last updated 10/15/2024 — accessed:
Note: This version of the syllabus is tentative and will not be finalized until the end of the first week of classes. Some reading items will be added after that too.
| Meets Tu 1:00-3:50 at SH 5617 |
|---|
|
(Prof.) Colin Allen
<colinallen@ucsb.edu> |
Course Description
What is the relationship between mental capacities such as conceptual thought and the capacity for communication? Some philosophers, from Descartes to Davidson and beyond, have argued that conceptual thought requires communicative capacities that are as richly expressive as human language, but this makes it hard to understand how these capacities could have evolved. Some ethologists studying animal communication have favored a pragmatics-before-semantics account of animal communication to avoid getting into the thickets of linguistic reference and conceptual meaning. but the dominant approach to pragmatics in philosophy and linguistics is Grice's theory of non-natural meaning which requires at least third-order mental states (beliefs about beliefs about beliefs), thus again making it hard to see how meaningful communication could have evolved. in this course we will work through a manuscript of a forthcoming book by Dorit Bar-On (U. Connecticut) addressing these issues, titled Expression, Communication, and Origins of Meaning.
Prof. Bar-On will visit the class in November either the 5th or 12th and either virtually or in person, tbd later.
Required Materials
The reading will be supplied online via the course Canvas site. Generally there will be a two-week cushion with the book manuscript. Supplemental readings will also be added to the schedule appropriate.
Prof. Bar-On has provided this note about the current state of her project...
Greetings!
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to
share my manuscript in progress with you. And I very much look
forward to meeting with you later in the semester, after you’ve read
some of the chapter drafts. As you read the drafts, please keep in
mind that these are still just that: drafts. There are missing
references (highlighted in yellow) and in some places the text is
incomplete (also indicated in yellow), as well as stylistic and
editorial infelicities, typos, etc. Because the manuscript is still
a draft I ask that you do not share the chapters with anyone outside
the class or cite/quote without permission. I expect to continue
editing and tweaking till I feel ready to send a complete draft to
Oxford UP, so quoting from the present drafts risks
misrepresentation.
Please feel free to email me throughout
the semester with any questions or comments you may have – I’m sure
I’ll benefit from your feedback. (I’d be grateful for comments about
unnecessary repetitions or else any perceived need for more
sign-posting.)
Have a great semester!
Dorit
Grading Basis
If taking the seminar for a letter grade, there are three formal requirements on top of your continuing class participation.
If taking the seminar pass/fail only, you are required to do the first two things in addition to normal class participation.
Schedule of Readings, Topics, and Major Assignments
We are aiming to work through one chapter of the ms. per week as shown below
| Date | Topic | Readings / Assignments |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | ||
| Tue Oct 01 | Introduction to the Course | Précis of the book [pdf]
Optional items that will be discussed in class, included to provide historical background: Grice 1957 "Meaning" • Marler 1961 "The Logical Analysis of Animal Communication" |
| Week 2 | ||
| Tue Oct 08 | Introducing the Problem of the Origins of Meaning | Chapter 1 [docx]
Presenter: Surraiya; Rapporteur: Colin |
| Week 3 | ||
| Tue Oct 15 | Origins of Meaning: Should We ‘Go Gricean’? | Chapter 2 [docx]
Presenter: tba ; Rapporteur: Daehwi |
| Week 4 | ||
| Tue Oct 22 | Expressive Communication and Origins of Meaning | Chapter 3
[docx]
Presenter: Tiffani ; Rapporteur: Lee |
| Week 5 | ||
| Tue Oct 29 | From Meaning to Use: How to Do Things with Nonwords | Chapter 4
[docx]
Presenter: John ; Rapporteur: Surraiya |
| Week 6 | ||
| Tue Nov 05 | Intermediary Pragmatics and Mind-minding | Chapter 5
Presenter: Nima ; Rapporteur: Tiffani |
| Week 7 | ||
| Tue Nov 12 | Psychologically Mediated Communication – Potential Precursors | Chapter 6
Presenter: Lee ; Rapporteur: tba |
| Week 8 | ||
| Tue Nov 19 | A Pragmatically Intermediate Protolanguage? | Chapter 7
Presenter: Daehwi ; Rapporteur: John |
| Week 9 | ||
| Tue Nov 26 | After Language: Expression, Meaning, and Use | Chapter 8
Presenter: Eric ; Rapporteur: tbd |
| Week 10 | ||
| Tue Dec 03 | Conclusion and a Look Ahead | Chapter 9 |
Still Relatively New to Philosophy Courses?
You may find my concise guides to reading philosophy and writing philosophy helpful. You may find them useful even if you are not so new to philosophy.
Missed Assignments
Statement about Academic Misconduct
Students in this course are obliged to comply with UCSB's Academic Integrity Policies. Any student suspected of violating this obligation for any reason during the quarter will be referred via the Academic Integrity procedures detailed at the above link. When you submit assignments with your name on them in this course, you are signifying that the work contained therein is all yours, unless otherwise cited or referenced. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged. If you are unsure about the expectations for completing an assignment or taking a test or exam, be sure to seek clarification beforehand. Use of ChatGPT or similar generative AI products will be discussed in class, and may not be used unless you are explicitly given permission to do so, and never without explicit acknowledgment of its use.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and UCSB's Disabled Students Program for information about accomodations and services.
The University of California, in accordance with applicable federal and state laws and University policy, prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any person at the University on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, or age. For more information see https://eodp.ucsb.edu/resources/policies.
I ask that everyone in the class strive to help ensure that other members of this class can learn in a supportive and respectful environment. If there are instances of the aforementioned issues, you may contact the Title IX Office, by calling 805-893-2701 or visiting https://titleix.ucsb.edu/. You may also choose to report this to a faculty/staff member; they may also be required to communicate about such issues to the University’s Office of Diversity and Incusion. If you wish to maintain complete confidentiality, you may also contact University Counseling & Psychological Services .
Statement on Classroom Recording
To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas, students may not record classroom lectures, discussion and/or activities without the advance written permission of the instructor, and any such recording properly approved in advance can be used solely for the student’s own private use.
Materials provided for the course may be protected by copyright. United States copyright law, 17 USC section 101, et seq., in addition to University policy and procedures, prohibit unauthorized duplication or retransmission of course materials. See Library of Congress Copyright Office and the University Copyright Policy.