PHIL2021: Language, Logic and Reality

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• To introduce students to basic issues in analytic philosophy of language, logic and metaphysics.

• The topics to be covered may include some of the following:
• Theories of meaning
• Theories of truth
• Possible worlds
• Identity and essence
• Existence and non-existence
• Chance and necessity

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• At the end of the module students will have a grasp of core issues in analytic philosophy of language, logic, and metaphysics. In the first part of the module, students will consider questions in philosophy of language, such as those about the relationship between meaning and language, language and truth, and truth and reality, which will then lead in the second part of the module to metaphysical questions on topics such as possibility, necessity, and existence.
• The questions to be addressed in the first part may include some or all of the following: What is meaning? What are the preconditions for language to have meaning? Does meaning exist "in the mind" or out there in the world? What is truth? What is the relationship between truth and the world? Can we say true things about non-existent objects? How do we analyse statements about possibility and necessity?
• The questions to be addressed in the second part of the module may include some or all of the following: What are possible worlds? Can possibility and necessity be explained in terms of essence? Can possibility and necessity be explained in terms of powers? Why is there something rather than nothing? Must every fact have an explanation? Can the universe as a whole be the product of an accident? Is absolute nothingness metaphysically possible? What is determinism? What is chance? Can there be chance in a deterministic world?
• By considering these fundamental linguistic and cosmological questions, students will gain an understanding of a number of core concepts relating to meaning, modality, existence, and explanation.

Subject-specific Skills:

• By the end of the module students will be able to:
• Correctly utilise specialist vocabulary in discussions on language, logic and reality;
• Grasp, analyse, evaluate and deploy arguments concerning language, logic and reality;
• Locate, understand, assess and utilise pertinent philosophical and historical sources on language, logic and reality;
• Interpret and criticise relevant texts on language, logic and reality;
• Using all of the above skills, write critical and well-informed essays on selected topics concerning logic, language and reality.

Key Skills:

• By the end of the module students will be able to:
• Express themselves clearly and succinctly in writing;
• Comprehend complex ideas, propositions and theories;
• Defend their opinions by reasoned argument;
• Seek out and identify appropriate sources of evidence and information;
• Tackle problems in a clear-sighted and logical fashion.

• This module will be taught in weekly one-hour lectures, with weekly discussion groups allowing the students to enter into deeper discussion and engagement with the concepts introduced in the lecture. Teaching and learning methods will support students in achieving the Subject-Specific Skills above. The Subject-Specific Skills will be formally assessed by the summative essay.

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