Philosophy of Language PHIL 154 - Sacramento State Fall 2016
Please go to the course website in SacCT to get access to assigned readings and assignments.
Click here to edit.
Philosophy Of Language - PHIL – 154
Instructor: Dr. Saray Ayala-López
Email: [email protected]
Office location: Mendocino Hall 3018
Preferred gender pronouns:
she/they, her/them, hers/theirs
Office hours: Tuesday 12-2pm, Wednesday 12-1pm, and by appointment.
Course meets: Tuesday & Thursday, 10:30-11:45am
Location: Douglas Hall 208
Course description
This course covers some of the central questions in Western philosophy of language, with attention to how philosophy of language can help us understand discourse in a variety of domains. We will start by discussing what language is, and throughout the semester will examine notions such as meaning, sense, reference, truth, presupposition, implicature, performative, speech act, slur, convention, silencing, and communication. We will explore how these notions help us understand everyday discourse, and go over some examples of the good and bad things we can do with words.
Course outcomes
You will
Course format
All classes contain at least 2 of these elements:
1. Instructor introduction: the instructor introduces the reading for the day.
2. Class discussion: the whole class discusses the questions students are required to bring to class, questions raised during the lecture, and/or questions posed by the instructor.
3. Group discussion: students form discussion groups.
Important: Students are required to come to class having read all the assigned readings.
Other Important Information
I am here to help: Remember that I am here to help you learn as best as I can. Please utilize my office hours for additional feedback and guidance on course-related issues.
Attendance: Attending class is expected. Any student who misses 2 or more classes in the first 2 weeks may be administratively dropped to make room for students on the waitlist.
Classroom behavior: The classroom should be a safe space to discuss any topic, no matter how controversial. We all have to build and maintain that safety by discussing respectfully, avoiding personal attacks, offensive epithets, contemptuous gestures and exclusive language. Any student who feels uncomfortable in class is encouraged to get in contact with me.
Use of electronic devices in class: Electronic devices, such as laptops, tablets, phones, and Google Glasses, are not allowed in class. The exception to this rule will be specific sessions in which laptops and/or tablets will be part of the class dynamics (the instructor will announce these sessions in advance).
Writing philosophy: Writing is a critical part of this course, and of philosophy in general. Lewis Vaughn’s book (in “Recommended materials”) is a good resource on how to write philosophy essays. Come talk to me if you want extra resources and/or need extra advice on writing.
Gender neutral writing: In philosophy, gender-neutral writing is the accepted practice recommended by the American Philosophical Association. For example, instead of using masculine pronouns for the general case (as in “Everyone has a right to his own property”). use neutral pronouns, e.g. her/his or their. See the American Philosophical Association guidelines www.apaonlinecsw.org/apa-guidelines-for-non-sexist-use-of-language.
Plagiarism: Plagiarizing someone else’s work is a serious academic offence, and it is bad for many reasons. Always use quotation marks and a footnote citation to indicate sentences or passages you borrow from another author. Assignments in which plagiarism is found will at the least be graded at 0 (not just an F). ALL incidents of plagiarism will be reported both to the Department Chair and to the Judicial Officer in the Office of Student Affairs for possible further administrative sanction. You are responsible for reading and understanding the details of the University's plagiarism policy. All papers will be put through plagiarism software. See the current student handbook for further information on student rights and responsibilities. Here is a link to the university's honesty policy: http://www.csus.edu/umanual/student/stu-0100.htm
Come talk to me if you are not sure about what constitutes plagiarism.
Disability access statement: Please tell me early if you have a disability requiring accommodation (documentation to SSWD, Lassen Hall 1008, 916-278-6955) or if you need to miss something to participate in officially recognized student activities. More information available here: http://www.csus.edu/sswd/index.html
If you miss a class… Please do not email me with the question “Did I miss anything important?” It is your responsibility to ask your classmates about the class you missed and take any other steps necessary to keep up with the course content. You won’t be excused of any of the required exercises for the reason “I didn’t know”.
Also, read this poem: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/013.html
Email policy: Before emailing me with a question:
- check the syllabus in case your question is already answered there
- ask other students, for they might help you resolve your doubts
- consider whether it would be more appropriate to talk to me in person.
If after doing that, you still have a reason to email me, take into account that I don’t carry a smart phone with email access, and I don’t check my email unless I’m in front of my computer, so do not expect quick responses. Allow at least two business days before receiving an answer. If you haven’t heard from me after that, please send me a follow-up email.
Some advice on how to correspond with your professors: http://www.csus.edu/phil/guidance/how-to-correspond.html
Late submissions and missed exercises: Accommodations will only be made under exceptional circumstances, such as a documented medical or family emergency (you need to contact me as soon as you can after the emergency and before the due date; extensions will usually not be given on or after the due date). Late assignments (including handouts and papers) turned in after 11:45am on their due dates will be docked 10% (e.g., A- 90% becomes B- 80%); later papers will not be accepted (i.e., papers submitted after midnight of the due date will not be marked and will receive a zero grade).
Required Materials: There is no textbook required for this course. Required readings (noted on the schedule) will be made available on the course website.
Technology Requirements: Students must have a reliable way of accessing SacCT. All important course announcements, information, and resources will be communicated and available through SacCT (except the material in the required text). Technical problems must be directed to the ITC Help Line @ 278-7337.
Instructor: Dr. Saray Ayala-López
Email: [email protected]
Office location: Mendocino Hall 3018
Preferred gender pronouns:
she/they, her/them, hers/theirs
Office hours: Tuesday 12-2pm, Wednesday 12-1pm, and by appointment.
Course meets: Tuesday & Thursday, 10:30-11:45am
Location: Douglas Hall 208
Course description
This course covers some of the central questions in Western philosophy of language, with attention to how philosophy of language can help us understand discourse in a variety of domains. We will start by discussing what language is, and throughout the semester will examine notions such as meaning, sense, reference, truth, presupposition, implicature, performative, speech act, slur, convention, silencing, and communication. We will explore how these notions help us understand everyday discourse, and go over some examples of the good and bad things we can do with words.
Course outcomes
You will
- Develop critical reading, listening, and writing skills.
- Learn about the significance of language, and begin developing your own views about the conceptual complexities of language.
- Develop an understanding of several philosophical theories.
- Begin developing a critical approach to the pragmatics of language, and be able to reflect on the things you can do with words, and on how language is used around you
Course format
All classes contain at least 2 of these elements:
1. Instructor introduction: the instructor introduces the reading for the day.
2. Class discussion: the whole class discusses the questions students are required to bring to class, questions raised during the lecture, and/or questions posed by the instructor.
3. Group discussion: students form discussion groups.
Important: Students are required to come to class having read all the assigned readings.
Other Important Information
I am here to help: Remember that I am here to help you learn as best as I can. Please utilize my office hours for additional feedback and guidance on course-related issues.
Attendance: Attending class is expected. Any student who misses 2 or more classes in the first 2 weeks may be administratively dropped to make room for students on the waitlist.
Classroom behavior: The classroom should be a safe space to discuss any topic, no matter how controversial. We all have to build and maintain that safety by discussing respectfully, avoiding personal attacks, offensive epithets, contemptuous gestures and exclusive language. Any student who feels uncomfortable in class is encouraged to get in contact with me.
Use of electronic devices in class: Electronic devices, such as laptops, tablets, phones, and Google Glasses, are not allowed in class. The exception to this rule will be specific sessions in which laptops and/or tablets will be part of the class dynamics (the instructor will announce these sessions in advance).
Writing philosophy: Writing is a critical part of this course, and of philosophy in general. Lewis Vaughn’s book (in “Recommended materials”) is a good resource on how to write philosophy essays. Come talk to me if you want extra resources and/or need extra advice on writing.
Gender neutral writing: In philosophy, gender-neutral writing is the accepted practice recommended by the American Philosophical Association. For example, instead of using masculine pronouns for the general case (as in “Everyone has a right to his own property”). use neutral pronouns, e.g. her/his or their. See the American Philosophical Association guidelines www.apaonlinecsw.org/apa-guidelines-for-non-sexist-use-of-language.
Plagiarism: Plagiarizing someone else’s work is a serious academic offence, and it is bad for many reasons. Always use quotation marks and a footnote citation to indicate sentences or passages you borrow from another author. Assignments in which plagiarism is found will at the least be graded at 0 (not just an F). ALL incidents of plagiarism will be reported both to the Department Chair and to the Judicial Officer in the Office of Student Affairs for possible further administrative sanction. You are responsible for reading and understanding the details of the University's plagiarism policy. All papers will be put through plagiarism software. See the current student handbook for further information on student rights and responsibilities. Here is a link to the university's honesty policy: http://www.csus.edu/umanual/student/stu-0100.htm
Come talk to me if you are not sure about what constitutes plagiarism.
Disability access statement: Please tell me early if you have a disability requiring accommodation (documentation to SSWD, Lassen Hall 1008, 916-278-6955) or if you need to miss something to participate in officially recognized student activities. More information available here: http://www.csus.edu/sswd/index.html
If you miss a class… Please do not email me with the question “Did I miss anything important?” It is your responsibility to ask your classmates about the class you missed and take any other steps necessary to keep up with the course content. You won’t be excused of any of the required exercises for the reason “I didn’t know”.
Also, read this poem: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/013.html
Email policy: Before emailing me with a question:
- check the syllabus in case your question is already answered there
- ask other students, for they might help you resolve your doubts
- consider whether it would be more appropriate to talk to me in person.
If after doing that, you still have a reason to email me, take into account that I don’t carry a smart phone with email access, and I don’t check my email unless I’m in front of my computer, so do not expect quick responses. Allow at least two business days before receiving an answer. If you haven’t heard from me after that, please send me a follow-up email.
Some advice on how to correspond with your professors: http://www.csus.edu/phil/guidance/how-to-correspond.html
Late submissions and missed exercises: Accommodations will only be made under exceptional circumstances, such as a documented medical or family emergency (you need to contact me as soon as you can after the emergency and before the due date; extensions will usually not be given on or after the due date). Late assignments (including handouts and papers) turned in after 11:45am on their due dates will be docked 10% (e.g., A- 90% becomes B- 80%); later papers will not be accepted (i.e., papers submitted after midnight of the due date will not be marked and will receive a zero grade).
Required Materials: There is no textbook required for this course. Required readings (noted on the schedule) will be made available on the course website.
Technology Requirements: Students must have a reliable way of accessing SacCT. All important course announcements, information, and resources will be communicated and available through SacCT (except the material in the required text). Technical problems must be directed to the ITC Help Line @ 278-7337.
Evaluation: Your total points are calculated by adding the following differently weighted assessment items:
Description of assessment items:
Questions: You must bring one question to class every day when we are scheduled to discuss an assigned reading. You must submit your questions to the SacCT course site by midnight the day before class, and pose your questions during the class discussion.
Questions are evaluated on a 0/0.2/0.5 scale:
0: there is no question or the question is irrelevant
0.2: the question is somehow related to the reading, but it does not engage with the argument and/or it does not show understanding
0.5: the question engages with the argument and shows understanding of the material.
Questions account for 10% of the final grade, max of 10 points.
*You areare encouraged to start a question journal: A question journal helps you organize questions to build a coherent line of inquiry about a topic. Frantic questioning of everything, posing questions that are disconnected from each other, is not, contrary to a common misconception, what philosophy is about. That type of questioning does not facilitate understanding and creates a false sense of justified skepticism. A question journal helps you connect your questions and outline possible lines of inquiry you might want to develop. Start your question journal by writing down the questions that pop up in your mind as you are reading a text for the first time, then contrast them with the questions you have after reading the text the second time and/or discussing it in class, and also with the questions your classmates and the instructor raise.
Opportunity to improve the grade for your questions: if you did not earn the maximum grade (0.5) for some of your questions, you can resubmit a maximum of 3 questions after having restated them as a result of class discussion.
Passage analysis: It consists of (i) providing context for the passage, and (ii) paraphrasing the passage.
Handout: You are expected to select a reading and develop a handout for it. The handout must summarize the argument of the reading. Ideally, it will also include questions challenging the reading’s argument or expanding it. Handouts will be graded on a 0-1-2 scale (0: non-existent or poor; 1: good; 2: very good). Handout length: up to one two-sided page. Format: it does not have to be regular structured prose, it can be a mental map, a comic stripe, a song (up to 2 mins), an animation (up to 2mins), a collage … be creative! (samples of handouts will be made available).
Response Paper: This is a critical response to one of the assigned readings. It cannot be a mere summary of the paper, or a statement of a personal opinion that does not explicitly engage with the paper’s argument. A good paper response will contain both an accurate summary of the paper’s argument, and a critical analysis of some part of that argument. Maximum length: 1,500-1,700 words. Tip: you can use one of the questions from your question journal as a starting point for the response paper.
The Department has very useful guidelines on how to do this: http://www.csus.edu/phil/guidance/how-to-analyze.html
Response paper draft: 15%
The draft of the response paper will be graded according to three parameters:
1. Accuracy of the summary of the text’s argument.
2. Clarity of exposition (in both the summary of the argument and critical analysis).
3. Originality of the critical analysis.
Response paper final: 25%
The final response paper will be graded based on the same parameters as the draft paper, plus the following:
4. Engagement with instructor’s feedback
Participation in class discussions: You are required to participate in class discussions. Respectful and constructive discussion is a critical part of philosophy. The pathway to good ideas and well-formed arguments is usually not a lonely one, but one filled with contributions and insights from others, sometimes in the form of challenges and questions, sometimes in the form of suggestions or comments. It is important to keep in mind that in this course, and in many others, you can learn not only from the texts and from me, but also from your classmates. Class discussions are a good opportunity to learn from classmates and to practice your own argumentative skills. It is also a way to invite possible collaborative projects.
Participation will be evaluated according to two parameters: relevance and quality.
There is a maximum of 0.5 of a point per class, and a total of 10 points.
Case Brainstorming items: Students and instructor bring to class examples of language use in media outlets, blogs, or personal conversations, which we will analyze using what we learned in class. Examples must be accompanied by a brief introduction connecting them to the class material, e.g. stating which notions or theories can be used to analyze the excerpt, what phenomenon it exemplifies, etc. Max. of 5 points per item per Case Brainstorming session. Cases need to be submitted to SacCT course site by midnight the day before the session.
-----
List of readings:
1. What is Language?
Locke, John. 1690. Of Words. (Excerpt)
Wittgenstein, Ludwig. 1953. Philosophical Investigations. (Excerpt)
*Vaughn, Lewis. 2006. Writing Philosophy: A Student’s Guide to Writing Philosophy Essays (Chapter 1).
2. Meaning and reference:
Frege. Gottlob. 1892. On Sense and Reference.
Kripke, S. 1972. Lecture II of Naming and Necessity.
Putnam, Hillary. 1973. Meaning and Reference.
Russell, Bertrand. 1919. On Denoting.
Haslanger, Sally. 2006. What Good Are Our Intuitions?
Diaz-Leon, Esa. 2016. ‘Woman’sOR Camp, E. Slurring Perspectivesolyphony. of our termsord? n the moon).al character of "n the person te philosophers might be as a Politically Significant Term: A Solution to The Puzzle.
3. Doing things with words (and with silence):
Austin, J.L. 1961. Performative Utterances.
Grice, H. P. 1957. Logic and Conversation.
Lewis, Davis. 1979. Scorekeeping in a Language Game.
McGowan, Mary Kate. 2009. Oppressive Speech.
Maitra, Ishani. 2012. Subordinating Speech.
Camp, Elisabeth. 2013. Slurring Perspectives.
4. (Un)Successful communicative exchanges:
Langton, Rae. 1993. Speech Acts and Unspeakable Acts.
Dotson. Kristie. 2011. Tracking Epistemic Violence, Tracking Practices of Silencing.
Kukla, Rebecca. 2014. Performative Force, Convention, and Discursive Injustice.
Saul, Jennifer. 2012a. Just Go Ahead and Lie.
Saul, Jennifer. 2012b. Lying, Misleading and What is Said. (Chapters 2 & 4)
Frankfurt, Harry. 2005. On Bullshit. (Excerpt)
Medina, José. 2004. The Meanings of Silence: Wittgenstenian Contextualism and Polyphony.
Couse Schedule: