Course Description
Analytic philosophy was and remains the dominant philosophical movement in the English-speaking world. We will examine the history of this movement, beginning with its emergence in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries in the reactions of Moore and Frege to the then-prominent philosophical schools of idealism and psychologism. We will then explore the method of philosophical analysis, as exemplified in important papers by Frege, Russell and Carnap. Next we will undertake a close reading of portions of two influential books from mid-century: Ryle’s The Concept of Mind and Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations. Finally, we will consider two internal challenges to analytic orthodoxy raised by Quine and Davidson. From these challenges we will draw some insight into the fractured and contested shape of analytic philosophy today.
Objectives
- Gain an understanding of the origins and development of Analytic philosophy.
- Become familiar with some of the most important philosophers and works of the 20th century.
- Develop general philosophical skills: analyzing philosophical texts and defending positions in discussion and in writing.
Class Format
This class will involve a mix of lecturing and discussion. I will generally begin each session with a short lecture, but I strongly believe that students learn more when they are actively engaging with the material. To that end I will encourage discussion for a significant portion of each class.
Required Texts
- Ryle, The Concept of Mind (Chicago, 2000)
- Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations (Blackwell, 2001)
Many of the papers we will be reading are available on JSTOR. A few will be made available on the course website.
Evaluation
- 25 % First Paper (4-5 pages, due date to be announced)
- 60 % Second Paper (8-10 pages, due last day of class)
- 15 % Participation
There will be no final exam. The participation grade will be based on your involvement in class discussion, along with written comments. Students will submit these comments to me prior to each class. They should consist of a brief paragraph of your general thoughts on the reading for that class: what you find most significant or problematic, along with any questions you might have about what is going on in the text. These comments need not be well-polished pieces of writing, and I will not be grading them (although failure to submit comments will affect your participation grade). I’ll use your comments to keep track of how we are doing with the readings and to ensure that you are reading them. They should also prove useful for you in preparing to discuss these topics in class.
Class Schedule
Unit 1. Origins of Analytic Philosophy
- Against British Idealism
- Moore, “Refutation of Idealism” (1903) [week 1]
- Logic and Anti-Psychologism
- Frege, Foundations of Arithmetic [excerpts] (1884) [week 2]
Unit 2. Logical Analysis
- Fregean Analysis
- Frege, “On Sense and reference” (1892) [week 3]
- Logical Atomism
- Russell, “On Denoting” (1905) [week 4]
- Logical Positivism
- Carnap, “The Elimination of Metaphysics…” (1932) [week 5]
Unit 3. Language and Mind
- Ryle, The Concept of Mind (1949)
- Chapter 1. Descartes’ Myth [week 6]
- Chapter 2. Knowing How and Knowing That [week 7]
- Chapter 3. The Will [week 8]
- Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations (1953)
- §§ 1-36 (the Augustinian view of language) [week 9]
- §§ 37-64 (names and analysis) [week 10]
- §§ 65-88 (family resemblance) [week 11]
- §§ 89-133 (logic and philosophical method) [week 12]
Unit 4. Internal Challenges to the Analytic Tradition
- Analyticity
- Quine, “Two Dogmas of Empiricism” (1953) [week 13]
- Conceptual Schemes
- Davidson, “On the Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme” (1974) [week 14]