THEORY OF LANGUAGE A - L

The course aims to provide students with a basic knowledge of the most relevant debates and issues in the theory and philosophy of language: a) language and representation (semantics); b) language and action (pragmatics); c) language and communication (semiotics, contexts, and truth); d) language between norm and nature (inference, cognition, artificial intelligence); e) diversity of languages vs. uniqueness of language; f) the origin of language.

The course aims to provide students with an epistemological outlook, by means of which they will be able to observe the linguistic phenomenon with the help of specialized knowledge and, at the same time, to develop coherent, well-organized and structured overall perspectives.

Lectures, brainstorming and classroom exercises.

If the course will be taught in a blended mode or at a distance, the necessary changes will be made in order to comply with the Syllabus.

1. The epistemological ‘perspective’: language as a 'complex object'.
2. Language and representation: theories of meaning (from Frege to Kripke.
3. Language and action: pragmatic theories (Austin, Searle, Wittgenstein, Grice).
4. Language and communication: the relationship between "sense" and "context"; semantic holism and the problem of translation; the "semiotics of possible worlds" and the question of interpretive truth.
5. Language between norm and nature: Dummett's and Brandom's theory of inference; language and artificial intelligence; language and cognition.
6. Homo sapiens and language: an evolutionary leap or a long continuity?
7. Language uniqueness and language diversity: articulation, combination, social institution.
8. Operations and formats: what a language is made of and what users do.
9. Grammar, narration and dialogue: evolutionary issues and language models.
10. The ‘unpredictable species’: brain activity and brain design.
11. Homo Faber: the complex structure of the relationship between tool, bone and brain.
12. Genes and language: the origin of evolution
13. Universalists and relativists: Chomsky vs Sapir-Whorf?
14. Creativity: what makes the human animal ‘unique'

Texts:

• C. Penco, Introduzione alla filosofia del linguaggio, Roma-Bari, Laterza 2018 (1^a edizione 2004), cap. 3-17, pp. 190.
• R. Simone, Il software del linguaggio, Milano, Raffaello Cortina, 2020, cap. 1-4 and 9-10, pp.173.
• P. Lieberman, La specie imprevedibile, Roma, Carocci, 2016, pp. 236.

Other texts may be provided through the Studium platform.

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.