Not offered 2007-2008
PHIL 202 Language and Mind (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.
CRUZ