Admission requirements
Admission to this course is restricted to:
BA students in Philosophy;
Pre-master’s students in Philosophy who are in possession of an admission statement, and for whom this course is part of their programme.
Description
This course will introduce the student to the major perspectives on language and thought in the Western tradition, while creating awareness of their origins in ancient and medieval philosophy, and the impact of the philosophy of language on the study of philosophy in non-European languages. In particular the discussion surrounding the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, viz. that all of our concepts derive from our native language, will be assessed. On the analytical side we meet topics such as the origin and purpose of language, concepts of meaning as reference or use, the problems and the variation in truth conditions encountered when analyzing sentences that contain universal terms or propositional attitudes, and the interesting idea of a mental language with its influence on the question whether computers can think. On the practical side we shall discuss the consequences of sceptical attitudes to language, speech act theory, and the relation between language and power—all too clear nowadays in political discourse and cancel culture.
Course objectives
This course aims to acquaint students with the most revelant philosophical approaches to language and thought found in ancient and medieval philosophical schools, and the development of the distinctions and vocabulary that is used in contemporary philosophy of language.
Students who successfully complete the course will have a good understanding of:
how language and thought relate to each other and to the world;
how concepts and arguments are formed through reflections on language;
how the grammatical structure of spoken languages influences philosophies of language.
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
- understand the fundamentals of philosophy of language and thought in a broad, global perspective.
Timetable
The timetables are available through MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
- Lectures.
Assessment method
Assessment
- Written examination (3-hours) with essay questions.
Weighing
- Written examination (3-hours) with essay questions (100%).
To pass the course, the grade must be 5.5 or higher
Resit
Written examination with essay questions (100%).
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
The reading list will be posted on Brightspace prior to the start of the course.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga.
Remarks
Not applicable.