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Identical coursesAnalytic Philosophy and Philosophy of Language (B-KUL-W0W36A)
Cannot be taken as part of an examination contractAims
The aim of this course is 1) to provide students with an historical insight into the development of analytic philosophy as well as into its specific questions and ways of answering those questions. 2) In addition we will train some of the skills indispensable to a working philosopher.
1) At the end of the course Analytic Philosophy and Philosophy of Language, the student should:
- understand the historical development of analytical philosophy from Frege to the present day;
- understand how the questions and solutions of analytic philosophy have been influenced by cultural, social and intellectual developments of the twentieth century;
- understand that many of the issues raised and some of the answers offered by twentieth century analytical philosophy still determine contemporary philosophical debates;
- know and be able to correctly employ fundamental concepts and terminology of analytical philosophy;
- be able to critically read primary and secondary literature from the history of analytical philosophy and to correctly analyse and summarize these texts;
- be able to reflect critically on philosophical theories and positions discussed in class;
- be able to discuss philosophical texts and issues in a proper academic style.
2) Special attention will be paid to (the training of) the following skills:
1. Reading skills
- Both secondary and primary literature will be used, enhancing the students’ sensitivity to different text types.
- In weekly assignments, students will be asked to reveal the structure and coherence the philosophical papers scheduled for the seminars. They will have to identify and analyse the papers’ arguments and assumptions.
2. Oral skills
- The students will be asked, both in the seminars and the lectures, to participate in philosophical conversation.
- We will impose a conversation style that ensures that students listen carefully and provide their personal opinions in a clear, concise and respectful way.
3. Writing skills will be trained through the weekly assignments
- In those short assignments, the students must present clearly the point and arguments in a paper, formulate questions, objections or alternative positions and argue those in an academically acceptable way.
- The students use an academic style and appropriately structure those assignments.
- Those assignments will not only be graded on content, but also on style and writing.
Previous knowledge
Students are familiar with the most important events and developments in the social, political and cultural history of the twentieth century. Some knowledge of classical philosophers and topics, as discussed for instance in Historical Introduction to Philosophy (W0W00A) is required.
The most important attitude demanded is the willingness to muster the concentration, patience and accuracy required for studying difficult and unfamiliar philosophical texts. Good knowledge of English is of central importance.
Identical courses
This course is identical to the following courses:
W0EB2A : Contemporary Anglo-American Philosophy (No longer offered this academic year)
Is included in these courses of study
Activities
6 ects. Analytic Philosophy and Philosophy of Language (B-KUL-W0W36a)
Content
Following John Skorupski and Sthephen Schwartz, this course teaches the development of twentieth century analytical philosophy as part of the history of the rise and fall of cultural modernism. This history of analytic philosophy has three points of focus: 1) it describes changing views about language, 2) it analyzes how these changes in philosophy of language lead to changes in metaphilosophical conceptions (philosophy of philosophy) and 3) it illustrates these metaphilosophical developments by means of the views on the concept of ‘normativity’.
The course consists of 5 parts: 1) the invention of formal logic (Frege, Russell, Strawson), 2) the rise and demise of logical empiricism (Carnap, Stevenson, Hempel, Austin, Sellars), 3) the impact of Wittgenstein, 4) philosophy of language as first philosophy (Quine, Davidson, Rorty, Dummett, Brandom), and 5) metaphysical reactions to philosophy of language as first philosophy (Kripke, Donellan, Putnam, Lewis, McDowell).
The course is text-based. Points of departure are the texts read in the seminar that together constitute the history of analytic philosophy as explained in the lectures.
Half of the seminars will be taught by a teaching assistent.
Course material
Hand-outs and a reader distributed in class or via Toledo.
Format: more information
Lecture class and seminars
The course consist of seminars and lecture classes. The seminars will be dedicated to discussing the required reading material, while the connections (oppositions, continuities, and agreements) between the texts will be explained in the lectures.
This work format will allow us to play special attention to (the training of) the following skills:
1. Reading skills
- Both secondary and primary literature will be used, enhancing the students’ sensitivity to different text types
- In weekly assignments, students will be asked to reveal the structure and coherence the philosophical papers scheduled for the seminars. They will have to identify and analyse the papers’ arguments and assumptions.
2. Oral skills
- The students will be asked, both in the seminars and the lectures, to participate in philosophical conversation,
- We will impose a conversation style that ensures that students listen carefully and provide their personal opinions in a clear, concise and respectful way
3. Writing skills will be trained through the weekly assignments
- In those short assignments, the students must present clearly the point and arguments in a paper, formulate questions, objections or alternative positions and argue those in an academically acceptable way
- The students use an academic style and appropriately structure those assignments.
- Those assignments will not only be graded on content, but also on style and writing.
For more specific information on teaching formats, see the syllabus distributed during the first class.
Evaluation
Evaluation: Analytic Philosophy and Philosophy of Language (B-KUL-W2W36a)
Explanation
At the end of the semester, there is an oral exam, with open questions about the texts discussed in class, their interrelations and the discussion of the texts in class. During the semester, students will have to make brief preparatory assignments about reading material. These assignments will make up part of the grade. Exact weights of exam and assignments will be communicated in the first class.
To do well on this course, students must be able to:
- analyse and accurately express the positions defended by the philosophers discussed in this class, using correct terminology and explaining and evaluating the arguments or considerations that brought philosophers to their position;
- explain how the positions or arguments of a philosopher fit into a larger debate about a broader issue, constitutes a response to earlier positions and is itself subjected to criticism. That requires, among other things, that students can correctly situate positions and arguments in time, confront different positions as well as show the implicit assumptions underlying these positions;
- accurately read the texts discussed in class as well as study the handouts that discuss the connections between the texts and the different senses in which terms are used in various texts.
For more specific information on course requirements and grading, see the syllabus distributed during the first class.
Information about retaking exams
The second examination attempt is limited to (re)taking the oral exam. The preparatory assignments cannot be retaken. The mark originally received for the assignments will be taken into account in the same proportion as during the first attempt when calculating the final mark for the second examination attempt.