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ACADEMIC SESSION 2011-
PH2017 Philosophy of Language
15 credits. 12 weeks.
PLEASE NOTE CAREFULLY:
The full set of school regulations and procedures is contained in the Undergraduate Student Handbook which is available in each Philosophy course site in MyAberdeen and also online at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/sdhp/ugradstudenthandbook/. Students are expected to familiarise themselves not only with the contents of this leaflet but also with the contents of the Handbook. Therefore, ignorance of the contents of the Handbook will not excuse the breach of any school regulation or procedure.
You must familiarise yourself with this important information at the earliest opportunity.
COURSE CO-ORDINATOR/COURSE TEAM
Course Co-ordinator: Dr. Gerry Hough Contact Details: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/philosophy/staff/details.php?id=g.hough
Philosophy Secretary: KCG11b, King’s Quad 01224 273986 philosophy@abdn.ac.uk
TIMETABLE Students can view the Undergraduate Timetable at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/philosophy/ugrad.shtml Students can view the University Calendar at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/students/term-dates.php
COURSE DESCRIPTION Philosophers are interested in language for all kinds of reasons, and so Philosophy of Language is a broad church. In this course, however, we focus on influential philosophical work concerning two aspects of language—semantics and pragmatics.
Put simply, semantics is the study of the relation between words (or sentences) and the world. It seems pretty obvious that words are meaningful at least partially because of the semantic relations they have to things or states of affairs in the world. For example, a name like ‘Paris’ gets its meaning by referring to someone or something. But, as we shall see, this apparently innocuous claim leads to all sorts of problems and puzzles. We will look at these
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problems, focusing primarily on the semantics of names (like ‘Gerry’ and ‘Aberdeen’) and definite descriptions (like ‘the lecturer of PH2012’ and ‘the third largest city in Scotland’).
Pragmatics is often contrasted with semantics. Put simply, pragmatics is the study of how we use words (or sentences) to communicate our thoughts and intentions. In this course, we will focus on two areas of pragmatics where philosophers have made a substantial contribution: Speech Act Theory and Implicature. The former is the study of what a speaker is trying to do when they utter particular sentences—e.g. assert, promise, deceive, amuse, etc. The latter is the study of how speakers can communicate things without actually saying them.
COURSE AIMS
- To introduce students to philosophical problems about language.
- To increase student’s abilities in dealing with important philosophical problems in the field.
- To introduce students to the field, its basic questions and ways of dealing with them.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- demonstrate, in spoken and written form, familiarity with a range of philosophical views dealing with questions in the philosophy of language.
- present and critically discuss arguments and positions concerning different philosophical questions in the field. 3. start to make up their own mind about the issues relevant here.
LECTURE/SEMINAR PROGRAMME 1 one-hour lecture per week, plus 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.
REGULARITY OF ATTENDANCE
Please see the Student Handbook on attendance.
Absence from Classes on Medical Grounds
Candidates who wish to establish that their academic performance has been adversely affected by their health are required to secure medical certificates relating to the relevant periods of ill health (see General Regulation 17.3).
The University’s policy on requiring certification for absence on medical grounds or other good cause can be accessed at: www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x5.pdf You are strongly advised to make yourself fully aware of your responsibilities if you are absent due to illness or other good cause. In particular, you are asked to note that self-certification of absence for periods of absence up to and including eleven weekdays is permissible.
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further copy must be submitted to TurnitinUK through the PH2017 course site in MyAberdeen.
Please note: Failure to submit coursework to TurnitinUK will result in a mark of zero for the coursework.
MyAberdeen (the University of Aberdeen’s Virtual Learning Environment)
MyAberdeen is the University of Aberdeen’s Virtual Learning Environment. This is where you will find learning materials and resources associated with the courses you are studying.
MyAberdeen also provides direct access to TurnitinUK, the originality checking service, through which you may be asked to submit completed assignments.
You can log in to MyAberdeen by going to www.abdn.ac.uk/myaberdeen and entering your University username and password (which you use to access the University network).
Further information on MyAberdeen including Quick Guides and video tutorials, along with information about TurnitinUK, can be found at: www.abdn.ac.uk/students/myaberdeen.php
Information about academic writing and how to avoid plagiarism can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism.
TurnitinUK
TurnitinUK is an online service which compares student assignments with online sources including web pages, databases of reference material, and content previously submitted by other users across the UK. The software makes no decision as to whether plagiarism has occurred ; it is simply a tool which highlights sections of text that have been found in other sources thereby helping academic staff decide whether plagiarism has occurred.
As of Academic Year 2011/12, TurnitinUK will be accessed directly through MyAberdeen. Advice about avoiding plagiarism, the University’s Definition of Plagiarism, a Checklist for Students, Referencing and Citing guidance, and instructions for TurnitinUK, can be found in the following area of the Student Learning Service website www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism/.
LATE SUBMISSION
One CAS mark will be deducted for every two days (or part thereof) past the deadline (Saturday, Sunday and other days when the University is closed are counted together as a single day), if a paper is handed in late (unless the student has a medical certificate or has an extension that had been granted in advance ). ( Further information regarding late submission and extensions can be found in the Student Handbook, pg 11.
ASSESSMENT FEEDBACK
The University recognises that the provision of timely and appropriate feedback on assessment plays a key part in students learning and teaching. The guiding principles for the provision of feedback within the University are detailed in the Institutional Framework for the Provision of Feedback on Assessment available at: www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x8.pdf.
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PLAGIARISM
‘Plagiarism is the use, without adequate acknowledgement, of the intellectual work of another person in work submitted for assessment. A student cannot be found to have committed plagiarism where it can be shown that the student has taken all reasonable care to avoid representing the work of others as his/her own.’
Plagiarism is a serious offence everywhere, both within and outwith the academic community. All cases of suspected plagiarism will be reported to the Head of School in the first instance and cannot be discussed with or determined by a Tutor or Course Co-ordinator.
Please note that students MUST refer to the School’s Undergraduate Student Handbook for more detailed information on what constitutes plagiarism, how to avoid it, and what the University’s procedure is should plagiarism be suspected.
EXAMINATION
1 st^ Attempt: One 2 hour exam (50%).
Past exam papers can be viewed at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/library/examdb/.
Further information regarding examinations can be found in the Student Handbook, pg 20-21.
Resit : One 2,500 word essay (50%) plus one two-hour written examination (50%). Original essay mark carried forward if CAS 6 or above.
Resit Eligibility : Candidates are only eligible to resit an exam provided that each element of coursework assessment is CAS 6 or above. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the coordinator if the student has failed a course.
CLASS REPRESENTATIVES
We value students’ opinions in regard to enhancing the quality of teaching and its delivery; therefore in conjunction with the Students’ Association we support the operation of a Class Representative system.
The students within each course, year, or programme elect representatives by the end of the fourth week of teaching within each half-session. In the History of Art discipline we operate a system of course representatives for each year. Any student registered within a course or year that wishes to represent a given group of students can stand for election as a class representative. You will be informed when the elections for class representative will take place.
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ABERDEEN GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/graduateattributes/
Graduate Attributes are a wide-ranging set of qualities which students develop during their time at Aberdeen in preparation for employment, further study and citizenship. There are four main areas of the Graduate Attributes:
Academic excellence
Critical thinking and communication
Learning and personal development
Active citizenship Students have many opportunities to develop and achieve these attributes. These include learning experiences on credit-bearing courses and co-curricular activities such as work placements, study abroad and volunteering. In accordance with the University’s commitment to Equality and Diversity, students can request support with any aspect of the Graduate Attributes framework.
The ACHIEVE site in MyAberdeen offers resources that enable students to assess and reflect upon their present skills and development needs. The site also contains resources to help students to improve their skills and links to a range of university services such as the Careers Service and the Student Learning Service. Students will find ACHIEVE under Organisations in MyAberdeen.
STUDENT SUPPORT
It is important that students check their university email account regularly as this is the first method of contact by university staff members.
For information regarding appeals and complaints , students can refer to the Student Handbook, pg 25.
For information regarding feedback , students can refer to the Student Handbook, pg 15
Additional information regarding student support can be found throughout the Student Handbook. Students can also contact Student Support Services or the discipline secretary if additional information is needed.
