PHL 327, 337 - Philosophy of Language

1 course unit

In this course, we shall reflect on the nature of language, communication, and meaning. We shall use the pragmatist Peirce, and the founder of linguistics, Ferdinand de Saussure, as our guides, and will look briefly at the influential ideas of Chomsky. We then engage in an extended examination of contemporary challenges in linguistics and the philosophy of language, focusing largely on the philosophy of Wittgenstein. We also incorporate contemporary empirical scientific research on language in our philosophical reflections.
Prerequisite(s): Any previous course in philosophy.
Meets general academic requirement W when offered as 337.