PHIL484/584 SP26
PHIL484/584: Philosophy of Language
Dr. Kyle Banick
Tuesdays & Thursdays · 3:30pm–4:45pm · LA5–246
There is no way to understand the state of present-day philosophy as a whole without some grasp of the philosophy of language. The fundamental questions of philosophy of language are: does language ‘link up’ to extra-linguistic reality, and if so, how? What is linguistic meaning, and how can we grasp it?
Innovations in philosophy of language have transformed our understanding of such central philosophical topics as a priori knowledge, necessary truth, and essences. Accordingly, this course will bear on fundamental philosophical questions about the nature of reality, of rationality, and of philosophy itself. This course will be organized around the state of present-day philosophy of language, but students will also have the opportunity to read and discuss classical essays in the tradition, such as those of Locke, Husserl, Frege, Russell, Tarski, Davidson, Quine, Kripke, and Stalnaker.