Undergraduate Course: Philosophy of Language (PHIL10005)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Philosophers sometimes distinguish between semantic theories and meta-semantic theories. On one useful way of unpacking that distinction, semantic theories provide interpretations of meaningful units of natural languages which fix the truth-conditions of sentences as uttered in a given context. Such theories are typically recursive, in order to make sense of the compositionality of meaning. On the other hand, meta-semantic theories are usefully understood as theories of that in virtue of which meaningful units of natural languages have the meanings they do. Whereas a semantic theory tells us, roughly, what a word or sentence means, a meta-semantic theory tells us what it is for a word or sentence to mean this or that. This focus of this class will be on meta-semantics. We discuss and investigate some of the leading meta-semantic theories and try to assess their relative plausibility. |
| Course description |
Not entered
|
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2014/15, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 27 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 7,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
167 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
1. Mid-term essay of 1,500 words (40%)
2. End-of-semester essay of 2,500 words (60%)
|
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
|
| Academic year 2014/15, Part-year visiting students only (VV1)
|
Quota: 5 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 7,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
167 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
1. Mid-term essay of 1,500 words (40%)
2. End-of-semester essay of 2,500 words (60%)
|
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
| The coursework involves close and critical analysis of various historical and current views on central issues in the philosophy of language. Students are asked to read, critically assess and discuss some of the most important texts in these fields. Students are encouraged to develop their skills in individual research through the writing of essays, and to develop their critical, analytic and communication skills through informal discussion and possibly oral presentation in class.
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Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Brian Rabern
Tel:
Email: brian.rabern@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Susan Richards
Tel: (0131 6)51 3733
Email: sue.richards@ed.ac.uk |
|
© Copyright 2014 The University of Edinburgh - 12 January 2015 4:37 am
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