PHIL 309.001                                                                                                                        

LARKIN: Spring 2003

SIUE

__________________________

 

PHIL 309:  Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy

Syllabus

 

I.                   Course Information

A.     Name: Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy

B.     Number: PHIL 309.001

C.     Days/time: TR 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

D.     Room: PH 2412

 

 

II.                Instructor Information

A.     Name: Dr. William S. Larkin

B.     Office: Peck Hall 2207

C.     Office Hours: TR 3:30-4:30 PM, and by appointment

D.     Office Phone: 650-2643

E.     E-Mail: wlarkin@siue.edu

 

 

III.             Course Description

The primary objective of this course is to introduce students to some of the major themes, movements, and figures of twentieth century analytic philosophy.  We will consider such prominent themes of analytic philosophy as realism, empiricism, the relevance of logic and language to philosophy, and the relationship between philosophy, science, and common sense.  We will organize the early analysts, somewhat artificially but usefully, into several movements—common sense realists, logical atomists, logical positivists, and ordinary language philosophers—and explore how these movements are related to the outlooks of more contemporary analytic philosophers.  Along the way we will delve into the work of such towering figures of analytic philosophy as G.E. Moore, Bertrand Russell, Gottlob Frege, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Rudolph Carnap, and W.V.O. Quine.  We will be paying particular attention to these and other philosophers’ ideas on how language, logic, and science relate to the nature of reality and the function of philosophy.  The secondary objective of the course is to promote various critical thinking habits, analytical reasoning skills, and active reading strategies.      

 

 

IV.              Texts

A.     RENTAL:

Analytic Philosophy: An Anthology, Sosa and Martinich (eds.)

 

 

 

V.                 Course Requirements

1.      Reading Journals (20%):  There will be reading questions given out for each week’s readings.  The objective of these questions is to promote active reading, understanding, and participation in class discussion.  Students will type up their answers to these questions and keep them in a specially designated folder (a reading journal).  These folders will be collected 2-4 times over the course of the semester at random intervals and graded mainly on the basis of effort.  The cumulative score on the reading journals will be worth 20% of the semester grade.     

   

2.      Tests (30%/ea.):  There will be two (midterm and final) take-home essay exams.  Each exam (approx. 6 pp. typed, double-spaced) will be worth 30% of the semester grade.

 

3.      Group Presentations (20%):  Seven groups will give a 15-minute presentation that outlines and launches a discussion about the reading material for weeks 7-13.  Each group will be graded as a unit—every member of the group receiving the same grade.  The grade for the group presentation will be worth 20% of the semester grade.

 

 

VI.              Expectations

Genuine learning requires two-way communication.  Students are not merely empty vessels waiting to be filled up with information—they come to this course with various backgrounds, beliefs, skills and talents.  My goal is (1) to incorporate some new concepts, ideas, and perspectives into students’ pre-existing knowledge base, and (2) to help students acquire and hone certain critical thinking habits and argumentative skills.  It is expected that you will help facilitate this process by taking an active role in your own learning process.  Only with your active participation can genuine learning occur, and only genuine learning will insure success in the course. 

 

I expect you to take an active role in class by taking notes, participating in discussion, asking questions, and providing feedback on how you are doing and how you think the class is going.  No behavior that manifests a lack of respect for others or their learning objectives will be tolerated.  It is absolutely crucial that everyone feel comfortable stating and defending his or her own views.  

 

I expect you to take an active role outside of class by keeping up on the assigned readings, completing the assigned reading questions, reviewing notes, and coming to see me in office hours whenever a question or problem arises.  I also want to encourage you to get together with fellow students to discuss the material in the course and perhaps read related material that we will not be covering.  I am more than willing to help with either of those projects in any way I can.

 

 

VII.           Academic Dishonesty:

No kind or degree of academic dishonesty (i.e., cheating or plagiarism) will be tolerated.  Any such behavior on any assignment will certainly result in failing that assignment, will probably result in failing the course, and may require more drastic measures through official channels.  

 

 

 

VIII.        Weekly Schedule

 

I.                   Early Analysts: Realism, Language, and Logic

 

Week One:     Moore, “A Refutation of Idealism ” (handout)

 

Week Two:     Moore, “In Defense of Common Sense” and “Proof of an External World”

 

Week Three:  Frege, “On Sense and Reference”

 

Week Four:    Russell, “On Denoting”

 

Week Five:     Russell, “On Denoting”

 

 

 

II.                Logical Positivism and its Inspiration and Critique

 

Week Six:       Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

 

Week Seven: Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

 

Week Eight:  Ayer, “The Elimination of Metaphysics”

                                   

 

Week Nine:    Logical Positivism

 

Week Ten:      Carnap, “Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology ”

                                    (GROUP #1)

 

     

 

 

III.             Ordinary Language Philosophy

 

Week Eleven: Quine, “Two Dogmas of Empiricism”

                                    (GROUP #2)  

 

Week Twelve: The Later Wittgenstein

 

 

 

 

IV.              Language, Translation, and Metaphysics

 

Week Thirteen:  Austin, “A Plea for Excuses”

                                    (GROUP #3)

 

Week Fourteen: Quine, “Ontological Relativity” (handout)

                                    (GROUP #4)

 

 Week Fifteen:     Summation