Overview
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 looks at a number of issues in recent and contemporary philosophy of mind and language relating to linguistic meaning, mental content, linguistic representation and mental representation. We will study the works of philosophers such as Quine, Wittgenstein, Grice, Kripke, Searle, Fodor and others.
About this paper
| Paper title | Philosophy of Mind and Language |
|---|---|
| Subject | Philosophy |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $981.75 |
| 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
PHIL233 comprises a combination of lectures and seminars. Topics covered may include:
- Physicalism and its rivals
- Perception and thought
- Intentionality and consciousness
- Mental causation
- Other minds
- Self-knowledge and the self
- W.V.O. Quine's famous arguments concerning the indeterminacy of translation
- Ludwig Wittgenstein’s apparent arguments against the determinacy of meaning
- 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
- The mind-body problem
- Theories of the mind (including dualism, materialism, functionalism and eliminativism)
- Whether the human mind can be regarded as a kind of computer
- John Searle’s “Chinese Room” Argument
- Theories of mental representation
- Physicalism and consciousness
- 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/Bayne.Tim Crane, The Mechanical Mind: A Philosophical Introduction to Minds, Machines and Mental Representation (3rd Edition Routledge 2016).
Alexander Miller, Philosophy of Language (3rd Edition Routledge 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, Searle’s “Chinese Room” argument, to be determined in a research essay
- Understanding of, and skilled response to, other topics (including Quine's argument from above, Wittgenstein on meaning, Grice's account of meaning and alternatives, Kripke on Naming and Necessity, theories of mental representation, physicalism and consciousness), to be shown in seminar questions and/or exam answers
- Engagement with PHIL 233/333, demonstrated in written work through engagement with lecture handouts
Timetable
Overview
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 introduces students to some of the most important concepts, problems, and theories that have shaped philosophy over the last century. Specifically, this paper introduces students to the main issues in the philosophy of language and mind that have been much in vogue since the early 20th Century.
About this paper
| Paper title | Philosophy of Mind and Language |
|---|---|
| Subject | Philosophy |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for 2025 have not yet been set |
| 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
View more information on the Philosophy Programme's website.
- Teaching staff
- Paper Structure
PHIL 333 comprises a combination of lectures and seminars. Topics covered may include:
Mind
- Physicalism and its rivals
- Perception and thought
- Intentionality and consciousness
- Mental causation
- Other minds
- Self-knowledge
- The mind-body problem
- Theories of the mind (including dualism, materialism, functionalism and eliminativism)
- Whether the human mind can be regarded as a kind of computer
- Theories of mental representation
- Physicalism and consciousness
Language
- Meaning, connotation and reference
- Analyticity
- Singular terms: definite descriptions, proper names and indexicals
- Natural kinds
- Indeterminacy of translation and meaning
- Pragmatics and speech acts
- Expressive Language
- Metaphors and figurative language
- Teaching Arrangements
Two classes per week: one 2-hour lecture and one 1-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/BayneIn addition, students will be required to read a selection of primary texts (articles) in the philosophy of language.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Ethics, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
The goals for the first half of the paper are:
- 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, and self-knowledge, shown in a research essay or exam answer
The goals for the second half of the paper are:
- Understanding of, and skilled response to, some of the central developments in the philosophy of language (including theories of reference, meaning and pragmatics) shown in a research essay or exam answer
- Engagement with PHIL 333, demonstrated in written work through engagement with lecture handouts
- Assessment details
Assessment:
- Weekly reading tests (20% total)
- Final 3-hour exam (80%)