PHIL/LING 445.001 – Advanced Philosophy of Language

Instructor: Jim Pryor. This course meets M 3:00 – 5:30 p.m. in CW 213.

Topic: Naming and Necessity

Course website: http://445.jimpryor.net/

Description (copied from website): We’ll work through major landmarks in the semantics of descriptions and demonstratives, culminating with Kripke’s Naming and Necessity and Kaplan’s “Demonstratives.” Details will be tailored to the interests and backgrounds of the participants (we might, for example, explore connections to the metaphysics of origins and composition). Along the way, participants should expect to learn some formal semantics, and major development in 20th century analytic philosophy.

Recommended prerequisite: at least two courses in philosophy other than PHIL 155, including PHIL 345.

Please note: This course counts toward the “metaphysics and epistemology” distribution requirement for PHIL grad students.

Permission of the instructor is required to enroll in this course. PHIL grad students are exempt from this enrollment requirement.