Introduction to the Philosophy of Language

Introduction to the Philosophy of Language
Dr. Naveh Frumer

We all know what it’s like to have a thought, yet not quite being able to put it into words. Or that feeling of “I wish there were a word for that...” Many would agree the words we use shape the way we perceive our world: but then how to explain the fact that language is also man-made and changeable? Does that mean we are constrained by our language or rather that language allows us to shape the world at our whim? Do people who speak different languages or idioms also think differently, or are they merely expressing similar thoughts in different “dress”? And more profoundly, how do the immaterial thoughts in our head enter into vocal expressions and written signs to begin with?
This course will introduce some of the key questions in the philosophy of language, exploring the relations between thoughts and words, intentions and meanings, language and truth. Among the thinkers that will be read and discussed are Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, W. V. Quine, John Austin, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Ferdinand de Saussure.
 

Assignments and Grading
3 papers throughout the semester, each answering a key question about one thinker discussed during the course. The questions will be given during the course, based on the material discussed in class. Papers should be between 2-5 pages (double-spaced).
Each paper will compose one third of the final grade