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Home , Scott Soames, Sense and reference

500, Introduction to Contemporary Philosophical Literature, Fall 2020 Thurs: 4:30-7PM , STO 223, and MHP 107, (213)-740-0798, [email protected], website: http://dornsife.usc.edu/scottsoames, Office hours: Description An advanced introduction to leading philosophers in the analytic tradition from Frege (1879) to the present. Topics center on , the philosophy of , metaphysics and the philosophy of mind. Texts Weekly readings available from Hoose, online, and, on occasion, the MHP office Books on Reserve in the Hoose Library Almog, et al Themes From Kaplan , Max Black, eds. Translations from the Philosophical Writings of Gottlob Frege Foundations of Arithmetic (translated by Austin) Gomez-Torrente Roads to . Oxford 2020 David Lewis Philosophical Papers Volume 1 (NN) _____ Philosophical Troubles (PT) 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) ____ (PL) ____ in America (APA) ____ Rethinking Language, Mind, and (RLMM) , ed. Readings in the Philosophy of Language

Course Requirements In addition to the reading, there will be weekly assignments of 1000–1500 words on specified topics, due electronically 48 hours before . They will be returned with comments 24 hours before class, and will be discussed, along with new material during the seminar. In addition to the Thursday seminar, there will be a weekly meeting 9-10:30 each Monday in the Chair’s office in MHP. Students may raise and discuss any questions about seminar material. 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. Soames, pp1-11 of “What we know about and numbers and how we know it.” Personal Website. https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/678/docs/Soames_Numbers-and-Propositions.pdf Before the first class, students read as much as they can of the Frege. Sections 2, 4, 5 of chapter 1 of ATP1 may be consulted as needed for background. Week 2: Frege “On ,” Sections 3 (), 4 (sense and reference), and 5 (Platonism and Frege's hierarchy) of Chapter 2 of ATP 1.

Week 3: Frege, “The Thought”; Kripke, “Frege’s Theory of Sense and Reference” in PT; also section 7 of chapter 2 ATP1 Week 4: Russell “On Denoting” (available online) plus sections 1, 2.3 of chapter 8 of ATP 1 (Remainder of chap 8 optional). Week 5: Truth and Meaning Tarski “Truth and Proof” (PDF from instructor), Chapter 2 of PL, a brief selection from Dummet “Truth,” (PDF from instructor) plus section 3 of chapter 9 of ATP 2.

Weeks 6-8: Kripke, Putnam, Lewis on Mind and Language Week 6: Kripke Lectures 1 & 2 of NN; Soames, “Kripke on Epistemic & Metaphysical Possibility" in APA, also “Fruits of the Causal Theory of Reference,” website Week 7: Kripke Lecture 3 of NN, Soames, "Knowledge of Manifest Natural Kinds" (from p. 189 to top of p. 205) in PE2 and "What are Natural Kinds;" in APA. Soames, “Review of Roads to Reference”, chapters 5 and 6 of Roads to Reference (PDF from instructor) Week 8: Putnam “The Nature of Mental States” in Putnam; Lewis, “An Argument for the Theory” in Vol 1 Phil Papers; Soames “Kripke on Mind-Body Identity” website.

Week 9-11: Propositional Attitudes Week 9: Soames "Direct Reference, Propositional Attitudes and Semantic Content," in PE2; "Why Propositions Can't be Truth Supporting Circumstances," and "Understanding Assertion" website & PE2 Week 10: Soames, chapters 2 and 3 of RLMM Week 11: Kripke “A Puzzle about ” in Kripke PT; Soames chapter 4 of RLMM Week 12: Lewis: Modality, Metaphysics, and Causation Lewis, chapter 4 Counterfactuals, Soames "David Lewis's Place in Analytic Philosophy" website & APA Week 13-14: Context Sensitivity Week 13: Kaplan “Demonstratives” in Almog, chapter 2 of Roads of Reference. (PDF from instructor) Week 14: Salmon "Demonstrating and Necessity;" Soames pp 145-151 and 163-168 of PL, Kripke "The First Person" in PT, Soames pp 201-207 of RLMM

Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems

Academic Conduct:

Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Part B, Section 11, “Behavior Violating University Standards” policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct, policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct.

Support Systems:

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