Philosophy 500, Introduction to Contemporary Philosophical Literature, Fall 2018 Thurs: 2:00 – 4:20 Scott Soames, STO 223, and MHP 107, (213)-740-0798, [email protected], website: http://dornsife.usc.edu/scottsoames, Office hours: M 9-11 in MHP 107, F 10-11 and by appointment. Description An advanced introduction to leading philosophers in the analytic tradition from Frege (1879) to the present. Topics center on philosophical logic, the philosophy of language, metaphysics and the philosophy of mind. Texts Weekly readings available from Hoose, the net, online, and, on occasion, the MHP office Books on Reserve in the Hoose Library Almog, et al Themes From Kaplan Peter Geach, Max Black, eds. Translations from the Philosophical Writings of Gottlob Frege Gottlob Frege Foundations of Arithmetic (translated by Austin) David Lewis Philosophical Papers Volume 1 _____ Counterfactuals Saul Kripke Naming and Necessity (NN) _____ Philosophical Troubles (PT) Hilary Putnam Mind, Language, and Reality: Philosophical Papers, Vol. 2 Scott Soames The Analytic Tradition, Vol. 1 (ATP1) ____ The Analytic Tradition, Vol. 2 (ATP2) ____ Philosophical Essays, Vol. 2 (PE2) ____ Philosophy of Language (PL) ____ Analytic Philosophy in America (APA) ____ Rethinking Language, Mind, and Meaning (RLMM) Peter Ludlow, ed. Readings in the Philosophy of Language
Course Requirements In addition to reading assignments, there will be weekly written assignments, 1000–1500 words in length, on specified topics, due electronically 48 hours before the class. The assignments will be returned with comments 24 hours prior to the meeting, and will be discussed, with new material, during the seminar. In addition to the Thursday seminar, the instructor will hold a weekly meeting from 9 to 10:30 each Monday in the Chair’s office in MHP. At that time students may raise and discuss any questions about the material in the seminar or the weekly assignments. Monday attendance is optional. Credit and Grading Students will be graded on their written assignments and oral participation. With the exception of class participation – which, at the discretion of the instructor, may be taken into account for up to 10% “extra credit” for the course – the weekly essays will be the sole determinants of the grade. Students completing the course will receive normal seminar credit.
Schedule of Topics and Readings Weeks 1-3: Frege Week 1: Frege, The Foundations of Arithmetic, sections 1-4, 45-57, 60-63, 68-69, and 70-83. Students should, before the first class, read as much as they can of the Frege. Sections 2, 4, 5 of ATP1 may be consulted as needed for background. Week 2: Frege “On Sense and Reference,” Sections 3, 4, and 5 of Chapter 2 of ATP 1. Week 3: Frege, “The Thought” in Ludlow; Perry, “Frege on Demonstratives” in Ludlow; Kripke, “Frege’s Theory of Sense and Reference” in PT; Soames, section 7 of chapter 2 ATP1, Soames RLMM pp. 15-35. 46-56
Week 4-5: Russell Bertrand Russell “On Denoting” (available online) Week 4: "On Denoting" except for the Gray's Elegy Argument plus all of chapter 8 of ATP 1 except for section 2.3 Week 5: The Gray's Elegy argument in "On Denoting plus section 2.3.1- 2.3.5 of ATP 1
Weeks 6: Truth and Meaning Tarski “Truth and Proof” (xerox), Chapter 2 of PL, a brief selection from Dummet “Truth,” (xerox) plus chapter section 3 of chapter 9 of ATP 2.
Weeks 7-9: Kripke, Putnam, Lewis on Mind and Language Week 7: Kripke Lectures 1 and 2 of NN; Soames, “Kripke on Epistemic and Metaphysical Possibility" of APA Week 8: Kripke Lecture 3 of NN, Soames, "Knowledge of Manifest Natural Kinds" in PE2 and"What are Natural Kinds;" in APA Week 9: Putnam “The Nature of Mental States” in Putnam; Lewis, “An Argument for the Identity Theory” in Vol 1 Phil Papers; Soames “Kripke on Mind-Body Identity” website.
Week 10-11: Propositional Attitudes Week 10: Soames "Direct Reference, Propositional Attitudes and Semantic Content," "Why Propositions Can't be Truth Supporting Circumstances," and "Understanding Assertion" in PE2. Week 11: Kripke “A Puzzle about Belief” in Kripke; Soames chapter 4 of RLMM Week 12: Counterfactuals: Lewis, chapters 1,2, 4 Counterfactuals, Kment "Counterfactuals and Explanation"
Week 13-14: Context Sensitivity Week 13: Kaplan “Demonstratives” in Almog Week 14: Salmon "Demonstrating and Necessity;" Kripke "The First Person" in PT, Soames pp 201-207 of RLMM
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