PHI 3700: Philosophy of Language (2024-2025)

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We typically communicate by using language, where communicating involves conveying meaning. But what is meaning? And what is a language? Philosophy of language examines these and related issues, such as: in virtue of what do words, or names, refer to objects or to persons? How do we mean more than what we literally say? Related topics include theories of meaning and reference, the distinction between semantics and pragmatics, and the variety of speech acts. May also cover recent work on metaphor and non-literal speech, pejoratives, or the language and power of propagandistic speech. Typically offered: Autumn.