The foundation and development of modern philosophy of mind and language in the second half of the twentieth century, and the radical effects these developments have had on modern analytic philosophy.
This paper is in two halves. The Mind half looks at: marks of the mental, physicalism and its rivals, perception, thought, intentionality, externalism and the extended mind, consciousness, mental causation, other minds, self-knowledge, and the self. The Language half of the paper looks at a number of themes concerning linguistic meaning and mental content, including classic works by W.V.O. Quine, H.P. Grice and Saul Kripke.
| Paper title | Philosophy of Mind and Language |
|---|---|
| Paper code | PHIL333 |
| Subject | Philosophy |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $955.05 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- One 200-level PHIL paper
- Restriction
- PHIL 224 PHIL 233, PHIL 302, PHIL 306, PHIL 324
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Contact
- More information link
- Teaching staff
- Paper Structure
The first half of the paper addresses central issues in contemporary philosophy of mind, including:
- physicalism and its rivals
- perception and thought
- intentionality and consciousness
- mental causation
- other minds
- self-knowledge and the self
The second half of the paper looks at a number of themes concerning linguistic meaning and mental content, including:
- W.V.O. Quine's famous arguments concerning the indeterminacy of translation
- H. P. Grice's attempt to account for the notion of linguistic meaning via the notion of speakers' communicative intentions
- Saul Kripke's exploration (in his Naming and Necessity) of connections between the philosophy of language and mind and issues in metaphysics concerning necessity and contingency
- Teaching Arrangements
Two classes per week; a two hour lecture and a one hour lecture.
The classes mix more formal lecture components with less formal seminar components.
- Textbooks
Tim Bayne, Philosophy of Mind: An Introduction(Routledge 2021)
https://www.routledge.com/Philosophy-of-Mind-An-Introduction/BayneAlexander Miller, Philosophy of Language (3rd edition 2018).
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Ethics, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
In the first half of the paper students will have:
- Understanding, and skilled appraisal, of the main physicalist accounts of the mind, shown in a research essay or exam answer
- Understanding of, and skilled response to, key issues concerning consciousness or intentionality, shown in a research essay or exam answer
- Understanding of, and skilled response to, key issues concerning perception, thought, mental causation, other minds, self-knowledge, or the self, shown in a research essay or exam answer
In the second half the paper students will have:
- Understanding of, and skilled response to, Quine's argument from below for indeterminacy of translation, to be determined in a research essay
- Understanding of, and skilled response to, other topics (including Quine's argument from above, Grice's account of meaning and alternatives, Kripke on Naming and Necessity), to be shown in exam answers
- Engagement with PHIL 233/333, demonstrated in written work through engagement with lecture handouts
