldung

Hinweis: Ihr Anmeldezeitpunkt innerhalb der Frist hat keine Auswirkungen auf die Platzvergabe (kein "first come, first served").

Details

max. 30 Teilnehmer*innen
Sprache: Englisch

Lehrende

Termine (iCal) - nächster Termin ist mit N markiert

  • Dienstag 11.10. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 18.10. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 25.10. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 08.11. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 15.11. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 22.11. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 29.11. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 06.12. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 13.12. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 10.01. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 17.01. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 24.01. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Dienstag 31.01. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228

Information

Ziele, Inhalte und Methode der Lehrveranstaltung

How should we think of the linguistic meaning of words, sentences, and other expressions in relation to their use? Is language conventional or rule-governed and should we focus on public languages like English or German? Or should we instead prioritize individual speakers’ dispositions and idiolects or even one-off intentions? How to think about misuses, malapropisms, linguistic innovation, and our practices of correcting each other? In this course we will study these questions by reading and discussing classical and contemporary texts by Austin, Davidson, Dummett, Grice, Lewis and others. As a result the students will get a systematic overview of the space of possible answers as well as the ability to evaluate their costs and benefits.

Art der Leistungskontrolle und erlaubte Hilfsmittel

First: midterm essay, deadline: 6.12, 40%
Second: final essay, deadline: TBD, 60%

Mindestanforderungen und Beurteilungsmaßstab

Minimum requirements: regular attendance, completion of all assessments

Assessment criteria: the overall grade will be a weighted average of the two partial grades: mid-term paper (40%), final essay (60%).

Prüfungsstoff

The first essay will have to be on a topic derived from the first part of the course (W1-W8), the second can be either a substantial development of the first or an entirely new essay on a topic from the second part. I will suggest possible topics as we go along.

Literatur

We will read a host of classic and contemporary texts like:

Austin, from How To Do Things With Words
Bach "Conversational Impliciture"
Cameron, from Verbal Hygiene
Davidson "Convention and Communication"
Davidson "A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs"
Davis, from Meaning, Expression, and Thought
Dummett "Mood, Force, and Convention"
Grice "Meaning"
Grice "Logic and Conversation"
Kaplan "Demonstratives"
Kaplan "The Meaning of Ouch and Oops"
Lewis "Languages and Language"
Loar, from Mind and Meaning
Reimer "What Malapropisms Mean"
Searle, from Speech Acts

For more info, see the syllabus.

Zuordnung im Vorlesungsverzeichnis

Letzte Änderung: Do 27.04.2023 13:27