O'Sullivan, Brendan2009-02-262009-02-262005-08-30http://hdl.handle.net/10267/3501This syllabus was submitted to the Rhodes College Office of Academic Affairs by the course instructor.This course aims to provide an introduction to some of the central issues in the philosophy of language. We will focus on two key concepts, meaning and reference. Among the questions that we shall address are the following: 1. How do words attach to the world? ‘Tree’ is about trees, and not about grass. What makes that true? a. Is it something about us, about our intentions, or is it something about the world? 2. What kind of constraints are there on interpreting meaningful texts? a. Are all interpretations equally defensible? Or are there standards of interpretation? If so, what are they? 3. What is meaning? What is a word’s meaning? Is meaning ultimately a bankrupt concept that should be expelled from philosophy? 4. How does our conception of meaning affect our theory of knowledge? 5. How does our conception of meaning affect our theory of mind? 6. What is the nature of metaphor?en-USRhodes College owns the rights to the archival digital images in this repository. Images are made available for educational use only and may not be used for any non-educational or commercial purpose. Approved educational uses include private research and scholarship, teaching, and student projects. For additional information please contact archives@rhodes.edu. Fees may apply.Philosophy, Department ofSyllabusCurriculumAcademic departmentsText2005 FallSyllabus