| Unit name | Philosophy of Language |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL20017 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Everett |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
PHIL10005 Introduction to Philosophy A, PHIL10006 Introduction to Philosophy B. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The unit aims to present a view of linguistic communication in which the semantic properties of the words uttered conspire with the features and circumstances of the uttering to generate messages. The main message (what is said) is relatively overt and explicit, while other layers of communicated content are implicit in (implicated by) the main message. To appreciate the complicated ways in which context interacts with linguistic meaning we focus upon the techniques people employ for referring to particular objects. It is convenient to structure this field in terms of the different kinds of linguistic devices used: proper names, demonstratives, pronouns, definite descriptions. We also look at cases where people refer to kinds of thing, stuffs, and properties. Issues that raise questions about the borderline between semantics and pragmatics: (a) Grice's distinction between what is literally said and what is conversationally implied; (b) how to handle figurative uses of language such as metaphor, are also considered.
