PHIL 325: Philosophy of Language

(1 Unit)
Words and sentences of a language have meanings, thereby allowing us to use sentences to communicate our thoughts, some of which are true. But how do words and sentences get their referents and meanings? What are meanings? This course focuses on central developments in the philosophy of language throughout the twentieth century. Topics include theories of meaning and reference, speech acts, pragmatics, and conversational implicature. Mittag.