ABOUT
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Prof. Gabriel Greenberg
PHIL 281: Philosophy of Mind • Fall 2018 • UCLA When: Tuesdays, 2-5pm Where: Dodd 325 Office hours by appointment. |
SYLLABUS
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Course descriptions: This seminar will investigate the nature of indexicality. We will start with the semantics of indexicality, with an emphasis on the sign, content, and truth. It involves the discussion of three kinds of semantics representation: icon, symbol, and index. We will explore different types of indexicality, including I, you, that, mental indexicality, pointing, arrows, perception, context-sensitivity. We will examine the nature of content: reference, sense, concepts, character, content and beyond.
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1. What is semantics?
October 2 |
Handout: Introduction to Semantics
Reading:
Reading notes: The Portner reading is intended to (re)introduce you to the key concepts of semantics and the method of semantic analysis. Please keep track of any technical questions you may have as you read. In class on Tuesday, we'll use these ideas to develop a formal semantics for Predicate Logic (without quantification). As you read, keep track of... Key concepts: meaning, concept, entailment, truth-condition, truth-value, possible world, expression, proposition, object language v. meta-language, reference, denotation, predicate, argument, compositionality. |
2. Demonstratives I
October 9 |
3. Demonstratives II
October 16 |
4. Demonstratives III
October 23 |
11/4: Paper 1 due
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Short paper (5pgs) on Kaplan on demonstratives.
One short meeting with me before this date. |
5a. Mental Indexicals I
November 13 |
5b. Mental Indexicals II
November 15 |
Handout: Mental Indexicals II
Reading:
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6. Indexicality in semiotics
November 20 |
7. Arrows and Pointing
November 27 |
Handout: Arrows and Pointing
Reading:
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8. Context sensitivity
December 4 |
9. Parting thoughts
December 11 |
1/4: Paper 2 due
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Longer paper (15-20 pgs) on a topic related to indexicality.
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