In this course we read novels, plays, poetry, essays, and short stories as sources of philosophical ideas. Among the writers studied are Samuel Butler, Jorge Luis Borges, Martin Amis, John Barth, Walker Percy, and Rebecca Goldstein. The student learns to recognize and evaluate philosophical thought in contexts that are not exclusively philosophical. Language is transparent and opaque. We can use language without conscious thought, but when we turn our attention to language, it proves surprisingly difficult to explain.
Philosophers of language are especially interested in how language has meaning.
Meaning somehow makes possible connections between speakers as well as connections between speakers and that of which they speak. The philosopher wants a theory of language that will explain what meaning is, how it is mutually grasped by speakers, and how it makes words be about something. She will gain understanding of the power and resiliency of the world's natural languages. This understanding will alert her to misrepresentations of the effects of language and enable her to detect and analyze common linguistic confusions. The content of this course is determined by the seniors each year.