[20.02]

- 11:30 - 13:00, room 209

Characteristics of Philosophy of Language: elementary terminology, fundamental issues, methods + organisation of the class, passing conditions etc.

Reading [non-obligatory]: Devitt & Hanley - Fundamental Issues in the Philosophy of Language; Loar - Language, Thought and Meaning

- 13:15 - 14:45, room 112

Continuation of the above

 

[27.02]

- 11:30 - 13:00, room 209

Lecture on the theories of meaning

No reading

- 13:15 - 14:45, room 112

Philosophy of Language before Frege: what does language consist of and what does language express? - Mill’s theory of names; explanation of the notion of ”proposition” (Bolzano, Moore, Russell)

Reading: Mill - Of Names

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[06.03]

- 11:30 - 13:00, room 209

What’s the difference between ’’Mount Everest” and ”Chomolungma”? - Frege’s theory of sense and reference

Reading: Frege - On Sense and Reference

- 13:15 - 14:45, room 112

Continuation of the above

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[13.03] 

- 11:30 - 13:00, room 209

Is the present king of France bold? - Russells’s Theory of Descriptions

Reading: Russell - Descriptions

- 13:15 - 14:45, room 112

Continuation of the above

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[20.03] 

- 11:30 - 13:00, room 209

”The present king of France is bald” is neither false….nor true! - Strawson’s arguments against Russell’s theory

Reading: Strawson - On Referring

- 13:15 - 14:45, room 112

Can Donald Trump become the reference of ”the present king of France”? - Donnellan’s attributive-referential distinction

Reading: Donnellan - Reference and Definite Descriptions

 

[27.03]

- 11:30 - 13:00, room 209

Class DEBATE: semantic vs pragmatic approach toward definite descriptions.

No reading

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[03.04]

- 11:30 - 13:00, room 209

What requirements do you have to meet to refer to Plato with the name 'Plato'? - Searle’s Descriptivism

Reading: Searle - Proper Names

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[17.04] 

- 11:30 - 13:00, room 209

Possible worlds, identity, Descriptivism rejected, causal chains theory, theoretical identities, mind-body problem solved, and a lot more - Kripke’s ’'Naming and Necessity'.

Reading: Kripke - Naming and Necessity, Lecture ONE

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[24.04]

- 11:30 - 13:00, room 209

Possible worlds, identity, Descriptivism rejected, causal chains theory, theoretical identities, mind-body problem solved, and a lot more - Kripke’s ’'Naming and Necessity'.

Reading: Kripke - Naming and Necessity, Lecture TWO

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[08.05]

- 11:30 - 13:00, room 209

Possible worlds, identity, Descriptivism rejected, causal chains theory, theoretical identities, mind-body problem solved, and a lot more - Kripke’s ’'Naming and Necessity'.

Reading: Kripke - Naming and Necessity, Lecture TWO

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The final grade is evaluated as:

0,7x final-exam-grade + 0,3x participation-grade.

 

FINAL EXAM

The final exam takes place at the end of the semester and it concerns all the topics discussed during the semester. It is written and has a mixed form of open and closed questions. 

 

PARTICIPATION

Participation-grade reflects student's activity during discussions. 

 

Students who do not find themselves well in discussions can fulfill this requirement and receive ’’participation-grade” by giving a short presentation concerning paper / topic designated by the tutor.

 

ABSENCES

Every student can - for any reason - miss 2 classes during the semester without any consequence. Every absence above that limit results in reducing student's final exam result by 10%. 

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