Philosophy of Language (PHIL 306)\ History of Analytic Philosophy (PHIL 540)

Philosophy of Language (PHIL 306)
History of Analytic Philosophy (PHIL 540)

Lecturer: Sandy Berkovski

Spring 2020

Contact details
sandy.berkovski+comment@gmail.com, Bilkent ext. 1048
Office hours
H147, Thu 10:30-12:30, and by appointment

Readings

Readings for this course consist of book selections and articles. There is only one source: the electronic collection provided by the lecturer.

[Ber20]
Y. S. Berkovski. Philosophy of Language: Course reader. Link to the .pdf file forwarded at the beginning of the semester.

Preliminary term schedule

Abbreviations: `Author[i]' designates item #i in [Ber20]. Starred items demand especially close scrutiny, either because of the significance of their arguments, or because of their sophistication, or both. Items with a dagger will be discussed only in passing (but remember that every item on the list is a required reading).
Week 1-2
Introduction: Carroll[1]; Sense and reference: Frege[2]
Week 1-2
*Thought: Frege[3]
Week 2
Sense and tone: Dummett[4]
Week 3
Critique of Frege: *Kripke[5]
Week 4
Rigid designation: *Kripke[6], †Dummett[7]
Week 6-7
Indeterminacy of meaning and reference: *Quine[8], Quine[9]
Week 7
Radical interpretation *Davidson[10]
Week 8
Meaning and reference: †Davidson[11]
Week 8
Response to Quine and Davidson: Searle[12]
6 April 2020
Midterm exam
Week 9-10
Scepticism about meaning: *Kripke[13], *Kripke[14]
Week 10
Response to Kripke: Millikan[15]
Week 11
Performatives and convention: Austin[16], *Strawson[17]
Week 12-13
Meaning, intention: Grice[18], *Grice[19]
Week 13
Literal meaning: †Davidson[20]
Week 14
Dynamic pragmatics: *Stalnaker[21]
Week 15
Final exam

Requirements

PHIL 306

Midterm and final exams
There will be two closed-book exams.
Quizzes
Six quizzes (fifteen minutes each) will be administered in the course of the semester. Their dates will not be announced in advance.
Participation
Students are encouraged to take part in the discussion at the class. This includes asking meaningful questions, however trivial they might seem. Additionally, students may submit short written comments (ca. 300 words) on the text we currently study before the relevant class.
Etiquette
Please note that latecomers will not be allowed into class, including those that are late from the break. This rule will be strictly enforced throughout the semester.

PHIL 540

Essay
Students will submit an essay of about 4000 words by the end of Week 13 (10 May).
Quizzes
Six closed-book quizzes (fifteen minutes each) will be administered in the course of the semester. Their dates will not be announced in advance.
Discussion pieces
Every Sunday by 22:00 students will be required to submit a short fragment (ca. 700 words) on one or two issues in the text we are expected to cover on that day. Students will be required to submit twelve such fragments.
Participation
Students are encouraged to take part in the discussion at the class. This includes asking meaningful questions, however trivial they might seem. Additionally, students may submit short written comments (ca. 500 words) on the text we currently study before the relevant class.
Etiquette
Please note that latecomers will not be allowed into class, including those that are late from the break. This rule will be strictly enforced throughout the semester.

Grading

[post covid-19 adjusted]

PHIL 306

Midterm exam                     40%
Final exam                     40%
Participation                     17%
Quizzes                     3%

PHIL 540

Essay                     56%
Discussion pieces 1-6                     12%
Discussion pieces 7-12                     18%
Participation                     12%
Quizzes                     2%
Your exam grades will be in the interval [0, 100] and roughly correspond to the Bilkent percentage scale:
Numerical scale (%)                     Letter scale
95 - 100                     A
90 - 94                     A-
86 - 89                     B+
82 - 85                     B
78 - 81                     B-
74 - 77                     C+
70 - 73                     C
67 - 69                     C-
63 - 66                     D+
59 - 62                     D
00 - 58                     F
This scale will also be used for converting final numerical grades to letter grades.
Participation numerical grades: 99, 90, 84, 70, 59, 0.
Quiz numerical grades: 99, 84, 59, 20.
Discussion pieces grades: 99, 90, 84, 70, 20.
Please note that the students will be allowed to sit the final exam only if they get a combined grade of at least 59/100 for their midterm exam, quizzes, and participation (that is, when their average grade for these requirements is at least D).


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On 16 May 2020, 07:45.