PHIL 202 Language and Mind (Not offered 2006-2007; to be offered 2007-2008) (W)
This course is designed to introduce students to twentieth-century philosophy by
focusing on two of its premier research areas, language and mind. Each of these
topics been studied independently of the other, with the philosophy of language
dominating the first half of the century and the philosophy of mind surging in the
second half. Research on language and mind have also enjoyed a fruitful liaison,
as much of the technical apparatus of the philosophy of language has been used
to illuminate the mind. The other side of this coin is that language is something
that minds achieve, and some prominent theories of linguistic meaning have
emphasized psychological elements of language use. The course will begin with
the work of Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein, and end with the work of Putnam,
Dennett, Fodor and Churchland. The course is intended to prepare students for
more advanced research on either language or mind. At the same time, the
course aims to offer an overview of the methods and intellectual style of analytic
philosophy. Thus, it will also serve as preparation for advanced work in epistemology, philosophy of science, metaphysics, and ethics. The syllabus can be
found at: http://www.williams. edu/philosophy/fourth_layer/faculty_pages/jcruz/courses/lang&mind.html
Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: short writing assignments each week,
and two longer papers.
Prerequisite: Philosophy 102 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limit:
19 (expected: 12-18). Preference given to Philosophy, Psychology, Linguistics
and Computer Science majors. This course is writing intensive.