Philosophy of Language

The aim of teaching is to provide in-depth knowledge of some of the classical topics of the philosophy of language which already have been addressed in an introductory way in the courses of philosophy of language for the Laurea Triennale, such as the relationship between language and thought, the nature of meaning and of the basic rules of linguistic communication. An additional objective of teaching is to familiarize the students with the formal instruments required to address the contemporary literature on the topics discussed.

Knowledge and Understanding
At the end of the course the students
- have in-depth knowledge of some important aspects of the contemporary debate on the nature of meaning, the relationship between language and thought, and on the mechanisms of linguistic communication;
- know part of the relevant scientific literature on the topics discussed;
- know the important implications of some of the advanced theoretical proposals by philosophers of language for metaphysics, epistemology, or the philosophy of mind.
Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding
At the end of the course the students
- have the ability of analyzing complex arguments in the context of the philosophy of language, also with regard to hypotheses in the philosophy of mind and metaphysics;
- are in a position to formulate significant objections to the diverse theoretical approaches;
- are able to successfully indicate the argument strategies used by the diverse advanced theories in the philosophy of language, the philosophy of mind, and metaphysics in order to respond to various objections.